Preparedness Index Research Articles

Disaster Preparedness Index of Households and Selected Local Government Units in Laguna, Philippines

There is a need to strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience at all levels of society in the country. In line with this, the study was conducted to describe the assets or capitals and determine the level of disaster preparedness index (DPI) of the selected flood-prone households, barangays, and municipalities in the Province of Laguna. A total of 194 household respondents were randomly selected in Brgy. Santisima Cruz, Santa Cruz; Brgy. Concepcion, Lumban; and Brgy. Nanguma, Mabitac. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and household survey were conducted to collect primary data. Computed weights were derived through analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to come-up with the DPI at the household, barangay, and municipal levels. Capital-based assessment of the disaster preparedness revealed that at the household level, 51% of the respondents in the three sites had high DPI, 34% had moderate DPI, and 15% had low DPI. All the three barangays had moderate DPI while all the three municipalities had high DPI. Overall assessment shows that cascading disaster preparedness programs from municipal to barangay, and eventually to household is not fully implemented. Identified areas with low DPI should be given the highest priority and resources for disaster preparation.

Are mining companies mature for mine closure? An approach for evaluating preparedness

Evaluating how well a mining company is prepared to close an operating mine can help in managing the risks of not achieving closure goals and intended future site conditions. Considering international best practices recommendations, we developed and tested a procedure to evaluate, during the operational phase, the preparedness of companies to close a mine. Based on the principles of physical stability, chemical stability, socioeconomic transition, and post-mining land use, a weighted checklist containing 69 best practice statements was tested in three operating metal mines in Northeastern Brazil. The best practice statements and their respective weights were submitted to a 12-member expert group. The practices are organized in four assessment areas: (i) mine closure documents, (ii) physical and chemical stability, (iii) costs and financial provisioning, and (iv) community engagement and social transition. In applying the tool, evidence is collected by document review, interviews and site inspections, and evaluated using professional judgement to determine a level of achievement for each group of practices. A preparedness index is then calculated and a preparedness level is obtained. All field-tested mines ranked high for cost and financial provisioning, possibly reflecting they are publicly-owned companies, but ranked in the medium range for the three other assessment areas, indicating a risk of negative legacy. Their preparedness for closure should be a matter of concern for investors, regulators and communities.

Using a national level cross-sectional study to develop a Hospital Preparedness Index (HOSPI) for Covid-19 management: A case study from India.

BackgroundWe developed a composite index–hospital preparedness index (HOSPI)–to gauge preparedness of hospitals in India to deal with COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe developed and validated a comprehensive survey questionnaire containing 63 questions, out of which 16 critical items were identified and classified under 5 domains: staff preparedness, effects of COVID-19, protective gears, infrastructure, and future planning. Hospitals empaneled under Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) were invited to the survey. The responses were analyzed using weighted negative log likelihood scores for the options. The preparedness of hospitals was ranked after averaging the scores state-wise and district-wise in select states. HOSPI scores for states were classified using K-means clustering.FindingsOut of 20,202 hospitals empaneled in ABY included in the study, a total of 954 hospitals responded to the questionnaire by July 2020. Domains 1, 2, and 4 contributed the most to the index. The overall preparedness was identified as the best in Goa, and 12 states/ UTs had scores above the national average score. Among the states which experienced high COVID-19 cases during the first pandemic wave, we identified a cluster of states with high HOSPI scores indicating better preparedness (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh), and a cluster with low HOSPI scores indicating poor preparedness (Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand).InterpretationUsing this index, it is possible to identify areas for targeted improvement of hospital and staff preparedness to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

The Levels of Physician Disaster Preparedness Based on the Tsunami Vulnerability Zones in Banda Aceh

Disasters caused by natural hazards may harm the health sector. It needs physician preparedness as a significant step in disaster risk reduction efforts and is expected to obtain an adequate response when a disaster occurs. This study aimed to determine the level of physician preparedness at the public health center (PHC) to face a tsunami caused by an earthquake based on the vulnerability zones. This research method is observational analytic with a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire developed by LIPI-UNESCO/ISDR adjusted to the core competencies and sub-competencies for disaster medicine and public health. The samples were collected in total sampling. The results show that most respondents have a preparedness index with categories almost prepare and not prepare, each of 12 respondents from a total of 42 people who participated in this study (28.56%). The physician from zone III has the best preparedness, and the physician from zone I are at least prepared for disasters. Statistical analysis using the Kruskal Wallis test obtained p-value 0.646 (p 0.05). The conclusion was found that there was no significant difference between the levels of physician preparedness at the PHC facing tsunami disasters based on the tsunami vulnerability zone in Banda Aceh.

Benefiting from Energy-Hub Flexibilities to Reinforce Distribution System Resilience: A Pre- and Post-Disaster Management Model

The proliferation of power-to-gas technology can propound a tailored platform to physically integrate power systems and natural gas grids. These integrated energy systems with different spatial-temporal properties not only could provide significant flexibilities to properly mitigate existing and imminent challenges, but also could increase the robustness of power systems in facing unpredicted conditions. Keeping this in mind, this article outlines a novel conservative two-stage model to improve the resilience of distribution systems against extreme hurricanes. To this end, at the first stage, a pre-disaster scheduling is executed to increase preparedness and robustness of the power system before approaching the tornado. The preparedness index is defined as the sum of energy stored in the electric vehicles and natural gas storages that should be maximized. Subsequently, at the second stage after the recognition of the tornado, some proactive post-disaster actions such as grid partitioning, network reconfiguration, demand-side management, and distributed series reactors are applied to minimize the degradation and vulnerability of the power system. An integrated gas and electricity power flow is proposed in a linear computationally efficient fashion capable of modeling the worst-case scenario. The effectiveness of the model is examined on a distribution grid with multiple energy hubs.

Assessing and preparedness for earthquake disaster in Salaf-Khalaf Islamic Boarding School

Trenggalek is an earthquake-vulnerable area because it is located in the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates. Therefore, it is necessary to have the preparedness of the people who live there in order to reduce disaster risk. The Islamic boarding school that was there was also affected by the disaster. Santri have a high risk of experiencing a disaster because they live in the Islamic boarding school. There have been many studies related to the preparedness of the community and school students, but not many studies related to santri’s preparedness. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to analyze the level of santri’s preparedness against the earthquake disaster in Trenggalek. The research method is a quantitative description using questionnaires and interviews. The sample amounted to 30 and was obtained by stratified random sampling. Data analysis uses the earthquake preparedness index. The results showed that 10% were classified as extremely prepared, 35% were classified as prepared, 43% were classified as unprepared, and 17% were classified as extremely unprepared. This happens because of the lack of knowledge of students about the vulnerability of disasters that exist around the Islamic boarding school and the disaster mitigation efforts.

Evaluation of Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness Index among Women of Central India

Background: Chhattisgarh is one of the worst performing states of India in terms of maternal mortality ratio figures. Slums carry the unfortunate burden of maximum maternal deaths. Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness(BPCR) advocates planning of birth and being ready for any obstetric complications. Aim: To evaluate the BPCR index among first and second trimester pregnant women and those delivered within 6 months living in urban slums of Raipur city. Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 160 pregnant and 70 recently delivered women residing in urban slums of Raipur city selected by multistage random sampling using an interview method. BPCR index was calculated using Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynaecology and Obstetrics guidelines. BPCR components were correlated for any association with sociodemographic variables of the participants using Z test. Results: BPCR index came out to be 34.1%, which was very low. Factors associated with ≥4 antenatal care visits were general category women (P = 0.0375) and homemakers (P = 0.0057). Identifying skilled provider was higher in educated women (P = 0.0001), those with educated husbands (P = 0.0085), working (P = 0.0167) and with higher socioeconomic status (P = 0.0013). Saving money for childbirth was more among general category (P = 0.0067), educated (P = 0.0094) and women with low socioeconomic status (P = 0.0004). Conclusions: BPCR index of the study area was found to be very low.

Understanding Societal Resilience-Cross-Sectional Study in Eight Countries.

Civilian populations that are more prepared for emergencies are more resilient. Ample research has been carried out over the last three decades to identify the factors that contribute to public readiness to emergencies and disasters and enhance societal resilience. However, the analysis did not achieve an in-depth comprehension of the types of contributing factors, namely, contextual vs. target aspects. A cross-sectional study that explored attitudinal factors among civilian populations took place during the months of January–February 2021. Diverse representative samples (N ≥ 500 each) of adults from eight countries (Italy, Romania, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, Israel, and Japan) were engaged. The primary outcomes of this study were individual and societal resilience as well as emergency preparedness. The results suggest that in most countries, levels of trust are relatively high for emergency services and health services, and relatively low for politicians. In the overall sample, the individual preparedness index, which delineates the compliance with general household adjustment recommendation for emergencies, averaged at 4.44 ± 2.05SD (out of 8). Some variability was observed between countries, with some countries (e.g., Spain, Norway, and Italy) reporting higher preparedness rates than others (e.g., Japan). In the overall sample, levels of individual resilience were mediocre. Multivariate analysis showed that the following variables are predictors of societal resilience: trust (β = 0.59), social norms and communality (β = 0.20), individual resilience (β = 0.05), individual preparedness (β = 0.04), risk awareness (β = 0.04), and age (β = 0.03). The results of this study show that there are commonalities and differences between societies across Europe and beyond concerning societal resilience at large, including preparedness, individual resilience, and risk perception. Despite socio-cultural driven differences, this study shows that societies share varied characteristics that may contribute toward a common model for assessing societal resilience and for explaining and predicting resilience and readiness.

From the Editor’s Desk...

From the Editor’s Desk...

Football Match Line-Up Prediction Based on Physiological Variables: A Machine Learning Approach

One of the great challenges for football coaches is to choose the football line-up that gives more guarantees of success. Even though there are several dimensions to analyse the problem, such as the opposing team characteristics. The objective of this study is to identify, based on the players’ physiological variables collected using Global Positioning Systems (GPS), which players are the most suitable to be part of the starting team/line-up. The work was developed in two stages, first with the choice of the most important variables using the Recursive Feature Elimination algorithm, and then using logistic regression on these chosen variables. The logistic regression resulted in an index, called the line-up preparedness index, for the following player positions: Fullbacks, Central Midfielders and Wingers. For the other players’ positions, the model results were not satisfactory.

Analysis of preparedness in dealing with volcanic eruption disaster, study case: SMPN 2 Ngemplak Sleman regency

In the region of Indonesia, several volcanoes are still active and can erupt at any time. Knowledge of volcanic eruptions is very important for residents around the volcano because it will be related to the preparedness of residents at the time of volcanic eruptions. If the knowledge and preparedness of the citizens are good, it will prevent so many victims. This study aimed to analyze students’ levels of disaster preparedness in the face of catastrophic volcanic eruptions. The research used is a quantitative descriptive method with a research sample of 32 students of class VII SMPN 2 Ngemplak taken by cluster random sampling. The data collection techniques used are interviews, and questionnaires. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the student preparedness index for each indicator of preparedness in the dealing of a catastrophic volcanic eruption is (1) knowledge and attitude 72.40 categorized ready, (2) emergency planning 59.38 categorized almost ready (3) early warning system 61.72 categorized almost ready and (4) resource mobilization is in the index 64.06 with almost ready category. So that the average index value of the four parameters of disaster preparedness of volcanic eruptions is 64.72 with the category almost ready. This research can be used as a basis for the development of teaching materials to help reduce the risk of volcanic eruptions.

Living With Floods: A Comparative Assessment of Resilience to Floods in Tal and Diara Regions of Malda District, West Bengal

Tal and Diara regions of Malda district are extremely prone to floods, still, report higher population density than the state's average density. This indicates that the local population has learned to live with floods by developing resilience to the flood threat through better preparedness, coping, and adaptive strategies. Such micro-level strategies developed by the local people can be useful to policymakers and social scientists alike in terms of better mitigating the flood menace and associated vulnerability. This paper attempts to measure and compare the level of flood resilience of the local people living in Tal and Diara at the household level. Furthermore, the article aims to analyse whether the distance from the major flood-causing rivers, viz. Fulhar in Tal and Ganga in Diara play a role in the degree of resilience of the population to floods. The paper is empirical, where information has been collected from sample households and focus group discussion with village elders in two sets of villages, i.e., Maniknagar and Ratua in Tal and Gopalpur and Nurpur in Diara. The UNDP technique has been used to compute the composite Resilience Index (RI) consisting of Preparedness Index (PI), Immediate Coping Index (ICI), and Adaptive Index (AI). The findings suggest that the villages located in and around the levees of major flood-causing rivers, viz. Maniknagar in Tal and Gopalpur in Diara records a higher level of resilience to floods in comparison to the interior villages, viz. Ratua in Tal and Nurpur in Diara. The paper concludes that in both Tal and Diara, people have learned to cope and adapt to floods and that the closer the distance from the major flood-causing rivers, the higher the villagers' resilience to flood hazards.

The global NAFLD policy review and preparedness index: Are countries ready to address this silent public health challenge?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a highly prevalent, yet largely underappreciated liver condition which is closely associated with obesity and metabolic disease. Despite affecting an estimated 1 in 4 adults globally, NAFLD is largely absent on national and global health agendas. We collected data from 102 countries, accounting for 86% of the world population, on NAFLD policies, guidelines, civil society engagement, clinical management, and epidemiologic data. A preparedness index was developed by coding questions into 6 domains (policies, guidelines, civil awareness, epidemiology and data, NAFLD detection, and NAFLD care management) and categorising the responses as high, medium, and low; a multiple correspondence analysis was then applied. The highest scoring countries were India (42.7) and the United Kingdom (40.0), with 32 countries (31%) scoring zero out of 100. For 5 of the domains a minority of countries were categorised as high-level while the majority were categorised as low-level. No country had a national or sub-national strategy for NAFLD and <2% of the different strategies for related conditions included any mention of NAFLD. National NAFLD clinical guidelines were present in only 32 countries. Although NAFLD is a pressing public health problem, no country was found to be well prepared to address it. There is a pressing need for strategies to address NAFLD at national and global levels. Around a third of the countries scored a zero on the NAFLD policy preparedness index, with no country scoring over 50/100. Although NAFLD is a pressing public health problem, a comprehensive public health response is lacking in all 102 countries. Policies and strategies to address NAFLD at the national and global levels are urgently needed.

PRACTITIONER APPLICATION: The Application of a Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index to Assess National Pandemic and Other Mass Casualty Readiness

PRACTITIONER APPLICATION: The Application of a Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index to Assess National Pandemic and Other Mass Casualty Readiness

The EU Response to COVID-19: From Reactive Policies to Strategic Decision-Making.

The EU Response to COVID-19: From Reactive Policies to Strategic Decision-Making.

The Preparedness of Communities around Cilacap Industrial Companies in facing Tsunami Treats

Some vital industries in Cilacap Regency such as PT Pertamina (Persero) Refinery Unit IV Cilacap, PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia Tbk Cilacap Factory, PT Dharmapala Usaha Sukses Cilacap and PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang Fertilizer Empowerment Unit Cilacap are located close to the southern coast of Java that has the potential to be exposed to the tsunami. If the industrial company is affected by the tsunami, it can create a cascading effect and can have a direct impact on the surrounding community. The cascading effects are technological failure, explosion, fire, the release of hazardous substances to the spread of chemicals that can endanger the environment and society. The purpose of this study is to analyze the preparedness of the communities surrounding the industrial companies in facing the tsunami threat and its subsequent dangers. This study uses a descriptive qualitative research method by using a case study approach by conducting interviews with key informants related to the field of prevention, preparedness and work safety in each company and officials of the Local Government of Cilacap Regency. Data collection was also carried out using a questionnaire method filled out by people around the industrial companies. The results showed that the average value of the preparedness index of the community around industrial companies in Cilacap was 71.70 which was included in the “Ready” category.

Relationship of knowledge and attitudes with disaster preparedness in high school students

Introduction. Gamalama Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. The eruption of Gamalama Volcano has direct or indirect dangers to the community, especially school students. The potential for casualties and loss of school infrastructure will increase if students do not follow suit when they are at school. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between knowledge and attitudes with disaster preparedness that affects students. Then find out the level of disaster preparedness in high school students. Research methods. The research is a descriptive correlational study, with a total sample of 162 students taken by purposive sampling technique at 4 high schools located in the disaster-prone area of Gamalama Volcano. Data analysis used quantitative descriptive analysis and correlation analysis. Results. The results show that there was a positive and significant relationship between knowledge and disaster preparedness in students (sig. 0.000 &lt;0.01). Likewise, the relationship between attitude and student preparedness has a positive and significant relationship (sig. 0.000 &lt;0.01). Meanwhile, the level of disaster preparedness among students was in the "ready" category, with the value of the preparedness index of 74.57. Conclusions. Knowledge, attitudes, and student disaster preparedness need to be improved, in order to reduce the loss of life and property during a disaster, especially schools located in disaster-prone areas. Then, real efforts from the government, local communities and non-governmental organizations are needed in the volcanic disaster risk reduction program.

The Application of a Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index to Assess National Pandemic and Other Mass Casualty Readiness.

This article describes the use and findings of the Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index (HMSPI) tool to improve the understanding of hospitals' ability to respond to mass casualty events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. For this investigation, data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Dartmouth Atlas Project, and the 2005 to 2014 annual surveys of the American Hospital Association (AHA) were analyzed. The HMSPI tool uses variables from the AHA survey and the other two sources to allow facility, county, and referral area index calculations. Using the three data sets, the HMSPI also allows for an index calculation for per capita ratios and by political (state or county) boundaries. In this use case, the results demonstrated increases in county and state HMSPI scores through the period of analysis; however, no statistically significant difference was found in HMSPI scores between 2013 and 2014. The HMSPI builds on the limited scientific foundation of medical surge preparedness and could serve as an objective and standardized measure to assess the nation's medical readiness for crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and other large-scale emergencies such as mass shootings. Future studies are encouraged to refine the score, assess the validity of the HMSPI, and evaluate its relevance in response to future legislative and executive policies that affect preparedness measures.

Preparedness of the Libraries to Address the Recent Pandemic A Case Study on 100 Top Academic Institutes of India

In an academic set up the ‘library’ plays a pivotal role. It stores, analyses, interpret and disseminate information among the users to fulfil their information needs. It has been observed that recent technological advancement has revolutionised library services to a great extent. Now libraries are providing both physical as well as web-enabled library services to their users. In this context, library websites act as a major gateway in providing web-enabled library services. The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the physical mode of library services. However, to support the ongoing teaching and learning process, libraries need to continue their services despite the lockdown. Therefore, the present study seeks to find out whether academic libraries are ready and adequately equipped to perform basic services during this critical juncture. The present study was directed towards exploring the readiness among the academic libraries by assessing their websites based on selected evaluation criteria. Hence, in this study top, 100 NIRF ranked institutes websites were examined by adopting 30-point evaluation criteria. These criteria were selected from the extant literature. These criteria were grouped into 04 categories i.e., basic website information, resource discovery, availability of resources and reference services. The readiness index of each library was calculated based on the availability and non-availability of the said criteria. The findings of the study reveal that 64 per cent of the libraries have failed to secure their score of 50 per cent on predefined criteria. It was also found that the preparedness index is independent of NIRF ranking. Overall findings of the study make it clear that academic libraries need to improve and up to date their web-based services to play a proactive role in the present and post-pandemic situation.

Hospital Surge Preparedness and Response Index.

The Hospital Surge Preparedness and Response Index is an all-hazards template developed by a group of emergency management and disaster medicine experts from the United States. The objective of the Hospital Surge Preparedness and Response Index is to improve planning by linking action items to institutional triggers across the surge capacity continuum. This responder tool is a non-exhaustive, high-level template: administrators should tailor these elements to their individual institutional protocols and constraints for optimal efficiency. The Hospital Surge Preparedness and Response Index can be used to provide administrators with a snapshot of their facility's current service capacity in order to promote efficiency and situational awareness both internally and among regional partners.