Emergency Management Practices Research Articles

Factors affecting nurses' emergency competencies in public health emergency: A cross-sectional study based on the stress-coping adaptation model.

To investigate the factors associated with stress, resilience, coping styles, and emergency competencies when nurses are faced with a public health emergency. This study used a cross-sectional design. Study data came from a survey of 646 nurses who were from a tertiary hospital in Southern China in March-June 2022. Participants responded to self-report questionnaires through a web-based survey. Stress, resilience, emergency competencies, and response to public emergencies were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the core competencies of nurses in public health emergencies, and a simplified coping style questionnaire. A total of 646 nurses participated in this study. Slightly over half of the participants were ≤30 years old, and almost all were female. Resilience, positive coping, and negative coping were positively correlated with emergency competencies. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that resilience, working years, and participation in the treatment of infectious diseases were significant predictors of emergency competencies. The findings suggest that nurses require additional training in emergency management and clinical practice to enhance their emergency competencies. More interventions and social support should be provided to improve nurses' resilience and positive coping strategies when they encounter public health emergencies.

Exploring the Intelligent Emergency Management Mode of Rural Natural Disasters in the Era of Digital Technology

In recent years, rural areas of China have experienced frequent occurrences of various natural disasters. These calamities pose significant threats to the safety, property, and mental well-being of rural residents while also presenting substantial obstacles to the sustainable development of the rural economy. Currently, emergency management in China faces several challenges such as inadequate emergency institutions, insufficient security policies, weak disaster infrastructure, and difficulties in information sharing. In light of this situation, we propose an intelligent command mode based on modern digital technology that capitalizes on its advantages and integrates early warning systems with decision-making processes and rescue operations to establish a comprehensive emergency event processing system. This innovative approach opens up new avenues for exploring and researching effective modes of rural emergency management. The article elaborates on how the construction of a smart rural emergency management mode facilitates the digital integration of disaster elements while enhancing the efficiency of emergency response efforts and promoting sustainable development. The research methodology employed includes literature review methods along with field research techniques and analysis methods. Finally, this discussion evaluates both the benefits and challenges associated with implementing this mode within rural emergency management practices.

Code of Ethics and Professional Standards of Conduct for Emergency Management Professionals.

The Code of Ethics and Professional Standards of Conduct for Emergency Management Professionals (2022) was recently created to further delineate the ethical boundaries and conduct expectations for professional emergency management practice. Significantly, the code of ethics provides an essential foundation toward recognition as a profession with hallmarks of monopoly, autonomy, and authority. The code and standards of conduct establish a clear definition of the role emergency management has in overseeing a complex, diverse risk portfolio that protects lives, livelihoods, and quality of life. The document captures the intent, challenges, dimensions, and significance of emergency management practice in a rapidly changing world and brings ethics to the forefront of decisions. This article speaks to the discursive dialogue toward, methodological development of, and future tools for integrating into practice the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards of Conduct for Emergency Management Professionals.

Bicycles and micromobility for disaster response and recovery

Bicycles and other forms of micromobility have been anecdotally used in past disasters to help save lives and improve community recovery. However, research and practice are scarce on this resilient transportation strategy, which limits its usefulness and possible benefits. To fill this gap, our paper investigates the potential role bicycles and micromobility in facilitating (or limiting) disaster response and recovery. Given the lack of exploration on the topic, we convened an online workshop where we conducted brainstorming and focus group discussions with disaster experts from various government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, academia, and policy groups. We present a synthesis of that discussion, along with a review of the existing literature. We conclude there is strong potential for bicycles and micromobility for different disaster phases, hazard types, and groups of people. However, multiple barriers exist related to implementation and safety, suggesting a need for future research and policy in the transportation and emergency management fields and practices.

Imperatives for integrated weed management in vegetable production: Evaluating research and adoption

AbstractWeeds have a significant impact on vegetable production worldwide. These intensive cropping systems feature frequent tillage, fertilization and irrigation, providing ideal growing conditions for crops as well as certain weeds. Integrated weed management (IWM) can reduce reliance on herbicides by encouraging a systems approach to weed management. Using insights from global research and industry literature, we investigated the effectiveness of prevailing weed control methods, and evaluated emerging management practices and technologies for ongoing research and adoption. Weed control relies primarily on a relatively narrow range of herbicides as well as frequent tillage. Herbicides have negative impacts on soil, water and human health, while tillage impacts soil quality and function. Intensive cropping on smaller plots facilitates IWM, relying on multiple strategies including hand weeding, mulches, cover crops and cultural methods (e.g., crop rotations, timing). New herbicide options are suggested as an industry priority but are constrained by the lack of new chemistry and potential herbicide resistance. Refinement and adoption of non‐herbicide and emerging precision control methods into farm IWM in vegetables is more likely to be sustainable. This review is relevant to advanced vegetable production systems globally, but also to smallholder vegetable production in developing economies.

Understanding the Complex Adaptive Characteristics of Cross-Regional Emergency Collaboration in China: A Stochastic Evolutionary Game Approach

Regional integration and pairing assistance are two forms of cross-regional emergency collaboration practice carried out by the Chinese government. Based on the Chinese government’s emergency management practice, evolutionary game models of cross-regional emergency collaboration were constructed. Further, the traditional evolutionary game model was improved by introducing the stochastic process, and Gaussian white noise was introduced as a random disturbance. The stochastic evolutionary game model was constructed, and the existence and stability of the equilibrium solutions of the two kinds of stochastic evolutionary game systems for cross-regional emergency collaboration were verified based on the stability discrimination theorem of stochastic differential equations. We used numerical simulations to simulate the evolution trajectories of the regional integration and the pairing assistance stochastic evolutionary game system. In the regional integration game system, when the efficiency of emergency collaboration, the emergency capital stock, and the externality coefficients are higher, positive emergency strategies are more likely to become the stable state of the game subjects’ strategy selection. In the pairing assistance game system, the efficiency of emergency collaboration, the rewards and benefits from the central government, and the matching degree between governments all had positive effects on the formation of the positive emergency strategies of the game subjects. In addition, the pairing assistance mechanism for sustainable development requires external support from the central government.

Revisiting emergencies, disasters, & catastrophes: Adding duration to the hazard event classification

Disaster researchers have long sought to classify hazard events using various characteristics. Despite varying perspectives on how hazard events differ, the most commonly used classification in disaster scholarship categorizes hazard events as either emergencies, disasters, or catastrophes, which generally are described as being distinguished based on impacts, needs, stakeholder involvement, and management approach. Although this hazard event classification is useful, disaster scholars have noted it needs further refinement and development. In an effort to address these calls from disaster scholars and create a more robust hazard event classification, the traditional classification is revisited and expanded. Specifically, this article proposes the addition of a second dimension, response duration, to the existing hazard event type classification, which to this point has largely been defined by scale of impacts, needs, stakeholder involvement, and management approach. This paper argues short and long-duration emergencies, disasters, and catastrophes are categorically different and therefore require different management approaches, and can be used to categorize and distinguish between events such as COVID-19 and Hurricane Katrina and the Levee Failure. The proposed change would have important implications for emergency management practice and policy and would encourage a re-evaluation of the kinds of hazard events considered to be part of the academic purview of emergency management.

Race, Planning, and Emergency Management: Combating Inequities in Community Planning Policies

Disaster preparedness and relief is a key service provided by the American system of government, but emergency management practices have produced varying outcomes. Based on the existing literature, emergency management, community planning, and a history of racial inequities are inextricably interconnected. Based on the concepts presented by social equity, community planning, emergency management, and environmental policy literature, an interdisciplinary approach was used to create an original checklist of considerations for emergency managers, community planners, and policymakers to use in a collaborative manner to proactively address potential threats to their constituents and communities.

DEVELOPING LARGE SCALE AND FAST COMPOUND FLOOD MODELS FOR AUSTRALIAN COASTLINES

The recent 2022 large scale rainfall events in Australia’s east coast have put in evidence the region’s vulnerability to severe flooding events. In the future, climate change and sea level rise are expected to exacerbate these vulnerabilities. Accurate and reliable flood predictions are required to develop effective emergency management practices as well as appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies. During events, detailed predictions of flooding can improve early warning systems and enhance the preparedness of relevant governments and communities. To this end, numerical models capable of simulating compound flooding produced by different drivers (e.g., marine, pluvial and riverine) are needed. These models must also be developed at an appropriate level of detail to produce accurate and relevant flood maps.

Understanding the role of individual- and community-based resources in disaster preparedness

Standard emergency management practice in the U.S measures disaster preparedness as an individual household attribute based on amounts of stocked supplies, hazard mitigation actions, and emergency planning. Such measures generally fail to consider how norms of trust, fairness, and reciprocity, as well as networks of social relationships—that is, social capital—can facilitate coordination and enable sharing and communal action in the face of disaster. Our study assesses how shared resources, social capital, and day-to-day resources (specifically, food and water) could influence earthquake disaster preparedness across different communities. Using Seattle as the site of investigation, the study involved a split-ballot experiment embedded in a mail survey of a random sample of households. These households were stratified by zip codes selected for their contrasting demographics (N = 1340). Half of the households in each zip code answered conventional individualistic measures of disaster preparedness, while the other half answered questions regarding resources they, their family, friends, and neighbors might share. In racial-majority-dominated zip codes, reported preparedness was higher when people were asked to consider shared resources. Disaster preparedness also appeared to be underestimated with the traditional measure. Households with greater bridging social capital (connections with individuals who differ in their social identity but who may share some similar interests) and longer neighborhood tenure also reported higher preparedness. Our findings suggest disaster preparedness efforts should focus on supplementing individual preparedness with daily resources, social capital, and collective shareable community assets—a focus that we call “mainstreaming.”

The Modern Manager: The Adoption of Emerging Management Practices and Firm Performance

The Modern Manager: The Adoption of Emerging Management Practices and Firm Performance

A redução de risco de desastres, a agenda dos Objetivos Sustentáveis e os princípios do SUS, no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract The aim of this study was to analyze the connections between the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the principles of Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) in the context of the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential implications for population health. This qualitative, cross-sectional, exploratory study collected data from health professionals with experience in emergency and disaster risk management and treatment practices, which were then processed using the Iramuteq software for lexical analysis. The textual corpus was presented through a descending hierarchical classification that resulted in seven classes grouped into three categories: disaster response in the context of SUS; prevention of future disaster risks; and preparedness and recovery actions based on the Sendai Framework and the SDGs. The study highlighted aspects related to the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges related to disaster risk reduction as advocated by the Sendai Framework, emphasizing the need to strengthen the culture of safety and sustainability within the SUS, which aligns with the ODS and social determinants of health.

Disaster risk reduction, the Sustainable Goals agenda and the principles of the SUS, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

The aim of this study was to analyze the connections between the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the principles of Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS) in the context of the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential implications for population health. This qualitative, cross-sectional, exploratory study collected data from health professionals with experience in emergency and disaster risk management and treatment practices, which were then processed using the Iramuteq software for lexical analysis. The textual corpus was presented through a descending hierarchical classification that resulted in seven classes grouped into three categories: disaster response in the context of SUS; prevention of future disaster risks; and preparedness and recovery actions based on the Sendai Framework and the SDGs. The study highlighted aspects related to the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges related to disaster risk reduction as advocated by the Sendai Framework, emphasizing the need to strengthen the culture of safety and sustainability within the SUS, which aligns with the ODS and social determinants of health.

Strengthening capacity to respond to animal disease emergencies through Good Emergency Management Practice in Eastern Uganda

Strengthening capacity to respond to animal disease emergencies through Good Emergency Management Practice in Eastern Uganda

Societal Disruption as a Disaster

Introduction:This research aims to review the impact of drug addiction, domestic violence and suicide in Australia through the lens of disaster risk reduction. This study explores whether drug addiction, domestic violence and suicide can be considered as disasters according to established thresholds and definitions; and whether contemporary health emergency and disaster risk management (HEDRM) practice can be adapted to support action to reduce the impact of these events and inform disaster risk reduction.Method:A literature review was conducted to explore drug addiction, domestic violence and suicide as societal disruptions causing disasters. Key Australian government reports describing deaths associated with suicide, domestic violence and drug addiction were identified, following which a constrained snowball sampling was applied to the bibliography of each document to gather further key articles and inform the evolution of the impact of these themes in Australia over the period 2000-2018. The search strategy included both peer reviewed and grey literature. We used the search terms ‘social disruption’, 'non-traditional', ‘drug addiction’, ‘domestic violence, ‘suicide’ and 'societal disruption' as key words and included articles if they demonstrated an analysis of the theme related to health impact related to disaster settings.Results:Utilizing the Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub and the international CRED criteria for a disaster, the impact on human health of drug addiction, domestic violence, and suicide upon the Australian population each meet the criteria of a disaster.Conclusion:Public health practice through the lens of the determinants of social disruption combined with activities that consider hazards, vulnerability, and exposure, can institute prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery programs to reduce the impact of drug addiction, domestic violence, and suicide.

Evacuation behavior of households facing compound hurricane‐pandemic threats

AbstractThis study examines households' prospective evacuation behavior during a hurricane‐pandemic compound threat. Data from a 2020 survey of coastal Virginia households help answer two questions: (1) What factors associated with the threat and impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic and hurricanes influence the prospective evacuation behavior of households during a compound hurricane‐pandemic event? (2) What are the equity implications for emergency management policies and practices to support evacuation and sheltering during a compound hurricane‐pandemic event? Households in the sample were split between those who stated they would evacuate away from the at‐risk region and those who would stay. Greater household vulnerability to hurricanes and COVID‐19 and having sufficient financial resources increase the likelihood of evacuation. Higher‐income households were more likely to have resources to evacuate and were less likely to suffer financial consequences from a hurricane or pandemic. Racial minorities are more vulnerable to the pandemic and face greater resource challenges when evacuating.

The psychological stress response of COVID-19 to medical staff and prevention: A large sample study from China.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical staff in China were more likely to suffer from psychological problems. By investigating the actual state of psychological stress response of medical staff during the COVID-19 outbreak, the study discussed and analyzed the influencing factors of different psychological states in order to prevent the occurrence of serious adverse emotional events in medical staff. In the Xiangyang Central Hospital, 1,466 medical staff members have adopted the Psychological Questionnaire for Emergencies Events of Public Health (PQEEPH), which includes questions about depression, neurasthenia, fear, obsessive anxiety, and hypochondriac disorders. The questionnaire also asks about gender, age, education level, health, department, position, and whether personnel exposure history correlation analysis has been confirmed. The survey revealed that 55% had depression, 26.7% had neurasthenia, 95% had fear, 47.9% had obsessive anxiety, and 69.3% had hypochondria. The effects of depression and hypochondriac emotional stress were significantly greater in female workers than in male workers (p < 0.05). Those with higher educational levels had a stronger emotional stress response. Medical professionals with or without contact histories, those who were suspected or confirmed, as well as those in various positions and departments, all demonstrated significant differences in their stress emotions (p < 0.05). Emotional stress affected medical professionals, especially doctors and nurses, who were on the front lines of clinical work in the face of significant public health emergencies. Therefore, to reduce the stress burden and enhance mental health on medical staff, hospitals were suggested to improve their emergency management practices. In addition, the sensitization knowledge training and psychological counseling for front-line clinical staff should be strengthened.

A two-phase combinatorial double auction and negotiation mechanism for socialized joint reserve mode in emergency preparedness

Natural disasters seriously threaten the safety of human life and property. In order to provide sufficient emergency supplies instantly after disasters, it is necessary to reserve them in advance. The socialized joint reserve mode (SJRM) for emergency supplies has increasingly become a meaningful way to improve emergency preparedness capacity. Aiming to establish a market-oriented trading method of reserve services and allocate them efficiently, this research designs a two-phase combinatorial double auction and negotiation mechanism. The specific objective of this mechanism is to determine the transaction relationship, quantity, and price. In the first phase, the government, humanitarian relief organizations (HROs), enterprises and supermarkets constitute reserve service transaction's demand and supply sides. Their benchmark bidding strategy is given, and winners are determined by maximizing social surplus. In the second phase, the winners hold negotiations to discuss the supply priority of emergency materials and determine the trade quantity and price of the future. The negotiation contains two situations: oversupply and short supply. The decision-making results of the buyer and the seller are given respectively. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis are proposed to show the process and results of the auction and negotiation. The research shows that the mechanism designed in this paper can achieve the cooperation of multiple buyers and sellers in multiple periods. It proves that applying auction theory to emergency management practice has good feasibility and applicability.

The Modern Manager: The Adoption of Emerging Management Practices and Firm Performance

The Modern Manager: The Adoption of Emerging Management Practices and Firm Performance

How Leadership Impacts FEMA’s Whole Community Approach during Emergency Management’s Preparedness

Disasters stipulate unfortunate remembrances of susceptibilities within society. Disasters often suddenly affect communities and result in the untimely loss of functions and social systems. Therefore, formulating preparedness policies and awareness of uncertainty is essential when addressing emergency management. The success of the emergency management approach within the community often relies on the leadership structure imposed. Leadership also helps to promote emergency management practices and provide new reserves to support emergency preparedness and funds for sustainability and resilience. This study concentrates on the whole community principle in handling disasters and emergencies. The whole community management strategy further maps preparedness-related capacities and community engagement in disaster control. Partnership with participants across the entire society program and efficient community management can result in significant disaster preparedness and response. The research will constitute a quantitative methodology, specifically, a survey on members of the Safeguard Iowa Partnership (SIP), an emergency management firm, on the organization’s whole community emergency leadership strategy. The Whole Community leadership model in emergency management proved its effectiveness through the survey conducted in SIP. Data will also be collected using the Organizational Leadership Evaluation Survey (OLA) from all the SIP members from various economic sectors. The OLA has six features that help gauge the organization’s leadership strength. The quantitative methodology suggested an association between the perceived essence of Whole Community management and the perceived efficiency of FEMA’s role in the emergency management preparedness process.