Local Emergency Response Research Articles

Disaster Mitigation Knowledge Based on Local Wisdom Integration in Elementary Schools

Elementary schools as a basic education environment have limited knowledge and understanding of disaster preparedness, both among students, teachers, and the surrounding community. The lack of effective educational strategies, especially in integrating local knowledge and traditional wisdom, is a major obstacle in preparing elementary schools to face disasters. This study aims to describe and analyze the forms of knowledge obtained from disaster preparedness education based on local wisdom integration for elementary schools. This study uses a qualitative case study method, where participants are selected from various stakeholders involved in elementary education and disaster preparedness. The results of the study indicate that various types of disaster preparedness education knowledge have been identified, including basic knowledge, specific disaster preparedness knowledge, local wisdom knowledge, emergency response and evacuation knowledge, environmental knowledge and prevention, and social knowledge and cooperation. Understanding disaster mitigation can influence students' attitudes and behaviors in facing disasters, so that by providing elementary school students with comprehensive and contextual knowledge about disaster mitigation, equipping them with important and wiser life skills.

Towards a New Typology of Digitalized Co-production: Implementing Local Emergency Response Initiatives Nationwide

In Sweden, a decade ago, digitalized co-production emergency response initiatives of a hybrid bottom-up type emerged. They targeted local efforts to recruit groups of citizens to provide first respons for other citizens in accidents. Benefits in terms of shorter response times, saved lives, reduced human suffering, and material damage have been demonstrated. Recently, national authorities recognized the need to support the initiatives to expand to all rescue services, and the potential to scale up the use of citizen first responders, also in large-scale crisis management and as part of civil preparedness. Previous research has studied the initiatives and developed three models aimed at supporting the implementation of digitalized co-production. In this study, we report from the initial phase of the nationwide effort, carry out an initial evaluation, and present revised models. The models are adapted to rural versus urban settings and complemented with a model providing national support. Information and communication technology plays a crucial role in all of them. We define the hybrid type as interdependent digitalized co-production where government citizen sourcing is not direct but includes the intermediate level of the rescue services. Implications are discussed, e.g., on how to achieve a balance between centralization and decentralization.

The impact of policy and policy communication on COVID-19 vaccination inequalities among Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia: a comparative cross-sectional interrupted time-series analysis

IntroductionEquitable access to vaccines for migrants and refugees is necessary to ensure their right to health and to achieve public health goals of reducing vaccine-preventable illness. Public health policies require...

Representative bureaucracy and COVID‐19 among local emergency response professionals

AbstractThis article considers the opinions of local emergency management professionals with regard to the response of the US federal government to the COVID‐19 pandemic. The responses to a survey from May/June 2020 demonstrate that these feelings, ranging from highly successful to extremely poor, are reflective of the culture at large in the nation. The study will examine whether the feelings expressed by local officials are reflective of prevailing political leanings of their constituency, measured as the presidential voting habits from 2000 to 2020 in the respondent's jurisdiction. This will extend Hildebrand's (2020) testing which linked the emergency management field to the theory of “representative bureaucracy.” This theory surmises that government actors will be reflective of their body politic in their behavior and attitudes toward federal initiatives. The findings suggest that those who represent “Strong Republican” jurisdictions have greater odds in rating the federal response as being effective, and that those from “Strong Democrat” locations will have greater odds in rating the federal response as not effective at all. Statistical testing also suggests that as the population of the jurisdiction increases, the less likely the respondent was to consider the federal response to COVID‐19 effective.

Multi-Disaster Hazard Analysis, The Case of Elazığ Province

In this study, a comprehensive assessment of disaster hazards in Elazığ province, where the Eastern Anatolian Fault Zone passes through, was conducted. Hazard maps for earthquakes, floods, landslides, rockfalls, avalanches, desertification, and erosion were integrated to create a multi-hazard map. Various methods, such as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and machine learning models, including the Random Forest algorithm, were employed to assess the severity and probability of exposure for each hazard type. Independent variables, including VS30, liquefaction potential, Digital Elevation Model (DEM)-derived data, and climatic data, were selected based on relevant literature and the study area. For earthquake and erosion hazards, intuitive models were used due to the absence of a single dependent variable. The desertification map was obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Urban Planning, and Climate Change. The Random Forest model was used for other disaster hazard maps. All hazard maps were combined using a hierarchical approach with the Weighted Overlay tool. The study generated a spatial synthesis and database intended to offer proactive insights into disaster preparedness, optimizing resource allocation, and expediting recovery efforts post-disaster within the Elazığ Province. Its primary objective is to provide assistance to local authorities and emergency response teams. In the province, a significant portion of urban settlements and the majority of rural areas face high earthquake hazards. Floods pose a considerable risk, particularly in low-lying areas downstream of numerous dams scattered across the province, as well as at the confluence points of seasonal riverbeds. The hazard of landslides is high in the rugged areas along the EAF and in steep terrains eroded by rivers. Moreover, rock falls occur more frequently in mountainous areas along the Hazarbaba-Akdağ axis due to erosion and physical dissolution. Erosion and desertification represent significant slow-moving hazards, with erosion intensifying on steep slopes and barren lands, while desertification notably affects Baskil and its surrounding low-lying areas in the western part of the province. Considering multiple hazards, areas with concentrated settlements and economic activities such as Elazığ, Baskil, Kovancılar, Karakoçan, and Behrimaz plains are categorized as very high and high-risk zones.

Assessing US Small Animal Veterinary Clinic Adaptations and Their Impacts on Workforce COVID-19 Preparedness and Response.

Veterinary personnel are an essential yet often underappreciated workforce, critical for zoonotic disease prevention and response efforts that impact human health. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, the veterinary workforce supported emergency responses by promoting zoonotic disease risk communication, sharing animal health expertise, and boosting laboratory surge capacity against SARS-CoV-2 in animals and people. However, small animal veterinary workers (SAVWs), similar to healthcare workers, faced organizational challenges in providing clinical care to family pets, including those susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. We analyzed a cross-sectional survey of 1,204 SAVWs in the United States to assess veterinary clinic adaptations and their associations with SAVWs' self-perceived readiness, willingness, and ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as a workforce. SAVWs who worked fewer hours than before the pandemic (ready, OR 0.59; willing, OR 0.66; able, OR 0.52) or used personal protective equipment less frequently for protection in the clinic (ready, OR 0.69; willing, OR 0.69; able, OR 0.64) felt less ready, willing, and able to respond to COVID-19. SAVWs working remotely felt less ready (OR 0.46) but not less willing or able to respond to COVID-19. Lastly, SAVWs with dependents felt less ready (OR 0.67) and able (OR 0.49) to respond to COVID-19 than SAVWs without dependents. Our findings highlight the importance of proactively managing work schedules, having access to personal protective equipment, and addressing caregiving concerns to enhance SAVW preparedness and response outcomes. SAVWs are knowledgeable, motivated personnel who should be integrated into local public health emergency preparedness and response plans, supporting a One Health framework that unites multidisciplinary teams to respond to future zoonotic disease threats.

A study on the internal logic of local government emergency response capacity indicators based on the G-Dematel-Aism model

The local government's handling of emergencies has a bearing on the lives of local people, property safety and a series of rights. Therefore, how to build the emergency response capacity of local governments has become an important topic in the field of public management. In this paper, we study the important indexes of local government's emergency management and combine them with the algorithm of systematics to construct the matrix and topological map, and finally calculate the degree of importance and the logic relationship between the indexes The calculation results provide ideas for the focus and logic of local government's emergency response capacity building.

The Application of Model-Based Systems Engineering to Rural Healthcare System Disaster Planning: A Scoping Review

Disasters and other emergency events have complex effects on human systems, particularly if the events are severe or prolonged. When these types of events happen in rural communities, the resources of the local public health, healthcare, and emergency response organizations can be quickly depleted or overwhelmed. Planning for emergencies can help to mitigate their impact. Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) methods, including computer simulations, can provide insight on how best to prepare for these events and to explore the effects of varying approaches and resource utilization. To best apply these methods for improving disaster management in rural settings, a synthesis of the current body of evidence in this field is needed. The objective of this scoping review was to provide a descriptive overview of the application of computer simulation based on MBSE approaches to disaster preparedness and response for rural healthcare systems. Six studies met inclusion criteria, and varied in terms of MBSE method used, healthcare setting, and disaster type and context considered. We identified a gap in the research regarding the application of MBSE approaches to support rural healthcare disaster preparedness planning efforts. Model-based systems engineering and systems thinking, therefore, represent novel methods for developing tools and computational simulations that could assist rural communities better prepare for disasters.

Public health and medical preparedness for mass casualties from the deliberate release of synthetic opioids.

The large amounts of opioids and the emergence of increasingly potent illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids circulating in the unregulated drug supply in North America and Europe are fueling not only the ongoing public health crisis of overdose deaths but also raise the risk of another type of disaster: deliberate opioid release with the intention to cause mass harm. Synthetic opioids are highly potent, rapidly acting, can cause fatal ventilatory depression, are widely available, and have the potential to be disseminated for mass exposure, for example, if effectively formulated, via inhalation or ingestion. As in many other chemical incidents, the health consequences of a deliberate release of synthetic opioid would manifest quickly, within minutes. Such an incident is unlikely, but the consequences could be grave. Awareness of the risk of this type of incident and preparedness to respond are required to save lives and reduce illness. Coordinated planning across the entire local community emergency response system is also critical. The ability to rapidly recognize the opioid toxidrome, education on personal protective actions, and training in medical management of individuals experiencing an opioid overdose are key components of preparedness for an opioid mass casualty incident.

Automated external defibrillator delivery by drone in mountainous regions to support basic life support – A simulation study

BackgroundOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is associated with poor survival rates. Factors that may enable survival include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) initiated by bystanders and early use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). This explorative simulation study was conceptualized to test the feasibility of a semi-autonomously operating drone that delivers an AED to a remote emergency location and its bystander-use. MethodsTen paramedics and nineteen laypersons were confronted with a manikin simulating an OHCA as single bystanders within a field test located in a mountainous region between Austria and Slovenia. The scenario included a mock-call to the local emergency response center that dispatched a drone towards the caller’s GPS coordinates and supported the ongoing CPR. The outcomes were the successful delivery of the AED, the time to the first shock, hands-off times, and the overall performance of the CPR. ResultsThe AED was delivered by drone and used in all 29 scenarios without serious adverse events. The flight time of the drone was in median 5:20 (range: 1:35–8:19) minutes. The paramedics delivered the first shock after a mean of 12:15 ± 2:03 min and hands-off times were 50 ± 22 s. The laypersons delivered the first shock after 14:04 ± 2:10 min and hands-off times were 2:11 ± 0:39 min. All participants felt confident in the handling of the delivered AED. ConclusionThe delivery and usage of an AED via a semi-autonomously flying drone in a remote region is feasible. This approach can lead to early administration of shocks.

Meteorological Conditions of Extreme Heavy Rains over Coastal City Mumbai

Abstract The city of Mumbai, India, frequently receives extreme rainfall (>204.5 mm day−1) during the summer monsoonal period (June–September), causing flash floods and other hazards. An assessment of the meteorological conditions that lead to these rain events is carried out for 15 previous cases from 1980 to 2020. The moisture source for such rain events over Mumbai is generally an offshore trough, a midtropospheric cyclone, or a Bay of Bengal depression. The analysis shows that almost all of the extreme rain events are associated with at least two of these conditions co-occurring. The presence of a narrow zone of high sea surface temperature approximately along the latitude of Mumbai over the Arabian Sea can favor mesoscale convergence and is observed at least 3 days before the event. Anomalous wind remotely supplying copious moisture from the Bay of Bengal adds to the intensity of the rain event. The presence of midtropospheric circulation and offshore trough, along with the orographic lifting of the moisture, give a unique meteorological setup to bring about highly localized catastrophic extreme rainfall events over Mumbai. The approach adopted in this study can be utilized for other such locales to develop location-specific guidance that can aid the local forecasting and emergency response communities. Further, it also provides promise for using data-driven/machine learning–based pattern analysis for developing warning triggers. Significance Statement We have identified the meteorological conditions that lead to extreme heavy rains over Mumbai, India. They are that 1) at least two of these rain-bearing systems, offshore trough, midtropospheric circulation, and Bay of Bengal depression moving north-northwestward are concurrently present, 2) an anomalous high SST gradient is present along the same latitude as Mumbai, and 3) the Western Ghats orography favors the rainfall extreme to be highly localized over Mumbai.

What if a Bioterrorist Attack Occurs?—A Survey on Citizen Preparedness in Aveiro, Portugal

Introduction: A bioterrorist attack is the intentional release of pathogenic micro-organisms, such as viruses, bacteria, or their toxins, with the aim of causing illness or death in people, animals, or plants. In this study, we investigated the knowledge and practices related to bioterrorism preparedness in Central Portugal. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed with a convenience sample in the population of Aveiro, Central Portugal, to assess their knowledge about bioterrorism, self-perceived preparation to act in case of bioterrorism and pet owners’ preparation. An online validated questionnaire was completed by 198 participants from January to February 2020. Results: In this study, 46.0% of the respondents answered that they knew nothing about bioterrorism or had never heard about the possibility of bioterrorist attacks. In the case of an attack, 77.8% participants did not consider themselves prepared to act, and 62.1% did not know how to use personal protective equipment. More than half of the respondents (60.6%) were not familiar with the local emergency response system in response to catastrophes/bioterrorist attacks. Almost all respondents (95.6%) assigned high importance to drinking water and food for pets, but only 22.9% of respondents attributed high importance to pet carrier boxes, an item essential for cat evacuation. Conclusion: This is the first survey of this kind in Portugal concerning bioterrorism preparedness in citizens and animals. Results suggest that Portuguese knowledge is limited, and people have inadequate preparedness for a bioterrorist attack. These results reinforce the importance of further studies to better understand the existing gaps in knowledge of Portuguese citizens, strengthen the need to adopt the One Health concept in preparedness plans and emphasize the crucial role of health education in prevention.

Perancangan Sistem Informasi Pendataan Korban Bencana Alam Dan Bencana Sosial Di Dinas Sosial Kota Palembang Berbasis Website

Handling events that occur, by evacuating, meeting needs, protection are things that must be done by the government and local governments and emergency response. The Palembang City Social Service is a government institution that has many fields, one of which is PJS (Social Protection and Security) which has a Head of Social Protection for Natural and Social Disaster Victims (PSKBA / BS). In collecting data on victims of Natural and Social Disasters, the Social Service of Palembang City has used a computer in its data collection, but the data collection is still using MS Excel where the data can be lost at any time. Therefore, this study aims to design a web-based system that helps in collecting data on victims of natural and social disasters that can minimize data loss. In building information system software, the author uses an object-oriented method with a waterfall approach which consists of several stages, namely Requirements Analysis (requirements), System Design (design), System Implementation (implementation), System Testing (testing), and System Maintenance (maintenance). . The design of the Information System for Data Collection of Victims of Natural Disasters and Social Disasters at the Social Service of Palembang City is a system design process that can later be implemented in programming language which aims to make it easier for officers or admins to collect data and also recap reports quickly and accurately. The design of this system is based on the problems that exist at this time where the data collection process is still using Ms Excel which is considered to be still ineffective. The currently designed system is equipped with a menu of disaster data, command posts, victim data, officers, assistance, and a recap menu. Where these menus can support the system to be maximized and in accordance with user needs.Keywords : Information System, Waterfall, WebÂ

Resiliency of a US Pacific Island Territory with a Type 1 EMT

Background/Introduction:The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 14 Pacific islands with a population of around 50,000 and a United States territory, experienced two major typhoons exceeding 150 mph/240 kmph in three years. The resiliency of the people of the CNMI is evident, and has been supplemented through support from international Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs). As a US territory, support is available from the United States federal government and international partners, but an island territory far from the US mainland, the CNMI requires strong local emergency response capacity.Objectives:To describe:How the CNMI health system conducted an environmental scan to identify and address gaps in out-patient support in disasters;How the health system improved and expanded its capacity to respond to emergencies with a significant impact on the community’s health; andHow leveraging the integration of clinical and public health capacities contributed to the development of a multidisciplinary local Type 1 EMT in the CNMI.Method/Description:The CNMI brought together key local agencies involved in emergency response. Because of multiple recent disaster response efforts, agencies had deep knowledge and experience, and gaps were easily identified.Results/Outcomes:The territory’s experience with international EMTs guided the creation of a local EMT in the CNMI, engaging local agencies, physicians, nurses, and public health and preparedness staff from the territory’s health system to establish an EMT for local and potentially for regional response.Conclusion:Building local capacity using multi-sectoral agencies and multi-disciplinary individuals improves health system resiliency in health emergency response.

Formal probabilistic risk analysis of accidental air pollution in a development zone using Bayesian networks

The potential risk caused by the leakage of toxic and hazardous substances during air pollution accidents poses a great threat to local environmental safety, human heath, and even property security. Uncertainties and causalities are important components that should not be ignored in risk assessment. Compared with traditional non-probabilistic methods, Bayesian networks (BNs) are well suited to solving problems with high complexity and uncertainties. To utilize these advantages, a BN-based approach, coupled with diffusion simulation of risk substances, was proposed to estimate the risk of air pollution accidents in a probabilistic way at the local scale. This method was applied to analyze the risk levels of 24 risk sources and 24 risk subregions in Daya Bay, a national economic and technological development zone with a large petrochemical industry in Huizhou, Guangdong province. The results indicated that the Daya Bay area suffered a relatively low risk of accidental air pollution. Only five risk sources (20.8%) and two risk subregions (8.3%) were found to have high danger or risk. Ammonia, styrene, and sulfur dioxide were the most threatening substances in order. Acute exposure was the most sensitive factor, and made the highest contribution to risk level. This research provides an effective approach that can be used to characterize the air pollution accident risk quantitatively, probabilistically, and graphically. Probabilistic risk assessment can provide substantial support to local risk prevention, control, and emergency response for accidental air pollution, as well as to future risk management and policy decisions.

An epidemic and a pandemic collide: Assessing the feasibility of tobacco treatment among vulnerable groups at COVID-19 protective lodging.

Individuals experiencing homelessness have elevated smoking rates in addition to chronic and acute physical and mental health conditions, which may increase chances for complications associated with COVID-19 recovery. Unfortunately, there is underuse of tobacco cessation services in many agencies (e.g., substance use treatment centers, mental health treatment centers) providing care to these individuals. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the feasibility of providing tobacco cessation treatment alongside local COVID-19 emergency response efforts. Taking Texas Tobacco Free (TTTF) partnered with relevant emergency response teams at 5 isolation centers (repurposed hotels) in Austin, Texas, to address tobacco use among presumed or confirmed COVID-19 positive individuals who had nowhere else to seek care and shelter. TTTF trained staff on tobacco cessation treatment; specifically, the 5A's and use of nicotine replacement therapy. Over 5 months in 2020; 170 of 379 (44.9%) isolation center residents were reached and assessed for cigarette or vape use. Smoking/vaping prevalence was 70.6%, and 41.7% of tobacco users accepted cessation treatment. Results suggest the feasibility and potential acceptability of providing tobacco treatment services in similar care settings during local emergency response efforts, including but potentially not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, this initiates a call to action for health care providers to deliver tobacco use cessation services for typically hard-to-reach groups (e.g., individuals/families experiencing homelessness) who may have increased contact with service agencies and health providers during times of crisis. Limitations and suggestions for future implementation are also provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Joint initial dispatching of official responders and registered volunteers during catastrophic mass-casualty incidents

A catastrophic mass-casualty incident results in a high number of casualties and demands the sudden mobilization of emergency medical services in a short while. It typically overwhelms the capacity of official first responders from the local emergency response system. With the advancement of GPS technology to map real-time positions, registered volunteers in the community could be a valuable addition to complement the official resources. In this paper, we propose an optimization model to aid in the initial dispatch of official responders and registered volunteers. We discuss how this model can be integrated with the existing registered volunteer management tools (e.g., databases and smart phone applications) to generate an upgraded emergency responder dispatching workflow for field practices. We model uncertainty in model parameters through different scenarios. Our objective is to maximize both the expected number of served victims across all scenarios and the minimum (worst-case) percentage of served victims among all scenarios. Based on a hypothetical case study of a mass-casualty incident in New York City, we illustrate how our model could increase emergency response outcomes by leveraging currently unutilized registered volunteers as emergency response resources.

COVID-19 and International Efforts to Reduce Harmful Drinking

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to promote health and well-being by reducing harms related to alcohol misuse are likely to be adversely affected by changing sales and policy environments, as well as social distancing requirements imposed to halt virus transmission. In response, the AB InBev Foundation adapted an initiative originally developed to reduce harmful alcohol drinking in five global “City Pilot” demonstration sites that sponsored partnerships between local coalitions and public institutions to reduce alcohol-related harms. Little is known about the effects of a prolonged pandemic on access to alcohol, alcohol misuse and related harms, and ongoing interventions designed to prevent or mitigate these harms. Participants in Community Steering Committees (SteerCos) associated with each City Pilot provided information about the history of the project and the context of implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that, where feasible, the City Pilots adapted their in-person prevention strategies for online delivery. They also modified the purpose of a Foundation-sponsored fund that was originally intended to support community-based alcohol harm prevention efforts. As repurposed, this fund financed local COVID-19 prevention and emergency response efforts and generated goodwill with community partners.

A Web-Based Decision Support Systems Framework for Ill-Structured Decision Situations

Decisions and actions in an ill-structured situation often include high-time constraints, lack of information, and poor cognitive efforts. Obtaining the necessary information through an information systems tool is supposed to be the best solution in such situations. To expose the decision situation, this study has taken the fire and civil defense service as the field of study. In exploring the required information resources, elements of the system architecture, and suitability of the proposed system in the current field, this study has resorted to the qualitative approach. To assess the dependability and performance of the systems, this study has used the RAS metrics and a black-box test. The result showed that the reliability stood within 62.70–70.00%, and its availability stood at 99.00% with a downtime of 3.65 days/year from a three-month study. As per the black-box test with standard 4G network connection, the system takes an average loading time of 1.00s for alphanumeric contents, 3.50s for images and graphics, and 5.50s for loading maps and navigations. This research evidenced that, the local emergency response and rescue units in developing countries like Bangladesh might want to use a well-designed response support system for improved acquisition, dissemination, and utilization of response information.

Rational Reflection in the Post-epidemic Era: Institutional Advantages and Improvement of Governance Efficiency

Currently, the national epidemic prevention and control is still facing the challenges of secondary risk stacking, coordinated optimization of multi-party governance resources, and effective conversion of normal and abnormal conditions. Therefore, systematic thinking should be established in the normalized precision prevention and control and local emergency response, prevention and control should be implemented in accordance with the law, and source governance should be strengthened so as to overcome the risk challenges and improve governance efficiency.