Research shows that in an emergency situation, the most effective warnings are those that are delivered consistently over multiple channels. When people hear the same message from different sources, they are convinced it is real and are motivated to take action. However, with so many diverse warning technologies available, it has been a challenge to […]
The train explosion involving a 73-car crude oil unit train in Lac-Megantic, Quebec on July 6 serves as a sobering example of what can happen in your town. The train’s oil was being transported from the Bakken Oil Region in North Dakota to New Brunswick to be refined. The incident occurred just 10 miles from […]
Many people are overwhelmed when such an extreme disaster like the June 2013 flooding in Uttarakhand, India happens. The scale of destruction is huge and thousands remain stranded in parts of northern India as they wait to be rescued from Uttarakhand where at least 5,000 people may have died due to the heavier than normal […]
On May 31, the area around Oklahoma City, already battered by tornadoes a little over a week before, experienced several more tornadoes that caused damage including loss of life. A tornado reaching an EF-3 (Severe) wind speed and damage rating touched down just southwest of the city of El Reno, approximately 30 miles west of […]
The explosion at the West Fertilizer plant in West, Texas, this week serves as a sobering reminder of the role of planning and zoning for facilities near chemical plants. Why were a middle school and a nursing home located so close to a fertilizer plant that stores and uses dangerous chemicals, such as anhydrous ammonia? […]
As Hurricane Isaac approaches the Gulf Coast today, the track Isaac is taking is eerily similar to the track Katrina took seven years ago at this same time. Although Isaac is not nearly as strong or expected to cause the extent of damage that Katrina did, many Gulf Coast cities are ordering evacuations. I wanted […]
To complete the Masters of Emergency Services Administration program at California State University, Long Beach, Ray Melendrez (Oceanside Fire Department Administration personnel) and I created a capstone project team that embarked on a collaborative undertaking with the Oceanside Fire Department in Oceanside, California. A capstone project is a large project intended to be a tangible […]
IEM Computational Epidemiologist Dr. Sid Baccam has been working with the Department of Health and Human Services for the past 9 years developing models to analyze response to bioterrorism attacks involving anthrax or other bioterrorism agents. Dr. Baccam has been specifically focused on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) dispensing logistics and its impact on medical consequences. The […]
Social Media Resources Guide, Part 5 As the rescue operations continue in Turkey and the death toll surpasses 500, a teenage boy used a rock to dig himself out of a collapsed building and was pulled from the rubble 100 hours after the Turkish quake. See dramatic video below, along with additional social media resources […]
As all emergency managers have heard time and time again, communication is the number one issue discussed during after action reports following an exercise or disaster. By utilizing social media technology day to day, survivors are more prone to use this technology to verify a family member location and safety post disaster. In a blog […]
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