Community response to hazard information

The impact of flood hazard information on public acceptance of a selected flood mitigation strategy was assessed by an analysis of the content of newspaper reports of community reaction and letters to the editor. The impact of personal delivery of a flood hazard map on individual perception of risk and attitude to such information was assessed using personal interviews. The results indicated that media coverage of the flood hazard information reduced public criticism of the works. This result must be partially attributable to the dramatic style of media coverage and the fact that the media only emphasized the positive value of the works. The interview demonstrated that personal delivery of the information raised perception of risk, improved comprehension of flood risk, had no impact on acceptability of risk but discouraged some respondents from seeking such information in the future. Factors to explain the last negative change were identified to be the format of the map sheet and low salience of flood hazard. On the basis of all results, methods to improve community response to hazard information are provided.     

地方政府地震风险预防与应急准备:实践、挑战及对策——基于广东河源市的分析

地震是广东河源市常见的自然灾害,频发的地震和作为城市重大风险源的新丰江水库可能诱发地震的双重影响对河源市地震应急预防准备工作提出严峻挑战,提升河源市政府和相关部门的地震应急能力尤为重要。根据对河源市地震应急预防准备工作现状的实地调研访谈、问卷调查和分析,阐述了河源市在地震应急预防准备工作进行的实践探索、待改善的方面,在借鉴国内外经验基础上,提出了加强和改进河源市地震预防与应急准备工作的对策建议。     

突发事件应急准备体系研究进展及关键科学问题

本文对应急准备体系相关的应急准备概念、战略规划方法、系统组成与结构、能力评估、应急组织架构与运行模式、应急预案及培训演练、应急准备文化等7个方面的国内外研究现状进行了简要分析,并提出了应急准备规划理论与方法、应急准备系统结构、任务和目标能力、应急准备评估理论与方法、应急准备文化的内涵与特征等应急准备体系理论研究方面的关键科学问题。     

Enhancing community-based disaster preparedness with information technology

A critical component of community-based disaster preparedness (CBDP) is a local resource database of suppliers providing physical, information and human resources for use in disaster response. Maintenance of such a database can become a collaborative responsibility among community-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and public and private community organisations. In addition to mobilising resources, this process raises awareness within the community and aids in assessing local knowledge and resources. This paper presents the results of a pilot study on implementing a community-based resource database through collaboration with local American Red Cross chapters and public and private community organisations. The design of the resource database is described. The resource database is accessible via the internet and offline using laptops and handheld Personal Digital Assistants. The study concludes that CBDP is strengthened through a combination of appropriate information technology and collaborative relationships between NGOs and community-based organisations.     

Collaborative emergency management: better community organising, better public preparedness and response

Community coordination requires communication and planning of precautions to take when faced with a severe threat of disaster. The unique case of the four Florida hurricanes of 2004--Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne--is used here to assess community responses to repeated threats of hurricanes. The paper examines how effectiveness in coordinating community disaster response efforts affects future public preparedness. The findings suggest that pre-season planning, open communication between emergency managers and elected officials, and the use of technology all had a significant impact on community responses. The repeated threat scenario indicates that emergency managers must work vigilantly to keep residents informed of the seriousness of a situation. The study describes how emergency managers in Florida countered public complacency during four hurricanes in six weeks. The strategies identified as useful by public managers in the context of hurricanes are applicable to other natural and man-made disasters.     

Attitudes of rural population in emergency exposure situations

People growing crops in kitchen gardens eat locally self-produced food and are the subject of growing attention as the potential for a more sustainable development. A survey was carried out in two provinces in northern Italy to gather information on the consumption of local horticultural products, peoples’ expectations of authorities in the case of a nuclear accident and peoples’ behaviour in the absence of official information. Results show that up to 70% of the owners of kitchen gardens possess diets comprised of more than 60% of self-produced vegetables and can be regarded as particular groups of population. In the case of a dispersion of radioactive material, the local population would take advantage of official information on preventive measures to protect farms and local crops from contamination. Results of the survey show differences in the attitude of the population due to age, gender and past experience.     

应急预案重大突发事件情景构建——基于“情景-任务-能力”应急预案编制技术研究之一

在国内外应急预案编制技术对比分析的基础上,针对我国应急预案工作存在的主要问题和需求,提出了以"情景-任务-能力"为技术路线的应急预案编制方法,重点论述了重大突发事件情景构建对应急准备和应急预案编制具有重要先导作用,提出重大突发事件情景基本概念、分类矩阵、构建程序、情景框架结构与要素内容等一些理论与方法,为以"情景-应对"的应急预案管理模式提供技术参考。     

广州港近年船舶油污事故的分析

广州港辖区近年来船舶油污事故不断，但相应的油污防备、反应、立法仍没有实质性的进展。文中就典型事故作了分析，提出了对船舶油污防备的建议。     

我国地震应急预案的编制和完善——对汶川地震事件地震应急预案运行的思考

地震应急预案是针对可能发生的地震事件,为迅速、有效、有序地开展应急行动而预先制定的方案,是政府和社会抗震救灾工作的行动指南.本文通过对汶川地震应急响应的分析和思考,认为现行各级政府和部门地震应急预案尚存在诸多问题,并提出了修订完善现行各级政府和部门地震应急预案的建议.     

The public health system response to the 2008 Sichuan province earthquake: a literature review and interviews

This paper describes and analyses the public health system response to the deadly earthquake in Sichuan province, China, in May 2008. Drawing on an experiential learning project consisting of a literature review and field research, including a series of interviews with medical and public health professionals, policy‐makers and first responders, a conceptual framework was developed to describe the response. This approach emphasises the pre‐existing preparedness level of the medical and public health systems, as well as social, economic and geo‐political factors that had an impact on mitigation efforts. This framework was used to conduct post‐disaster analyses addressing major response issues and examining methods employed during the public health response to the disaster. This framework could be used to describe and analyse the emergency response to other disasters.