Digital Commons Network^™

Frameworks Of Recovery: Exploring The Intersection Of Policy & Decision-Making Processes After Hurricane Katrina, Kim Mosby

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to understand how local and national newspaper articles and African American residents frame obstacles to returning to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It explores how recovery planning processes and policy changes influenced the decision-making processes of African Americans displaced to Houston through a content analysis of the media and qualitative interviews with displaced and returned residents. The study shows the media and participants framed disaster recovery policies as creating opportunities and gaps in assistance that varied by location. Participants described how policy decisions that created gaps in assistance compounded the difficulty of returning for working- and middle-class …

Reaction To Safety Equipment Technology In The Workplace And Implications: A Study Of The Firefighter’S Hood, Brian W. Ward

The Qualitative Report

In the 1990s the firefighter’s hood became a standard article of safety equipment worn by municipal firefighters, eliciting a negative reaction among many of these firefighters. I used data from interviews with 42 firefighters to explain why this reaction occurred. Data analysis revealed that negative reactions ultimately stemmed from the hood’s disruption of autonomy, repudiation of the complex mental and physical skill needed to perform tasks required of firefighters, and hindrance in negotiating the life-threatening environment created by a fire. These findings indicate that when introducing new safety equipment technology to emergency response workers, their reaction to this equipment, and …

Of Rats And Men, Thomas S. Walsh

Capstones

This capstone is a data-driven investigation into New York City's rat problem. By using publicly available government data to map rat activity in NYC, I identified several socio-economic variables that correlate with rat populations at the community district, borough, and city-scale. I used these findings (mainly that rat problems are linked to lower incomes) as the basis of an investigation, which includes interviews with residents, experts, and city officials. Prof. Bobby Corrigan, urban rodentologist and formerly with the NYC Department of Health criticizes the city's efforts for the first time on the record.

https://thomasseiyawalsh.wixsite.com/ratstone

Cluster Approach: Gaps And Shortcomings In Un Coordination Of Humanitarian Actors In Post-Earthquake Haiti And Implications For Policy Concerns Of The New Humanitarian School Of Thought, Naomi Vinbury

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

This research analyzes the role of the UN OCHA Cluster Approach in the context of Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Gaps and shortcomings of the current humanitarian model are identified and the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach is considered as a model to be used as an instrument to inform the New Humanitarian school of thought. A recent history of Haiti and the political relationship to the international community will be reviewed as context that outlines the vulnerabilities that created a risk society leading up to the disaster. A brief history of the recent trajectory of humanitarian aid will be reviewed and …

Small Open Economy Dsge Model With Natural Disaster And Foreign Aid, Dickson A. Lim

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

The Philippines is one of the countries in the ASEAN region to be regularly hit by natural disasters. In an analysis of natural disaster hotspots, the Philippines is one among several countries where large percentages of the population reside in disaster-prone areas (Hazard Management Unit of the World Bank, 2005). Consequently, these catastrophic events also entail adverse macroeconomic impacts to the economy (Bergeijk & Lazzaroni, 2015). Raddatz (2007) estimated that climate-related disasters reduce real GDP per capita by 0.6%. In the Philippines, Benson (1997) reported a reduction in GDP growth rate forecast by 3.3% following the Luzon earthquake in July …

The Role Of Education In Self-Sustaining Community Development, Leanne Riegel

Senior Honors Theses

Self-sustaining community development strategies, focused on education as a means for change, have great potential to make an impact on worldwide poverty. Instead of a one-time intervention with results that fade over time, the cyclical structure of participatory development will yield increasing results as time goes on. Teaching the community how to improve itself will increase its ability to deal with future problems, and positively impact women, children, and the environment in developing countries. This philosophy and practical strategy could be effective in any geographic location or culture, focusing on education and the ability of the local people to transform …

Prevention And Combat Of A Spillage After Ghana's Oil And Gas Discovery: Is Ghana Ready To Face An Environmental Threat?, John Baker Amissah Glover

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Vietnam’S Capacity And Commitment To Ratify And Implement The International Convention On Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response And Co-Operation (Oprc), 1990, Hieu Huu Dao

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

User Preferences For Flood Alerts (Risk Communication And Public Engagement In Sea Level Rise Resilience Research Series, Paper No. 2), Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Carol Considine, Michelle Covi, Donta Council

Occasional Paper Series

Working with faculty and staff from Old Dominion University’s Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography, we developed a “straw man” website for users to sign up to receive flood alerts. The flood alert is based on tidal projections for the Sewell’s Point tide gauge available from the National Weather Service through the meteorological development laboratory (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/etsurge/index.php) and sends alerts for projected water level. We recruited study participants for one-on-one interviews. Participants were asked to interact with the flood alert signup interface and respond to specific questions about their preferences for flood alerts. We used findings of the one-on-one interviews to create …

Exploring Determinants Of Housing Prices In Beijing: An Enhanced Hedonic Regression With Open Access Poi Data, Yixiong Xiao, Xiang Chen, Qiang Li, Xi Yu, Jin Chen, Jing Guo

Faculty Publications - Emergency Management

The housing market in Chinese metropolises have become inflated significantly over the last decade. In addition to an economic upturn and housing policies that have potentially fueled the real estate bubble, factors that have contributed to the spatial heterogeneity of housing prices can be dictated by the amenity value in the proximity of communities, such as accessibility to business centers and transportation hubs. In the past, scholars have employed the hedonic pricing model to quantify the amenity value in relation to structural, locational, and environmental variables. These studies, however, are limited by two methodological obstacles that are relatively difficult to …

Milestones In Humanitarian Action, Kevin M. Cahill, M.D.

Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs

This book is a celebratory history, marking 25 years since the founding of the Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation (CIHC); the completion of 50 of our premier training course; the highly intensive, month-long International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA); the offering of dozens of other specialized courses; the publication of books, conference proceedings, and Occasional Papers, many translated into other languages and used in academic centers all over the world; the development of a Master of Arts in International Humanitarian Action (MIHA); the creation of an undergraduate major in Humanitarian Studies, one of only four such programs offered in any …

Factors Influencing The Evolution Of Chinese Disaster Relief Efforts, Lucas W. Gaylor

Student Publications

Disasters are life-altering events for any country. Every country around the world suffers from various kinds of disasters, whether produced by natural or human forces. The impact that these disasters have on people’s lives makes the topic of disaster relief and management a critical one for all governments around the globe; China is certainly no exception to the importance of disaster relief policy. As a country that has fallen victim to many disasters in recent memory, its disaster relief policy is one that has been analyzed at length by scholars around the world. In this piece, I seek to analyze …

Research On Maritime Mass Rescue Operation(Mro) In China, Yichun Chen

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Research On Maritime Traffic Risk Prejudgment And Accident Causation Analysis Of Laotieshan Channel, Meng Lv

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Rigs Of Refuge: Spatial Agency And Its Role In Conflict, Brittany Lauren Mcgraw

Masters Theses

Architecture is an inherently political endeavor. As such, designers should carefully consider the spatial dialogue that the built environment creates between those who control spaces and those who use them. In times of crisis, this dialogue often ceases to be an equal exchange, pushing users’ needs aside and exerting authority in the most expedient way possible.

This thesis proposes that amidst settings of conflict, hyper-responsive architectural systems can counteract landscapes of authority by returning spatial agency to users. As the means of providing such a system, oil rigs should be repurposed as a network of deployable crisis response hubs.

The Fort Mcmurray Wildfire 2016: Risk Perceptions And Behaviours Among Evacuees, Christopher James Kearns

Dissertations

The devastating wildfires in the Fort McMurray, Alberta, region in May of 2016 forced the evacuation of almost 90,000 people from their homes. This study examines and compares risk perceptions and evacuation behaviours between young adults, 18 to 24 years of age and older adults, 25 years and older, and between genders. The study participants (n = 299) were students and staff at Keyano College in Fort McMurray. They indicated only slight differences in their perceptions of risk and their evacuation behaviours between both the age groups and by gender. Environmental cues were significant indicators of risk for all participants. …

Sacred Heart University Security Protocol Plan: Shu Ready Planning 2017, Department Of Public Safety & Emergency Management

News, Magazines and Reports

The information in this publication has been compiled and presented in compliance with the requirements of Connecticut General Statute 10a-156a Security Protocol Plan. The purpose of this report is to provide a valuable resource to the University Community with regards to campus crimes and security policies. Additionally, the report is in compliance with the “Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act” and Federal Public Law 101-542, 110-315. (See separate SHU Public Safety Clery Annual Crime Statistical Report for details.)

Hampton Roads Residents’ Perceptions Of Sea Level Rise And Flooding Adaptation, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Carol Considine, Burton St. John Iii, Michelle Covi, J. Gail Nicula, Pragati Rawat, Kaitlin Giles

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

The Cultural Competence Of Response & Recovery Workers In Post-Earthquake Haiti, Christa L. Remington

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cultural competence is critical to public service, yet it is often ignored and underutilized, especially in post-disaster response and recovery. The current literature on cultural competence and frameworks developed by the private sector do not fully consider the complexities of a post-disaster public service context. This project explores the importance of cultural competence in post-disaster response and recovery, identifies effective training methods and organizational policies which may present barriers to competence acquisition, and proposes a new theoretical framework by which to assess cultural competence in international response and recovery work.

This study used focus groups with Haitian beneficiaries (n=7), in-depth …

An Expert System For Local Flood Response Coordination And Training, Xiaoyin Zhang, Gary Moynihan, Andrew Ernest, Joseph Gutenson

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Flood response is an essential component of flood management to rescue people, reduce property loss, and limit the impact to the environment. Effective flood response depends on a sound coordination structure with unified responsibilities, smooth communications, and scalable response plans. An efficient coordination system, including command and management structures, is built on a thorough understanding of the responsibilities and actions of each role for delivering the response core capabilities. Collecting, sharing, using, and handling the knowledge require great efforts in knowledge management. To further enhance such efforts, an expert system for local flood response coordination and training (LFRS) was developed …

Homeland Security Starts At Home: How The Citizens Of Pa Perceive Core Missions And The Whole-Community Approach To Fostering A Resilient Nation, Alexander Siedschlag

Publications

Content

• Rationale
• Method: PA omnibus poll instrument
• How citizens value homeland security
• What homeland security protects from
• PA citizens on homeland security
• Perceived scope of homeland security
• Who provides homeland security
• Homeland security and daily life
• Conclusions
• General recommendations
• Educational mission considerations

Reciprocity And Vernacular Statecraft: Andean Cooperation In Post-Disaster Highland Ecuador, A. J. Faas

Faculty Publications, Anthropology

Cooperative labor parties known throughout the Andes as mingas, although outwardly appearing to be the same cultural institution, are practiced quite differently and with varying meanings in different socioeconomic contexts. This article discusses how minga cooperation came to exhibit contrasting, yet intimately related, patterns of practice and social relationships in both a displaced, disaster-affected village and a disaster-induced resettlement. It describes actors in these groups appealing to ostensibly common repertoires of shared meaning and culture, while organizing themselves in distinct ways in order to access and control scarce resources. In one village, minga participation is largely sustained through traditional …

Beyond Vulnerability: Refugee Women’S Leadership In Jordan, Widad Hassan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

While both men and women are affected by conflicts and humanitarian crises, 80 percent of the world’s refugees and internally displaced persons are women and children, indicating that women experience conflict and war differently. The emphasis on women’s vulnerability during conflicts and humanitarian crises leads to their exclusion from leadership roles and decision-making on humanitarian programs and issues that impact them. Though women experience numerous socio-cultural barriers to exercising leadership in humanitarian settings, they have taken on important roles in emergency response and in refugee camps. This paper traces the progress of UN and humanitarian agencies recognition and development of …

Where Is The Environmental Justice In The Lower Ninth? How Nonprofits And Residents Within The Lower Ninth Ward View Environmental Justice Issues After Hurricane Katrina, Nia N. Francis

Honors Theses

Environmental injustice has exacerbated in the Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina. Eleven years after Katrina and the Lower Ninth community is struggling to fully recover, regardless the amount of aid it has received from different types of charitable organizations. An understanding of how residents and organizations within the Lower Ninth Ward view environmental justice issues may help explain why this community’s revival is so delayed. Through the application of the snowball method, I obtained three case studies within this research that each present three dissimilar interpretations of the environmental justice issues and state of Lower Ninth. These views differ …

Bridging The Gap Between National And Local Safety Through A Comprehensive Review Of Emergency Preparedness Plans In A Large, Urban High School Located In Delray Beach, Florida Within The Palm Beach County School District, Retha Prescod

Theses & Dissertations

Each year almost 60 million elementary, middle and high school children attend school across the United States. Each day on campus holds the possibility that these students may suffer from an encounter that causes them long-term physical, emotional, psychological impact. Unfortunately, hundreds of victims from this vulnerable population have suffered each time a school was unprepared for an emergency event that occurred on campus. Currently, there are no mandatory specifications in place for school preparedness plans. The government has mandated that schools develop a framework to address hazards that affect schools, but have not made any of these requirements mandatory. …

Tuberculosis Contact Investigation In An Urban Omaha High School, Kyra L. Crepin

Theses & Dissertations

In November 2016, a 15-19 year old high school student was diagnosed with active pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) and reported to the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) in Omaha, Nebraska. A contact investigation led the health department to a local urban high school with a diverse and mobile population. A modified point of dispensing (POD) clinic was determined to be the efficient method to test the 196 faculty and students that were exposed to the index case. Emergency response coordinators (ERC’s) at DCHD adapted the POD dispensing plan with an embedded Incident Command System (ICS) to fit a smaller incident as …

Reconstruction Of The Destroyed Sinjali Secondary School, Isabella Kaganowski

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

This practitioner paper chronicles my involvement of the grant writing proposal that was designed on behalf of a non-for-profit organization, the Association of Dalit Women’s Advancement of Nepal (ADWAN), in order to secure funding and donations for the reconstruction of the destroyed Sinjali Secondary School in Gorkha district, Taklung village, after a 2015 earthquake struck Nepal. The proposal was guided by and collaborated with Professor Jude Fernando of Clark University, as Professor Fernando was able to visit Taklung village and gather information about the needs in the educational sector damaged by the earthquake. Literature review and research was gathered to …

Housing Crisis In Haiti Post 2010 Earthquake, Kelley C. Eaton

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

This paper is an analysis of the post-disaster housing crisis in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake that left hundreds of thousands dead and millions homeless. Lack of strategic planning, and overpopulated areas contributed to the widespread devastation that is present in Haiti. Reviewing secondary data, and collecting primary data from a short trip to Haiti, has helped to establish all the issues that contributed to the housing crisis in Haiti. Housing design, location, accessibility, land rights, and affordability are the biggest challenges that people are still facing. Aid poured into the nation to help rebuild the broken infrastructure, though was …

Collective Impact: Working Together For Robust Community Emergency Preparedness, Cheryl H. Galloway

Master's Projects

This study identifies a shortfall of solid emergency preparedness between organizations and individuals in Gilroy, providing a gap analysis in disaster mitigation on the civilian side. This information is important for emergency managers and public safety officials to understand as they strive to develop plans and solutions to increase participation, effectiveness, planning, training and implementation at the Gilroy Unified School District and in the community at large. Using an evaluation of current efforts for review by the school board, city council, Chamber of Commerce and non-profits in the public safety sector, more expansive outreach through collaboration is the common goal. …

Beyond The Protective Effect: Towards A Theory Of Harm For Information Communication Technologies In Mass Atrocity Response, Kristin Bergtora Sandvik, Nathaniel A. Raymond

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) are now being employed as a standard part of mass atrocity response, evidence collection, and research by non-governmental organizations, governments, and the private sector. Deployment of these tools and techniques occur for a variety of stated reasons, most notably the ostensible goal of “protecting” vulnerable populations. However, these often experimental applications of ICTs and digital data are occurring in the absence of agreed normative frameworks and accepted theory to guide their ethical and responsible use. This article surveys the current state-of-the-art of ICT use in mass atrocity response and research to identify harms and hazards inherent …