Re: focus on the functions, not whether it's an "emergency", "crisis" or "disaster" [was] Re: Proposal for a domain

phew! thanks a lot C
great links, please also post them in an appropriate repository page
on the wiki somewhere for future reference

we should then start working on an algorithm, or formula of any kind,
perheas,  to distil essence of the resources referenced below so that in can
be used in future plans

Oh, and we need a plan of action of course...

thanks
PDM

On 6/11/07, C H <craighubleyca@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I'm wary of proceeding too quickly to any "top-down"
> view.  I sense this field is in flux.  I include a lot
> of links and quotes below from the US, Canada, UK and
> NZ which I'll comment on separately.  I suggest the US
> "resilience networks", "ABIDE", and NZ "comprehensive
> emergency management" and UN "resilient cities and
> communities initiative" are more reconcilable with
> each other and with the facts on the ground in poor
> countries (which by definition have more people
> capable of dealing with outages and breakdowns) than
> conventional top-down "emergency management" thinking.
>
> An excellent functional breakdown would have to wait
> on a glossary analysis and review of definitions like
> the following.  I did not post my breakdown which
> Paola quoted in reply because it isn't intended to
> serve as more than a guide to this more official work.
>
> -- US --------
>
> Several approaches seem to be competing, the most
> advanced of which de-emphasize command hierarches
> entirely (as in the ABIDE framework and so on) and
> seem to evoke the real or imagined natural resilience
> of a community that relies mostly on informal ties or
> credentials.  But this coexists with "emergency
> managers" of the FEMA sort.  No comment on how well
> each approach served the US in its recent challenges
> but obviously the debate now exists for a reason.
>
> ---- resilience network ------
>
> http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/2007-01/msg00106.html
>
> "The Resilience Networks are a non-hierarchical,
> non-controlled system supplement to hierarchical,
> closed incident command systems.  Hierarchical command
> and control systems are by their nature slow to evolve
> and brittle in large-scale disasters, especially when
> cross-sector and cross-jurisdiction communication is
> essential.  The Resilience Networks are particularly
> useful in a rapid prototyping mode for quick growth in
> building very local infrastructure engaging citizens
> and their communities in situational awareness and
> acting on mission critical gaps --  especially in the
> most vulnerable communities.
>
> - Michael D. McDonald
>
> Coordinator, National Disaster Risk Communication
> Initiative
>
> Co-principal investigator
> Psychosocial Dimensions of Biosecurity Preparedness
> and Response Initiative"
>
> McDonald' is also interested in "ontology applications
> in intelligent social networks used for providing
> citizens and their communities with prospective best
> practices, situational awareness, coordinated focus
> on mission critical gaps, and smart swarm capabilities
> to anticipate  and address small and large-scale
> social crises.  Special emphasis  would be on the
> needs of vulnerable populations incident command
> systems often do not address and on situations where
> command and control systems fail (e.g., Katrina,
> mental health response to the  2004 Hurricanes in
> Florida, Indian Ocean Basin Tsunami, South Carolina
> Ricin incident).
>
> ---- emergency management --------
>
> Illustrating the more conventional FEMA approach is a
> fairly elaborate list of credentials and training for
> "emergency managers".
>
> http://www.theicor.org/pages/disc/em.html
>
> "Emergency Management is the terminology usually
> associated with government agencies and focuses on
> addressing events, conditions or situations that
> threaten life safety, assets, or the community at
> large.
>
> In the private sector, Emergency Management addresses
> the safety of personnel, the facility or physical
> assets and is usually event driven. It is essential
> that all organizations in a community plan and provide
> for interaction and partnerships with those agencies
> that provide emergency management services.
>
> The discipline of Emergency Management addresses the
> following elements:
> 1. The Incident Command System (for use by both public
> and private agencies)
> 2. Emergency Responder Training (public sector)
> 3. Basic Emergency Management (public sector)
> 4. Emergency Operations Center Management (both public
> and private)
> 5. The Incident / Emergency Response Plan (private
> sector)
> 6. The Resilient Community (both public and private)"
>
>
> http://www.iaem.com/certification/generalinfo/intro.htm
>
> "Levels of Certification and Credentialing
> There are five levels of ICOR certification
>
> 1. Certified Organizational Resilience Executive
> (CORE)
>
> 2. Certified Organizational Resilience Professional
> (CORP)
>
> 3. Certified Organizational Resilience Manager (CORM)
>
> 4. Certified Organizational Resilience Specialist
> (CORS)
>
> 5. Certified Organizational Resilience Associate
> (CORA)"
>
> -- Canada -----------------------------------
>
> http://www.fcm.ca/english/policy/pdb.pdf
>
> FCM Policies
>
> Emergency Management
>
> As first-line responders, municipal governments play a
> critical role in public safety and emergency
> preparedness. To ensure the safety of Canadian
> communities, emergency management systems must be
> appropriately funded and coordinated across
> jurisdictions.  These systems must account for the
> unique hazards associated with sensitive
> infrastructure, such as airports, ports, borders and
> embassies.
>
> Other orders of government must recognize the distinct
> threats posed by the new security environment and the
> load this places on municipal services, including
> police, fire, paramedic and public health agencies.
>
> Protection of critical infrastructure, such as
> airports, ports, borders or embassies, consumes
> significant municipal resources. Emergency planning
> must account for these unique hazards.
>
> Increasingly, municipal governments must review their
> emergency response plans and adapt local
> infrastructure to deal with severe weather, as climate
> change is widely expected to bring more frequent and
> more severe extreme weather events, such as floods,
> hail or wind storms.
>
> In addition to all of this, public health authorities
> must play an integral role in emergency management, as
> demonstrated by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
> (SARS) outbreak in Toronto.
>
> The roles and responsibilities of each order of
> government in national security and emergency
> management planning should be re-examined.
>
> Strategies:
> [lists some institutions involved including]
>
> Canadian Public Health Agency and Public Safety
>
> Emergency Preparedness Canada
>
> Canadian Emergency Preparedness College (training)
>
> Canadian Standards Association ( comprehensive and
> national set of standards for emergency management and
> business continuity planning)
>
> Joint Emergency Operations Centre (disaster
> mitigation)
>
> (more agencies involved in a resilience approach)
>
> Infrastructure Canada (standards and practices, best
> practice exchange, see http://infraguide.ca and
>
>
> http://openpolitics.ca/CEG+recommendations+to+Infrastructure+Canada+2004-12-21
> )
>
> Finance, Public Works (see
>
> http://openpolitics.ca/open+letter+to+Ralph+Goodale+from+Civic+Efficiency+Group
> )
>
> -- UK ------------
>
> (excellent list of publications relevant to
> resilience)
> http://www.ukresilience.info/publications.aspx
>
> (example of an emergency plan for a municipality)
> http://www.hertsdirect.org/infobase/docs/pdfstore/HRERPpub.pdf
>
> ------------
> NZ
>
> (the best paper of the lot)
>
> http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN019477.pdf
>
> "Comprehensive Emergency Management (CEM)... covers
> reduction, readiness, response and recovery"
>
> "Sustainable hazard management has five components:
> environmental quality; quality of life; disaster
> resilience; economic vitality; and inter- and
> intra-generational equity. Reducing the risk from
> hazards, reducing losses from disasters and working
> toward sustainable communities go hand-in-hand"
>
> "...future emphasis on natural hazard reduction needs
> to take into consideration the following four specific
> lessons:
>
> 1. Integrated risk management: Emergency management
> must be part of the wider economic development
> framework and not isolated from it.
>
> 2. Eco-system vulnerability: Links must be developed
> between natural and technological hazard
> characteristics so they can all be managed in a
> systematic way, and from an environmental management
> perspective.
>
> 3. Mega-disasters will occur: There will be
> intensifying relationships between large
> population concentrations, increased hazards and
> heightened vulnerability, and hence there is a need to
> anticipate the likelihood of mega-disasters.
>
> 4. Promotion: There needs to be more recognition of
> the increasing relevance of emergency management"
>
> "six likely areas of activity that future emergency
> managers will pick up and augment their customary
> response management functions:
>
> 1. Emergency managers will assist in the creation and
> management of community resilience by being able to
> recognise resources and risks, and help communities
> choose a level of risk appropriate to their
> circumstances.
>
> 2. Emergency managers will help manage communities as
> sustainable entities, with the understanding that
> reducing losses from disasters alone is too narrow a
> goal.
>
> 3. Emergency managers will link emergency management
> concepts and practices with sustainability through
> long-term hazard and loss reduction and through
> employing public risk management processes.
>
> 4. Emergency managers will not only help reduce
> community losses but they will also assist in the
> process of enhancing the long-term equilibrium between
> human and natural environmental interactions.
>
> 5. Emergency managers will help ensure appropriate
> emergency management mechanisms are in place, are
> operable, and are capable of responding to the overall
> risk environment.
>
> 6. Emergency managers will link emergency management
> concepts and practices with wider community management
> practices and processes"
>
> ---- UN --------
>
> Resilient Cities and Communities Initiative
> (UN-HABITAT, Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative,
> UNDP, UN ICLEI, etc.)
>
> (summary and links at)
> http://openpolitics.ca/resilient+community
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 



Paola Di Maio *****
School of Information Technology
Mae Fah Luang University
Chiang Rai - Thailand
*********************************************