August 10, 2007 FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project Report
(1) CITIZEN DISASTER EDUCATION:
McClure, John. Guidelines for Encouraging Householders' Preparation for Earthquakes in New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: The Building Research Levy, 2006, 31 pages. Accessed at:
(2) HAZARDOUS MATERIALS:
Association of American Railroads. Hazmat Transport by Rail.Washington, DC: AAR, February 2007, 4 pages. Accessed at:
Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation."Recommended Security Action Items for the Rail Transportation of Toxic Inhalation Hazard Materials." Washington, DC: DHS & DOT, February 12, 2007, 3 pages. Accessed at:
(3) HURRICANE (2006 Season Material -- but still of interest):
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction . 2006 Hurricane Forecast and At-Risk Cities. Washington, DC: May 24, 2006. At:
[Contains prepared statements for the record by:
Brigadier General Benjamin J. Spraggins, Director, HarrisonCounty (MS} Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency
Mr. Max Mayfield, Director, NationalHurricaneCenter
Major General Stanhope S. Spears, Adjunct General, South Carolina Military Department.]
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction. The Impacts of a Severe Hurricane on Beaufort, South Carolina (Field Hearing). Washington, DC:August 17, 2006. Accessed at:
[Contains prepared statements for the record by:
Mr. John Jones JR., Deputy Director, National Weather Service
Mr. William Winn, Emergency Manager, Beaufort County, SC
Colonel Lanham, Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC.]
(4) KATRINA RECOVERY:
Anderson, Charles. "Forgotten But Not Gone: Buras, Louisiana."Truthout, August 10, 2007. Accessed at:
Dewan, Shaila, and Stephanie Strom. "Red Cross Faces Criticism Over Aid Program for Hurricane Victims." New York Times, August 10, 2007.Accessed at:
(5) MASS CASUALTY EVENTS:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Mass Casualty Event Preparedness and Response" (Website). Accessed at:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Preparing for a Mass Casualty Event: Information for Health Care Systems and Providers."Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, April, 24, 2007. Accessed at:
(6) NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK AND IAEM DISCUSSION GROUP LIST SERVE:
Over the past few days there have been a number of posts on the list serve of the International Association of Emergency Managers -- too many, from too many perspectives to try to summarize or collect here. If I were teaching a college course on emergency management (or on hazards, disasters and what to do about them) I would want to take advantage of this material. Thus I recommend that all collegiate "emergency management" related faculty sign-up for this list serve.Information can be accessed at:
International Association of Emergency Managers. "National Response Framework Is Not a Good Replacement for the NRP" (Press Release).Washington, DC: IAEM, August 9, 2007. Accessed at:
(7) SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS:
Connecticut Universal Access Workgroup. Sheltering People withDisabilities: Draft Space and Layout Considerations. February 2007, 8 pages. Accessed at:
Department of Justice. "Chapter 7, Emergency Management under Title II of the ADA."
ADA [American Disabilities Act] Best Practices for State and Local Government. Washington, DC: DOJ, July 26, 2007. Accessed at:
[Note: Chapter 7 has "Addendums" on:
Addendum 1: Title II Checklist (Emergency Management)
Addendum 2: The ADA and Emergency Shelters: Access for All in Emergencies and Disasters
Addendum 3: ADA Checklist for Emergency Shelters
Disability Rights Advocates. "Oakland Sued For Failure to Include People With Disabilities in Disaster Planning." August 9, 2007.Accessed at:
[Note: At the end of this Press Release are links to a two-page "Fact Sheet" and the 21-page "Complaint." From the "Fact Sheet" --
"Q: Why is this suit important to people with disabilities?
A:The City of Oakland is particularly vulnerable to emergencies.For instance, since 1983, the City of Oakland has experienced eight Presidential-declared disasters, including the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm, the 1997 El Nino winter storms, and the 1998 La Nina winter storms. People with disabilities are particularly vulnerable during an emergency. They require additional services, such as accessible transportation and back-up electricity, and are more likely to seek shelter services because they are disproportionately low income and lack other resources for help.This is the first suit of its kind, requiring a local government entity to take responsibility for its residents with disabilities before a disaster occurs."]
(8) TERRORISM:
Brodsky, Benjamin H. Industrial Chemicals as Weapons: Chlorine (Issue Brief). The JamesMartinCenter for Nonproliferation Studies, July 31, 2007. At:
[Excerpt: "Certain recent events in Iraq have elevated long-standing fears that terrorist groups may use poisonous chemicals, especially elemental chlorine, as toxic weapons against vulnerable populations.These concerns rest on a solid factual basis: many chemicals produced for industrial purposes are inherently dangerous due to their possession of one or more of the following properties: reactivity, flammability, explosiveness, toxicity, or carcinogenicity. In particular, the toxic industrial gases anhydrous ammonia, hydrogen fluoride, and elemental chlorine (often referred to as toxic inhalation hazards, or TIH) are of utmost concern from both safety and security standpoints. Any of these chemicals when released in the course of an accident or a deliberate attack can form a toxic gaseous plume that when carried by wind is capable of inflicting potentially catastrophic loss of life on the population in its path.... This issue brief describes the properties, hazards, and the legitimate applications of chlorine, as well as its use for weapons purposes during World War I and currently in Iraq. The vulnerability of America's chemical infrastructure to deliberate attack (including the facilities that produce, consume, and transport chlorine), as well as efforts currently underway to achieve infrastructure security, are also examined. The brief concludes with an evaluation of alternative approaches to mitigating the potential threat posed by a deliberate chlorine release."]
Prine, Carl. "Terror on the Tracks." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 14, 2007. Accessed at:
Riley, Jack (RAND Corp.). "Terrorism and Rail Security." Testimony presented to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on March 23, 2004. Accessed at:
Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "Coping with Terrorism:Lessons from the British and Israeli Experiences -- Featuring Leonard Cole and Toby Harnden." Washington, DC: August 2, 2007. At:
B.Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM
Higher Education Project Manager
Emergency Management Institute
NationalEmergencyTrainingCenter
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Department of Homeland Security
16825 S. Seton, K-011
Emmitsburg, MD21727
(301) 447-1262, voice
(301) 447-1598, fax
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