Disaster response preparedness coordination through social networks

Studies of coordination in human networks have typically presented models that require stable working relationships. These models cannot be applied to emergency response management, which demands distributed coordination in volatile situations. This paper argues that changes to interconnectedness of nodes in a network may have implications for the potential to coordinate. A social network‐based coordination model is proposed to explore an organizational actor's state of readiness in extreme conditions. To test this hypothesis, the study investigates survey data from state law enforcement, state emergency services and local law enforcement, presenting agency‐based (macro) and cross‐agency (micro) analysis on 224 completed questionnaires. The main findings are: (i) there is a positive correlation between network connectedness and the potential to coordinate; (ii) the concept of tiers within an emergency response network may exist and be characterized by the sub‐network with which an organization associates; (iii) a range or threshold characterizes how interconnected an organization at a given tier should be.     

Information technology and emergency management: preparedness and planning in US states

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of information technology (IT) on emergency preparedness and planning by analysing a survey of US state government departments of emergency management. The research results show that there has been a significant impact of IT on emergency planning. IT has proven to be effective for all phases of emergency management, but especially for the response phase. There are numerous technologies used in emergency management, ranging from the internet, Geographic Information Systems and wireless technologies to more advanced hazard analysis models. All were generally viewed as being effective. Lack of financial resources and support from elected officials is a perennial problem in public administration, and was found to be prevalent in this study of IT and emergency management. There was evidence that state governments rating high on a performance index were more likely to use IT for emergency management.     

Health care system hazard vulnerability analysis: an assessment of all public hospitals in Abu Dhabi

Hazard vulnerability analysis (HVA) is used to risk‐stratify potential threats, measure the probability of those threats, and guide disaster preparedness. The primary objective of this project was to analyse the level of disaster preparedness in public hospitals in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, utilising the HVA tool in collaboration with the Disaster Medicine Section at Harvard Medical School. The secondary objective was to review each facility's disaster plan and make recommendations based on the HVA findings. Based on the review, this article makes eight observations, including on the need for more accurate data; better hazard assessment capabilities; enhanced decontamination capacities; and the development of hospital‐specific emergency management programmes, a hospital incident command system, and a centralised, dedicated regional disaster coordination centre. With this project, HVAs were conducted successfully for the first time in health care facilities in Abu Dhabi. This study thus serves as another successful example of multidisciplinary emergency preparedness processes.     

长江三角洲跨区域抢险救援体系 --基于分形细化原则的功能模型开发研究

对长江三角洲跨区域抢险救援体系这一类典型的复杂系统进行了系统构建的总体原则分析,在复杂系统开发的并行工程开发组织和总体结构模型研究的基础上,进行了相关分形建模及开发研究,并在长江三角洲跨区域抢险救援体系的递阶控制体系结构的总体模型指导下,得到了分形细化后各级子系统的功能模型结构.     

Emergency preparedness consultants at the local government level: the Israeli experience

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Municipal Emergency Consultation project in eight Israeli local authorities. The initiative centres on the appointment of independent emergency preparedness consultants entrusted with tailoring an emergency preparedness package to suit the specific needs of each locality. Regarding emergency preparedness improvements, in all of the municipalities examined, a concept of municipal emergency operation was consolidated and the derived emergency plan tested. Emergency work processes were structured and service‐level agreements reached between municipality departments. Where necessary, a‐linear patterns of municipal functioning in an emergency were established. Concerning a ‘spillover’ of emergency preparedness improvements into routine operations, and a ‘spillover’ of routine management improvements into local emergency preparedness, two municipalities near Gaza, which typically function in an emergency routine, saw a significant ‘spillover’ of emergency preparedness into routine functioning. In other localities, local managers chose to improve a number of municipal structures and procedures in times of routine functioning, which are also related to the functioning of the municipality during an emergency.     

Disaster coordination preparedness of soft-target organisations

This paper introduces a network‐enabled model to examine the disaster coordination preparedness of soft‐target organisations (STOs). Little attention is devoted to this matter in recent research. This study places emphasis on such organisations and the proposed model tests hypotheses related to network relation and coordination preparedness. It analyses the data set entitled ‘Preparedness of large retail malls to prevent and respond to terrorist attack, 2004′, which contains 120 completed surveys of security directors of retail malls in the United States. ¹ 1 See http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/TPDRC/studies/21140 .
The following questions form the basis of this study: ‘What do STOs need to be better prepared to respond to a disaster?’; ‘How does network relationship between STOs and emergency agencies affect the coordination preparedness of STOs for disaster recovery?’; and ‘Which centrality measure needs to be followed to measure network variables in order to analyse coordination preparedness?’ The results show that STOs with a high level of connectedness and strong ties to other emergency agencies are better prepared for disaster response.     

Making humanitarian relief networks more effective: operational coordination, trust and sense making

Effective coordination of humanitarian assistance activities remains elusive. This paper briefly addresses some of the reasons for what is widely perceived as a coordination dilemma in humanitarian affairs and argues for a new conceptualisation of the issue. Rather than continue to request that more authority be vested in a single organisation to secure coordination through top-down control, it contends that it may be timely to consider whether relief agencies involved in an emergency should be reconceived as social networks and efforts made to achieve changes in their organizational cultures that encourage operational coordination across institutional lines. Since such labours imply the need to trust, this article explores what forms of trust might be employed to promote improved coordination among relief institutions and how those relationships could themselves be conceptualised. Finally, while acknowledging that coordination is not costless, it suggests that its effective pursuit may be advantageous even in scenarios where aid organisations balk at cooperating to secure it.     

以应对自然灾害为核心的应急资源投入保障机制研究

应急资源是应急管理工作的重要支撑力量,其保障能力的形成是通过应急资源投入保障机制实现的。针对以应对自然灾害为核心的应急资源投入保障机制,以应急资源投入保障机制的五大主体(中央政府、地方政府、中央部门、地方部门、社会力量)为研究枢纽,系统地梳理了我国应急资源投入保障机制的现状;结合重大案例,以保障过程的三个环节(资金筹集、资金使用和保障能力形成、监督协调)为研究线索分析当前我国应急资源投入保障机制存在的问题,并寻找出其核心症结,即缺少专门的应急资金体系支持应急管理工作和没有统一的应急管理机构;针对核心症结,进行思考并提出相应的政策建议:设立应急管理专用资金体系和建立一体化的应急管理机构。     

Trust,but verify: social media models for disaster management

A lack of trust in the information exchanged via social media may significantly hinder decisionmaking by community members and emergency services during disasters. The need for timely information at such times, though, challenges traditional ways of establishing trust. This paper, building on a multi‐year research project that combined social media data analysis and participant observation within an emergency management organisation and in‐depth engagement with stakeholders across the sector, pinpoints and examines assumptions governing trust and trusting relationships in social media disaster management. It assesses three models for using social media in disaster management—information gathering, quasi‐journalistic verification, and crowdsourcing—in relation to the guardianship of trust to highlight the verification process for content and source and to identify the role of power and responsibilities. The conclusions contain important implications for emergency management organisations seeking to enhance their mechanisms for incorporating user‐generated information from social media sources in their disaster response efforts.     

东洞庭湖国家自然保护区湿地生态灾害应急能力评价

健康的湿地生态系统,是国家生态安全体系的重要组成部分和社会经济可持续发展的重要基础。根据AHP法确定了能较综合反映研究区灾害应急能力的6个一级评价指标和28个二级指标,并计算出研究区湿地生态灾害应急能力值R为77.467,介于70~80之间,说明研究区生态灾害应急能力属于良好,但还有很大的提高空间。针对如何人为完善生态系统的功能、提高指挥部门到达现场的速度、重视生态系统自我修复能力的培养、注重部门平时救灾演习的成绩提出了6点对策。     

地铁车站人员疏散离散时间模型研究

疏散时间对于保证地铁车站这类复杂建筑结构内人群的安全至关重要,本文借鉴群集流动理论建立了用于计算地铁车站人群移动时间的疏散离散时间模型(EDTM),模型中的人群流动系数取值不同于传统计算公式中的常量,依据的是经典的车站人群密度与速度函数关系式。将此模型用于某地铁车站站台层,求解楼梯出口疏散人数与时间的关系,并与Building EXODUS疏散软件的模拟结果以及传统地铁车站疏散时间计算公式的计算结果进行了对比,分析表明,EDTM计算结果与EXODUS疏散模拟结果非常接近,且比传统公式计算更为精确和符合实际情况。该计算模型可以为地铁车站人群疏散时间计算、建筑出口性能化设计,以及地铁车站事故应急预案的制定提供更有效的工具。     

国家地震应急快速响应信息系统建设——以首都圈地区为基础

以首都圈防震减灾示范项目的建设为例，介绍了国家层次的地震应急快速响应信息系统的总体架构、技术路线和核心功能。该系统以B／S和C／S混合结构为主体架构，以GIS为开发平台，实现了地震触发—灾害响应—灾害评估—辅助对策应急响应流程的各项相关核心功能，对我国开展“十五”应急响应工作提供了一定的借鉴经验。     

京津冀突发事件总体应急预案量化评价

应急预案是应对突发事件工作的重要抓手,加强应急预案管理已成为新时期我国各级政府应急管理工作的重要任务。为提高京津冀应急预案质量,通过构建PMC指数模型来评价该地区突发事件总体应急预案,为预案优化提供建议。选取京津冀5项代表性突发事件总体应急预案为研究样本,首先,基于对预案文本的挖掘与分析以及借鉴已有研究关于应急预案评价指标的设定,建立了包含9个一级变量和57个二级变量的评价指标体系。其次,通过测算得出各个预案的PMC指数分值,据此对每项预案进行分析与优化。结果表明,5项预案的PMC指数均值为7.89,根据评级划分标准,5项预案总体表现良好,其中2项等级为优秀,3项等级为良好。除了在事件分类分级标准、恢复与重建这两个一级变量上没有失分外,在其他一级变量上都有失分,具体可以依据二级变量在这几个方面实施优化。     

重大疫情衍生社会恐慌链式灾害应急策略研究——基于COVID-19疫情的SD分析

重大疫情传染的负外部性在严重损害公众健康的同时衍生社会恐慌,这是保障人民生命安全和社会稳定的国家治理现代化背景下,一个新风险源和应急管理难题.基于灾害链视角,运用系统动力学(SD)方法对经典的传染病SIR模型进行升级与转化,构建一个同时包含疫情动态传播及其衍生社会恐慌的链式灾害应急系统模型,以COVID-19疫情为例进...     

基于AHP法的地震灾后恢复重建民用建筑工程施工质量控制模型

为了提高地震灾后恢复重建民用建筑工程施工质量控制效果,设计一个基于AHP法的灾后恢复重建民用建筑工程施工质量控制模型。从抗震能力、节能等方面进行考虑,建立了灾后恢复重建民用建筑工程施工质量评价体系,采用层次分析法计算指标权重并进行一致性检验,对施工质量进行评价,根据评价结果确定需要控制项目的优先级,从而对具体对象进行质量控制,以此完成基于AHP法的灾后恢复重建民用建筑工程施工质量控制模型的设计。并通过实例分析证明了此次研究的控制模型的可行性与有效性,为灾后恢复重建民用建筑工程施工质量控制提供参考。     

基于中美10所高校的应急管理核心知识体系的解释结构模型研究

应急管理涉及多学科、多领域,明确其核心知识体系可以为应急管理相关学科融合和发展提供基础。本文收集了中美两国10所高校15个本科专业225门专业课程,构建解释结构模型进行研究。结果显示：应急管理核心知识体系包括8大类：应急类、防灾减灾类、公共服务和社会管理类、安全生产类、国家安全类、法律类、公共卫生类和综合类。这8大类又分为18个小类,应急类包括为理论、技术方法和应用;防灾减灾类包括理论、过程和单灾种防范;公共服务和社会管理类包括理论与应用;安全生产类包括安全、健康和环境;国家安全类包括国土安全、恐怖主义和国际关系;公共卫生类包括心理和医疗救助;而法律类重在应急相关法律,综合类则表现为多个领域相结合。该体系的构建可以为应急管理相关学科研究提供知识基础,促进各学科领域在应急研究方面融合发展。     

政府应急物资保障能力评价研究

做好政府应急资源保障能力评估对于提高应急物资储备质量、保障突发事件应急处置过程中的物资供给具有重要意义。在分析应急物资需求的基础上,提出了多元性的政府应急物资保障能力评估目标;指出需要评估的应急物资主要是政府部门以实物和合同方式储备的应急物资;界定了应急物资的保障时间;以应急物资的储备特征为基础,建立了应急物资保障能力的评价指标体系;提出了基于集对分析法的应急物资保障能力评价模型,并举例说明该模型的可行性;最后为进一步研究提出了一些建议。     

依靠政府职能、科技进步、公众参与三者紧密结合,搞好大中城市地震应急工作

总结了在南黄海６．１级地震应急中的成功经验：本省及有关城市充分发挥防震减灾工作的政府职能，各级领导决策及时，指挥果断、地震专业科技人员尽心尽职，迅速判断震情，安抚民心以及新闻部门反应快，报道勤，收效好。并由此提出南黄海６．１级地震应急的３点体会和进一步做好大中城市地震应急工作的３点建议     

Networking emergency teams in Jerusalem

With the recent upsurge in terrorism, more and more attention is being directed at examining the effectiveness and efficiency of emergency teams. These teams tend to focus on their areas of expertise without necessarily communicating, cooperating or coordinating their operations. Research suggests that improved interpersonal communication and coordination enhances the overall work of each emergency team, and that their combined effort is far in excess of the sum of their individual endeavours. This paper outlines attempts made in Jerusalem to improve the performance of emergency teams and to help the helpers by holding training workshops, setting up a forum of co‐workers and encouraging dialogue among various emergency teams in the city. A planned intervention programme was designed to enable informal networking between team leaders. The programme had an impact on team workers and resulted in a more coordinated and effective service delivery during emergencies.