Mutual Aid Agreements Research Articles

Ready or not: Emergency preparedness in residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE) in California.

This study examined the results of an electronic survey of residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE) in California in 2021 to provide insight on key elements of emergency plans and facility preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic and future emergencies. Surveys were distributed to RCFE administrators using publicly available emails found on the California Health and Human Services Open Data Portal. Responses from 150 facility administrators included data on their perception of current and future facility preparedness for COVID-19 and other emergency scenarios, items included in facility evacuation/shelter-in-place plans, and hazard vulnerability analyses and training practices of facility staff. Descriptive analyses were performed on collected data. The majority of results were from small facilities serving less than seven residents (70.7 percent). Prior to COVID-19, more than 90 percent of respondents included disaster drills, evacuation plans, and emergency transportation in their emergency preparedness plan. The majority of facilities added pandemic planning, vaccine distribution, and quarantine guidelines elements into their plans during COVID-19. Approximately half of facilities reported conducting proactive hazard vulnerability analyses. Around 75 percent of RCFEs felt well prepared for fires and infectious disease outbreaks, had mixed preparedness levels for earthquakes and floods, and felt least prepared for landslides and active shooter emergencies. During the pandemic, perceptions of preparedness rose, with 92 percent stating they felt very prepared currently and almost 70 percent felt very prepared for future pandemics. Preparedness of these essential facilities and their residents can continue to improve by conducting regular proactive hazard vulnerability analyses, improving communication lines and mutual aid agreements with local and state organizations, and preparing for critical emergencies such as landslides and active shooter scenarios. This can help to ensure adequate resources and investments are provided to care for older adults during emergencies.

A Framework for Dynamic Composition and Management of Emergency Response Processes.

An emergency response process outlines the workflow of different activities that need to be performed in response to an emergency. Effective emergency response requires communication and coordination with the operational systems belonging to different collaborating organizations. Therefore, it is necessary to establish information sharing and system-level interoperability among the diverse operational systems. Unlike typical e-government processes that are well structured and have a well-defined outcome, emergency response processes are knowledge-centric and their workflow structure and execution may evolve as the incident unfolds. It is impractical to define static plans and response process workflows for every possible situation. Instead, a dynamic response should be adaptable to the changing situation. We present an integrated approach that facilitates the dynamic composition of an executable response process. The proposed approach employs ontology-based reasoning to determine the default actions and resource requirements for the given incident and to identify relevant response organizations based on their jurisdictional and mutual aid agreement rules. The Web service APIs of the identified response organizations are then used to generate an executable response process that evolves dynamically. The proposed approach is implemented and experimentally validated using an example scenario derived from the FEMA Hazardous Materials Tabletop Exercises Manual.

How well prepared are countries in Latin America and the Caribbean? A Benchmarking Assessment for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response

Abstract ID 667973 A guide for best practices in spill response preparedness was presented to the international community over ten years ago during the 2008 IOSC. The published guide was the compiled effort of multiple government and industry stakeholder workshops representing the spill response community. Through ARPEL initiatives, the guide was transitioned into a free, user-friendly, spill response/readiness evaluation tool for oil spills (RETOS™) and its accompanying manual. RETOS™ is a scalable self-assessment tool that uses a broad suite of planning and readiness assessment criteria broken down into ten different categories to identify gaps in a response program. RETOS™ has subsequently been used in over 50 countries to assess the status of oil spill readiness and preparedness for national to local facility spill response programs. The benchmarking evaluation identifies gaps and opportunities for improvement, priority areas for development, and establishes a baseline against which program improvements and regional, or complementary, response programs can be gauged. RETOS use in Caribbean and Latin America countries, instigated through the RAC-REMPEITC and ARPEL, has promoted national plan development, program improvements, and regional cooperation. National programs assessed at a base level using the RETOS™ application revealed scores between approximately 30 and 90% in these regions. National assessments from countries throughout region and a survey of RETOS users, most of whom utilized the tools for assessing national spill response programs, reveal areas that are common challenges for many of the small island and/or developing nations. These encompass financial matters, training and exercises, and sustained improvement. Several countries in the region have conducted subsequent assessments and in some cases have shown as much as 60% improvements in program readiness. When RETOS™ is used on a regional scale, specific national program gaps can be compiled and analyzed regionally. This analysis can drive future IMO activities to address regional gaps and areas for improvement, highlight specific areas for bi-lateral and multi-lateral mutual aid agreements, and can provide regional solutions to national problems, such as creating and maintaining a database of oil spill equipment and experts available in the countries of the Region. Updates to the ARPEL RETOS™ tool and Manual, continued published guidance on best-practices, and repeated self-assessment efforts are recommended to sustain spill readiness improvements. The RETOS™ tool has proven to be an integral part of national and regional oil spill program assessment and directly contributes to overall oil spill program improvements.

Municipal Utilities and COVID-19: Challenges, Responses, and Collaboration

The COVID-19 pandemic has put pressure on essential public services. While much of the economy has been shut down, essential public services have continued. Using professional experience, publicly available information, and interviews with two municipal utility managers, we evaluate the challenges presented to municipal utility services by the COVID-19 pandemic and explore some of the responses by utilities to the pandemic. Specifically, we focus on the strategies utilities have used to keep employees safe from the virus and plans for workforce shortages. One important strategy we identify is reliance on mutual aid agreements, where utilities agree to send staff and equipment to other utilities in times of crisis. We also explore the role of a municipal utility association in coordinating response. The case of utility response to COVID-19 carries important potential implications for both public administration practice and research.

Build a strong relationship with local agencies

With most university campuses being located within urban or suburban areas, effective cooperation between campus and municipal police departments is essential for creating safe communities and providing seamless police services. At the Miami University (Ohio) Police Department, Chief John McCandless has been fortunate enough to participate in the development of mutual aid agreements that have benefited both the university and the surrounding city of Oxford. McCandless shared some insights and best practices concerning the implementation and management of these agreements that he's picked up during his 15‐year tenure as chief.

Questionnaire survey on water consumption and preparedness for water outages at intensive care homes for the elderly in Japan

Research Article| December 18 2017 Questionnaire survey on water consumption and preparedness for water outages at intensive care homes for the elderly in Japan Masaki Sagehashi; Masaki Sagehashi 1National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako, Saitama 351-0197Japan E-mail: sagehashi.m.aa@niph.go.jp Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Michihiro Akiba Michihiro Akiba 1National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako, Saitama 351-0197Japan Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua (2018) 67 (2): 176–191. https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2017.008 Article history Received: December 18 2016 Accepted: November 23 2017 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Cite Icon Cite Permissions Search Site Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll JournalsThis Journal Search Advanced Search Citation Masaki Sagehashi, Michihiro Akiba; Questionnaire survey on water consumption and preparedness for water outages at intensive care homes for the elderly in Japan. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua 22 March 2018; 67 (2): 176–191. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2017.008 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Abstract The status of water consumption and preparedness for water outages at intensive care homes for the elderly (ICHE) in Japan was investigated by questionnaire. The ICHE is the nursing care facilities covered by public aid providing long-term care for the elderly in Japan. The daily water consumption per person admitted to the ICHE was estimated as 425 L (median) and the daily water consumption per admitted elderly person and the contributors (i.e., care staff and visitors) was estimated as 253 L (median). The question from the viewpoint of alternative water supply revealed a high rate of possessing water receiving tanks. In addition, the possession rate of personal wells was also clarified. High rates of drinking water storage and portable toilets were confirmed. From the viewpoint of action procedures, the rates of introduction of disaster training, disaster action manual, and mutual aid agreement in the event of a disaster with others, all of which took into consideration water outages, were also clarified. Furthermore, free written comments confirmed that many ICHE were concerned about toilet care in the event of an emergency. emergency water supply, intensive care homes for the elderly, nationwide questionnaire in Japan, unit water consumption, water outage © IWA Publishing 2018 You do not currently have access to this content.

Determining the appropriate strategies for emergency planning through AHP-SWOT

During an unexpected incident, companies should demonstrate appropriate behaviour based on predetermined and rehearsed emergency strategies. This paper describes how to select the proper strategies for emergency situations via means of the AHP-SWOT tool, where the initial SWOT analysis is conducted for the emergency management system, and the final strategies are selected via the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Alternative response strategies comprise internal, shared and external responses. Most of the scenarios investigated for this study demanded a shared response. These findings highlight the importance of mutual aid agreements, cooperative exercises and the improvement of communication systems. Organisations can take advantage of integrated approaches to select the best strategies and tactics for normal situations in general and emergency situations in particular.

Disaster behavioral health capacity: Findings from a multistate preparedness assessment.

To identify gaps in disaster behavioral health, the Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center (PERL) at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health supported the development and implementation of a multistate disaster behavioral health preparedness assessment. Information was gathered regarding worker knowledge of current disaster behavioral health capacity at the state and local level, and perceived disaster behavioral health training needs and preferences. Between May and July 2015, 143 participants completed a 31-item uniform questionnaire over the telephone by a trained interviewer. Trained interviewers were given uniform instructions on administering the questionnaire. Participants included county and city-level public health leaders and directors from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Findings demonstrate that across the three states there is a need for improved disaster behavioral health training and response plans for before, during, and after public health emergencies. This study identified perceived gaps in plans and procedures for meeting the disaster behavioral health needs of different atrisk populations, including children, youth, and those with mental illness. There was consistent agreement among participants about the lack of behavioral health coordination between agencies during emergency events. Findings can be used to inform policy and the development of trainings for those involved in disaster behavioral health. Effectively attending to interagency coordination and mutual aid agreements, planning for effective response and care for vulnerable populations, and targeted training will contribute to a more successful public health response to emergency events.

A Geographic Simulation Model for the Treatment of Trauma Patients in Disasters.

Though the US civilian trauma care system plays a critical role in disaster response, there is currently no systems-based strategy that enables hospital emergency management and local and regional emergency planners to quantify, and potentially prepare for, surges in trauma care demand that accompany mass-casualty disasters. A proof-of-concept model that estimates the geographic distributions of patients, trauma center resource usage, and mortality rates for varying disaster sizes, in and around the 25 largest US cities, is presented. The model was designed to be scalable, and its inputs can be modified depending on the planning assumptions of different locales and for different types of mass-casualty events. To demonstrate the model's potential application to real-life planning scenarios, sample disaster responses for 25 major US cities were investigated using a hybrid of geographic information systems and dynamic simulation-optimization. In each city, a simulated, fast-onset disaster epicenter, such as might occur with a bombing, was located randomly within one mile of its population center. Patients then were assigned and transported, in simulation, via the new model to Level 1, 2, and 3 trauma centers, in and around each city, over a 48-hour period for disaster scenario sizes of 100, 500, 5000, and 10,000 casualties. Across all 25 cities, total mean mortality rates ranged from 26.3% in the smallest disaster scenario to 41.9% in the largest. Out-of-hospital mortality rates increased (from 21.3% to 38.5%) while in-hospital mortality rates decreased (from 5.0% to 3.4%) as disaster scenario sizes increased. The mean number of trauma centers involved ranged from 3.0 in the smallest disaster scenario to 63.4 in the largest. Cities that were less geographically isolated with more concentrated trauma centers in their surrounding regions had lower total and out-of-hospital mortality rates. The nine US cities listed as being the most likely targets of terrorist attacks involved, on average, more trauma centers and had lower mortality rates compared with the remaining 16 cities. The disaster response simulation model discussed here may offer insights to emergency planners and health systems in more realistically planning for mass-casualty events. Longer wait and transport times needed to distribute high numbers of patients to distant trauma centers in fast-onset disasters may create predictable increases in mortality and trauma center resource consumption. The results of the modeled scenarios indicate the need for a systems-based approach to trauma care management during disasters, since the local trauma center network was often too small to provide adequate care for the projected patient surge. Simulation of out-of-hospital resources that might be called upon during disasters, as well as guidance in the appropriate execution of mutual aid agreements and prevention of over-response, could be of value to preparedness planners and emergency response leaders. Study assumptions and limitations are discussed. Carr BG , Walsh L , Williams JC , Pryor JP , Branas CC . A geographic simulation model for the treatment of trauma patients in disasters. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(4):413-421.

The epidemiology and surveillance workforce among local health departments in California: mutual aid and surge capacity for routine and emergency infectious disease situations.

Public health surveillance and epidemiologic investigations are critical public health functions for identifying threats to the health of a community. We conducted a survey of local health departments (LHDs) in California to describe the workforce that supports public health surveillance and epidemiologic functions during routine and emergency infectious disease situations. The target population consisted of the 61 LHDs in California. The online survey instrument was designed to collect information about the workforce involved in key epidemiologic functions. We also examined how the public health workforce increases its epidemiologic capacity during infectious disease emergencies. Of 61 LHDs in California, 31 (51%) completed the survey. A wide range of job classifications contribute to epidemiologic functions routinely, and LHDs rely on both internal and external sources of epidemiologic surge capacity during infectious disease emergencies. This study found that while 17 (55%) LHDs reported having a mutual aid agreement with at least one other organization for emergency response, only nine (29%) LHDs have a mutual aid agreement specifically for epidemiology and surveillance functions. LHDs rely on a diverse workforce to conduct epidemiology and public health surveillance functions, emphasizing the need to identify and describe the types of staff positions that could benefit from public health surveillance and epidemiology training. While some organizations collaborate with external partners to support these functions during an emergency, many LHDs do not rely on mutual aid agreements for epidemiology and surveillance activities.

Regional Analysis of Social Characteristics for Evacuation Resource Planning: ARkStorm Scenario

AbstractLocal planning is insufficient for regional catastrophes; regional exercises are needed to test emergency plans and decision-making structures. The ARkStorm scenario would trigger a mass evacuation that would be complicated by the social characteristics of populations [e.g., vehicle ownership, age, poverty, English language limitation (ELL), and shelter needs]. Land cover data and dasymetric mapping improves the allocation of residential populations and their social characteristics to the ARkStorm flood zone in 21 counties in California. Numbers and concentrations of county, urban, and rural residents exposed to flooding as well as populations in and out of the scenario flood zone are profiled. The results inform mass evacuation planning by providing a means to (1) examine the sufficiency of mutual aid agreements, (2) underscore planning for carless populations, and (3) tailor multilingual communication strategies. The various geographical distinctions emphasize different challenges throughout the...

25 years of collaboration: the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force 1989–2014

ABSTRACT Two significant west coast spill incidents, the barge Nestucca spill in B.C. in 1988 and the tanker Exxon Valdez spill of 1989 catalyzed the formal creation of the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, a union of Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Hawaii joined 12 years later and for the past 25 years the Task Force member organizations have collaborated on numerous projects and policy initiatives that have significantly influenced how the west coast prevents, prepares for and responds to oil spills. This paper will: 1) Provide an overview of how the Task Force functions and how it fosters collaboration between industry, agencies, and other stakeholders in the region; 2) Highlight key projects and accomplishments from the past two decades, including Transboundary coordination, vessel traffic risk studies, mutual aid agreements, and federal regulatory oversight; and how these projects were initiated and carried out; 3) Offer examples of how the Task Force is looking at challenges ahead, such as the shifting landscape of energy transportation and emerging fuels in the region, and what this means for spill prevention and response.

The Global Initiative for South East Asia

ABSTRACT The South East Asian region's risk for oil spills has been increasing for the past three decades. This is primarily due to the ever-increasing shipping traffic, especially tankers, bringing oil from the Middle East to customers mainly in China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. Another factor is the growth in the exploration and production activities of international and domestic oil companies. Of particular relevance is the expansion of oil exploration into remote areas where oil spill response preparedness is very challenging. Through the years, the lack of credible legal frameworks and the disjointed approach have hampered the development of the critical elements of a robust oil spill response system such as national oil spill plans, training and exercise programs, ratification of the relevant international conventions, and mutual aid or bilateral agreements between neighboring countries. The Global Initiative for South East Asia (GI SEA), a collaborative effort between IPIECA and IMO (International Maritime Organization), aims to provide the governments of the Southeast Asian countries with the facility to work together with the oil industry to improve the state of oil spill preparedness and response. GI SEA is a direct response for a credible and effective oil spill preparedness and response system that takes into account each country's individual requirements and the region's needs. The Programme is built on the core principles of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) and implemented by the combined efforts of government and industry. This paper will present information on the current state of preparedness of selected South East Asian countries and the region as a whole. It will also describe the process of the formation of the GI SEA, including the major challenges of achieving consensus, building support, funding, and developing the individual country plans to suit their needs. It is also the intention to discuss the current and future activities of GI SEA.

Managing new expectations with Enhanced Tier I capability

ABSTRACT With the growing oil and gas sector in Australia, comes more stringent guidelines set by the regulators for the operators to demonstrate their capability in preventing another Montara or Macondo type incident. The setting up of National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to provide oversight of all petroleum activities in the Commonwealth waters of Australia is a milestone to raise the operating standards of the industry. Together with the urge for operators to build up their in house competence for responding to oil spill incidents and the increasing importance of mutual aid agreements within the industry to form a new operating picture in the oil and gas sector. Being one of the major oil and gas operators, Chevron Australia Business Unit (ABU) plays an active role in fulfilling the requirements set by the regulators and equipping the team with the necessary skill sets and technologies to perform the duty of care to minimise the impact and damage to the environment during an oil spill incident. An Enhanced Tier I concept is developed to provide a guidance to the Emergency Management Team to build up the in house capability as a response agency for oil spill incident. In order to engage the operators in the region, Chevron ABU has also taken up the initiative to set up industry working groups to discuss issues like dispersant application, waste management and oiled wildlife response as part of the response strategies and how they can share knowledge and resources in the event of an incident. Continuous involvement in Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) core group training and active participation in meetings with NOPSEMA allows ABU to keep up to date with the evolving changes in the field of oil spill response preparedness. Through the continuous improvement on the Enhanced Tier I concept and the engagement with internal and external stakeholders, Chevron ABU aims to meet the expectations set by the regulations and maintain the highest level of preparedness and response readiness for any oil spill incident.

Disaster Management in the Era of Lean Healthcare

Disaster Management in the Era of Lean Healthcare

Developing emergency exercises for hazardous material transportation: Process, documents and templates

Multi-agency emergency exercises establish and reinforce relationships, and bring people from different areas together to work as a team, realise clear goals, understand roles and responsibilities, and get to know and respect each agency’s strengths and weaknesses. However, despite the long-held belief in and respect for exercises in their provision of benefits to the individual and the organisation, there is little evidence of a consistent and clear process for exercise design, especially identifying the documents that may need to be completed to ensure efficient exercise preparation and performance. This paper reports the results of a project undertaken on behalf of the organisations that form the radioactive material transportation mutual-aid agreement, RADSAFE, to develop a standardised process to design emergency exercises. Three stages, from identifying the requirement for an exercise (Stage I), through to obtaining approval for operational orders (Stage II), then conducting a management review as part of the continuous improvement cycle (Stage III), were developed. Although designed for radioactive material transportation events, it is suggested that many of the factors within these three stages can be generalised for the design of exercises in other high-hazard industries.

Hospital-Based Coalition to Improve Regional Surge Capacity

IntroductionSurge capacity for optimization of access to hospital beds is a limiting factor in response to catastrophic events. Medical facilities, communication tools, manpower, and resource reserves exist to respond to these events. However, these factors may not be optimally functioning to generate an effective and efficient surge response. The objective was to improve the function of these factors.MethodsRegional healthcare facilities and supporting local emergency response agencies developed a coalition (the Healthcare Facilities Partnership of South Central Pennsylvania; HCFP-SCPA) to increase regional surge capacity and emergency preparedness for healthcare facilities. The coalition focused on 6 objectives: (1) increase awareness of capabilities and assets, (2) develop and pilot test advanced planning and exercising of plans in the region, (3) augment written medical mutual aid agreements, (4) develop and strengthen partnership relationships, (5) ensure National Incident Management System compliance, and (6) develop and test a plan for effective utilization of volunteer healthcare professionals.ResultsIn comparison to baseline measurements, the coalition improved existing areas covered under all 6 objectives documented during a 24-month evaluation period. Enhanced communications between the hospital coalition, and real-time exercises, were used to provide evidence of improved preparedness for putative mass casualty incidents.ConclusionThe HCFP-SCPA successfully increased preparedness and surge capacity through a partnership of regional healthcare facilities and emergency response agencies.

Cover Picture: Proteomics 22'11

AbstractMatching cupsVesicles, as a means of transport and storage of information, have been around longer than humankind. In fact, it seems they have been used as a means of communication as long as eukaryotic cells have felt the need to gossip. They have used general external vesicle systems containing secreted metabolites (cytokines, hormones, and neurotransmitters), systems specifically related to the payload of external vesicles and methods dependent on the mechanism of vesicle formation (budding off, shedding from excetome) to convey information. Koppen et al. looked at the swirling mass of various sized vesicles surrounding Drosophila and asked “Where did these come from?” Not only were the microvesicles found in eukaryotes, but also in Drosophila, nematodes, pathogenic yeast and Leishmania parasites. Cell lines shedding vesicles included Hedgehog, Wnt and Wingless. Sizes range from 40 nm to 1 μm and generally have a common, cup‐like structure.Koppen, T. et al., Proteomics 2011, 11, 4397–4410.Moles, warts, nevi, ugly brown spots, melanomas, mycoses, dermatophytes,...in a word: uglysMost of the uglys of the human race seem to be suffered by the adolescents, regardless of their natural skin color. Most of the human superficial mycoses are caused by a variety of dermatophytes, fungi that live on keratin. Many have been sequenced at the genome level (Microsporum canis, Arthroderma benhamiae). These fungi secrete virulence factors that are neutral or acidic proteases and peptidases including subtilisins, leucine amino peptidases, dipeptidyl‐peptidases,and metallocarboxypeptidases. A particularly interesting feature of all of these fungi is that as they grow, they release metabolites that improve the pH of the growth medium and thus the rate of growth. When 2‐D PAGE/shotgun LC was used to determine approximate numbers of active peptides, M. canis yielded 196 different hydrolases, including lipases, glucosidases, phosphatases, plus miscellaneous other enzymes (Background image obtained from CDC Public Health Image Library).Sriranganadane, D. et al., Proteomics 2011, 11, 4422–4433.Too late for new tricksEven software wears out in time – some of you may remember the millennium panic, when the turn of the calendar from 1999 to 2000 was going to knock the planes out of the air! Now we face the aging of proteomic and genomic analysis packages – our comfortable old shoes that cannot handle the load anymore. As of September 2011, the International Protein Index (IPI) will no longer be supported. Released in 2001, it mediated the differences between specific pairs of genomes – limited to seven specifically chosen models because of the cost of sequencing at that time. Currently there are more genomes sequenced and mutual aid agreements between analysis packages than you can shake a stick at. The replacement for IPI is UniProtKB complete Proteome set, comprising two databases, one manually curated (Swiss‐Prot) and one automatically curated (TrEMBL). Griss et al. cover a number of issues surrounding the recommended substitutions (Image provided courtesy of UniProt Consortium).Griss, J. et al., Proteomics 2011, 11, 4434–4438.

Resource allocation, emergency response capability, and infrastructure concentration around vulnerable sites

Public and private decision‐makers continue to seek risk‐based approaches to allocate funds to help communities respond to disasters, accidents, and terrorist attacks involving critical infrastructure facilities. The requirements for emergency response capability depend both upon risks within a region's jurisdiction and mutual aid agreements that have been made with other regions. In general, regions in close proximity to infrastructure would benefit more from resources to improve preparedness because there is a greater potential for an event requiring emergency response to occur if there are more facilities at which such events could occur. Thus, a potentially important input into decisions about allocating funds for security is the proximity of a community to high concentrations of infrastructure systems that potentially could be at risk to an industrial accident, natural disaster, or terrorist attack. In this paper, we describe a methodology for measuring a region's exposure to infrastructure‐related risks that captures both a community's concentration of facilities or sites considered to be vulnerable and of the proximity of these facilities to surrounding infrastructure systems. These measures are based on smoothing‐based nonparametric probability density estimators, which are then used to estimate the probability of the entire infrastructure occurring within any specified distance of facilities in a county. The set of facilities used in the paper to illustrate the use of this methodology consists of facilities identified as vulnerable through the California Buffer Zone Protection Program. For infrastructure in surrounding areas we use dams judged to be high hazards, and BART tracks. The results show that the methodology provides information about patterns of critical infrastructure in regions that is relevant for decisions about how to allocate terrorism security and emergency preparedness resources.

Collaborative Decision-Making in Emergency and Disaster Management

Decision-making in emergencies requires non-traditional approach and tools characterized by non-hierarchical structure and flexibility. The dynamic environment of disasters makes it imperative to invest in inter-sector and inter-agency cooperation and coordination. Focusing on the Emergency Management Assistance Compact's (EMAC) response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, this article examines the decision-making structure of the agreement. EMAC is an inter-state mutual aid agreement that facilitates sharing of resources during and after disasters. While EMAC's overall decision-making performance was relatively satisfactory and flawless, investment in communication, trust-building, and eradication of inter-agency value differences and discrepancies is imperative.