Emergency and Disaster Management Commons^™

Terrorism In The Middle East: Implications On Egyptian Travel And Tourism, Tamer Z.F Mohamed, Tamer S. Elseyoufi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper attempts to shed the light on challenging issues affecting travel and tourism industry especially in the Middle East such as political, socio-economic and security instability. Due to its geopolitical and historical importance, the paper focuses on the situation in Egypt as a descriptive case study. The methodology relies on historical review and impact assessment to understand the roots and extended branches of instability in the Middle East that led to the Arab Spring, by focusing on the Egyptian case in the last half century. The assessment explains the negative effect of Western and Egyptian policy on extending the …

Project Proposal: The Jentay Group, Edward Vasquez

CUP Undergraduate Research

The following document contains material that connects to the emergency preparedness side of homeland security. The Jentay Group is a small company that brings advanced composites to the industrial market. Their work can be seen in the aerospace and unmanned vehicle industry, the automotive industry and the medical industry (Jentay, 2018). The team of 11 works out of a 4500 ft building located in Beaverton, Oregon. Beaverton is located in the Portland metropolitan area, which boasts a population of approximately 2.4 million (Beaverton Oregon, 2018). These statistics place the headquarters in a heavily populated area, which could bring good business …

Emergency Preparedness Among Salem’S Hispanic Population: Proposal To Improve Emergency Preparedness And Engagement, John C. Pegg Ii

CUP Undergraduate Research

The emergency preparedness of the residents of the City of Salem is of great importance to the City and the resilience of the community. The City’s emergency management mission states “to ensure that the City is prepared for a disaster by ensuring coordination of protection, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery activities that increase the City’s capabilities to minimize loss of life and reduce impacts from disasters” (City of Salem, 2014). Oregon and the City of Salem are susceptible to a variety of emergencies and disasters. These disasters are infrequent compared to other areas of the country that face a recurring …

Hilton Garden Inn Emergency Operations Analysis And Proposal, Mikaela Mcdaniel

CUP Undergraduate Research

This project is assigned as a senior practicum by Concordia University for seniors to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired throughout their college education in pursuit of a degree in Homeland Security. The ability to identify and assess threat and risk in a company’s emergency operations is a definite demonstration of a student’s acquired knowledge and skill. Such an assessment was done for the Hilton Garden Inn located in Corvallis, Oregon. Through assessment of their current emergency operations, concerns were found regarding their lack of employee training, updates to the emergency operations plan, and documents. This project outlines the concerns …

Marion County, Oregon Integration Of School Emergency Preparedness, Mitch Sechler

CUP Undergraduate Research

Collaboration between schools and emergency managers is paramount in addressing the whole community approach to emergency management for increasing preparedness (FEMA, 2011). As every disaster is local, a unified and collaborative approach should be taken to ensure schools are not a hindrance but rather an asset for preparedness, response and recovery efforts. Schools must have ownership and accountability for ensuring they are prepared for emergencies. Additionally, local emergency management agencies with their capabilities, capacity and knowledge must take action in response to the opportunity to build partnerships and expanded their efforts to create a resilient community.

Local Disaster Planning And Preparedness Coordination In The Rio Grande Valley, Cristina L. Madrid

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricanes and flooding events yield complex social and environmental consequences to coastal communities. Disaster preparedness and recovery is a multidisciplinary and multi-jurisdictional effort that requires coordination and planning across many actors.

Existing research recognizes the link between social capital and a community’s ability to respond to and ‘bounce back’ to normalcy after such hazardous events. However, few studies have examined the institutional dimension of social capital among communities noted for high levels of poverty situated in disaster-prone areas along the U.S. Mexico border. We aim to fill this gap by using survey data collected from emergency management practitioners in the …

Building A National Maritime Security Policy, Adriana Avila-Zúñiga Nordfjeld

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

The issue of port security raised concerns at the highest levels after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 against the United States. Security threats against ports and vessels acquired a new perspective and in 2002 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, introducing Chapter XI-2 - Special measures to enhance maritime security. This set of regulations enshrines the International Ship and Port Facilities Security Code (ISPS Code), which entered into force on 1 July 2004.

This Code establishes a set of measures to enhance the security …

Assessment Of Kenya's Capacity To Effectively Prepare For And Respond To Oil Spill Incidents, Stellamaris Ndeve Muthike

World Maritime University Dissertations

This dissertation assesses Kenya’s capacity to effectively prepare and respond to oil spill incidents and compares it to recommended international practice. The study is based on analysis of available data and questionnaires administered to personnel involved in oil spill preparedness and response in Kenya as well as International Organizations involved in oil spill response and training. Globally sea borne trade has been increasing and this has reflected in Kenya where the country has embarked on expanding its shipping industry. This exposes the country to the risk of oil spill and further compounded by busy tanker route through the territorial sea …

Micronutrient Availability In Alternative Foods During Agricultural Catastrophes, David Denkenberger, Joshua M. Pearce

Civil and Architectural Engineering Faculty Research

Several catastrophes could block the sun, including asteroid/comet impact, super volcanic eruption, and nuclear war with the burning of cities (nuclear winter). Previous work has analyzed alternate food supplies (e.g., mushrooms growing on dead trees, bacteria growing on natural gas). This was shown to be technically capable of feeding everyone with macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and lipids) and minerals, although economics and politics remain uncertain. The present work analyzes vitamin availability in such alternative food scenarios. The vitamin content of various alternate foods is compared to the US recommended daily allowance (RDA) as well as the average requirement defined by the …

The 'New Normal' Of Flooding In Portsmouth, Virginia: Perspectives, Experiences, And Adaptive Responses Of Residents And Business Owners In Low To Moderate-Income Communities, Donta Council, Michelle Covi, Wie Yusuf, Joshua Behr, Makayla Brown, Old Dominion University Resilience Collaborative, Virginia Sea Grant

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

[First three paragraphs from the Summary]

This project is a part of a broader initiative - the Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT) - that addresses the daunting challenges coastal communities are facing related to sea level rise and climate change (more information about RAFT is available here: https://ien.virginia.edu/raft).

This aim of this project was to investigate how residents and business owners in low-to-moderate income communities in Portsmouth, Virginia cope with flooding, and to assess implications for how the local government can better engage with residents to better meet their information needs so they can be more resilient to flooding. The …

Rebuild Puerto Rico: A Guide To Federal Policy And Advocacy, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Puerto Rico is in a unique position as a beneficiary of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act, 1974), the law that structures federal natural disaster assistance for state and territories. As explained in this report, disaster support often requires multiple and special appropriations from Congress and the funding allocated for this purpose goes to a multiplicity of local and federal agencies that include Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and many others. Funding includes short-term assistance, disaster recovery efforts, and multiple assistance programs to individuals, businesses and …

We Provided Psychological First Aid After The Las Vegas Shooting – Here’S What We Learned., Michelle Paul, Heather Dahl, John A. Nixon, Noelle Lefforge

Psychology Faculty Research

What is “psychological first aid”? How do mental health experts like you work side by side with traditional first responders? The goal of psychological first aid is to sooth, assist and help people function and cope in a healthy way in the wake of a traumatic event. It’s employed in the hours and days following the event, when people’s immediate needs, including medical care, as well as basic needs like food, shelter and water, must be met, along with their psychological and physical safety needs.

The Politics Of Disaster: The Great Singapore Flood Of 1954, Fiona Williamson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Singapore in the 1950s was a deeply divided society. Struggling to recover from the hardships ofthe Second World War and fighting an internal battle that the British government termed an‘emergency’, it was a time of hardship, tension, and anxiety. In the midst of this crisis, Singapore’sinhabitants continued to manage the natural elements of their climate and environment, especiallythe dangerous combination of heavy monsoonal rains, low-lying marshland, and tidal flooding.This article examines the circumstances surrounding a particularly severe episode of flooding thatoccurred in December 1954. It explores how the flood’s impact was exacerbated by humanexigencies, especially recent government resettlement plans and …

Puerto Rican Exodus: One Year Since Hurricane Maria, Jennifer Hinojosa

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

One year since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, nearly 160,000 residents of the island have relocated to the United States. This exodus represents one of the most significant movements of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. mainland in the island’s history in terms of both volume and duration. The new emigration estimates — of 159,415 with an upper bound confidence interval of 176,603 — is as high as the net migration flow in the previous two years combined (144,801).1

However, measuring population movement in real time, especially after a natural disaster like Hurricane Maria, continues …

The Optimization Of Emergency Response For Oil Spill In Wusongkou Waters, Fei Hong

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Puerto Rico: Two Years After Hurricane Maria, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Two years since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, between 220,000 to 255,000 residents of the island have relocated to the United States. This exodus represents one of the most significant movements of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. mainland in the island’s history in terms of both volume and duration. Two-years post-Hurricane Maria, we expect that an estimate of 60,000 to as high as 78,751 left the Island in 2019. One year since Hurricane-Maria, emigration estimates — of 159,415, with an upper bound confidence interval of 176,603 — is as high as the net migration …

Developing An Implementation Plan For Program Success: Sjsu Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-Cert), Waynette Fernandez Santos

Master's Projects

San Jose State University would benefit from the implementation of the Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT), a program that many higher education institutions use to train community members in disaster preparedness. With a C-CERT program, trained people are empowered to know how to conduct themselves during an emergency, and learn how to keep themselves, their friends and colleagues safe. This research surveyed and interviewed emergency management professionals in other higher education institutions to determine best practices for C-CERT implementation. The goal of this research was to analyze other higher education institutions’ C-CERT success, identify what characteristics make their C-CERT …

Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future (Second Edition), Henry D. Sokolski

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

No abstract provided.

U.S. Government Aviation Safety Information Resources, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Presentation covering U.S. Government aviation safety information resources. Topics addressed include U.S. laws,legislation, regulations, court cases, information resources from agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, congressional aviation oversight committees and congressional support agencies including the Congressional Budget Office, Congressional Research Service, and Government Accountability Office.

A Novel Cloud Removal Method Based On Ihot And The Cloud Trajectories For Landsat Imagery, Shuli Chen, Xuehong Chen, Xiang Chen, Jin Chen, Xin Cao, Miaogen Shen, Wei Yang, Xihong Cui

Faculty Publications - Emergency Management & Homeland Security

Cloud removal is significantly needed for enhancing the further utilization of Landsat imagery, since such optical remote sensing satellite images are inevitably contaminated by clouds. Clouds dynamically affect the signal transmission due to their different shapes, heights, and distribution. Generally, pixel replacement is the only and common method used to remove thick opaque clouds, and radiometric correction techniques has been widely adopted to remove the thin clouds. However, no methods can remove both thick and thin clouds at the same time. In this paper, a new method is proposed based on fitting “trajectory” of cloudy pixels with the help of …

Qualitative Profiling Of The Humoral Immune Response Elicited By Rvsv-Δg-Ebov-Gp Using A Systems Serology Assay, Domain Programmable Arrays, Mariano Sanchez-Lockhart, Daniel S. Reyes, Jeanette C. Gonzalez, Karla Y. Garcia, Erika C. Villa, Bradley P. Pfeffer, John C. Trefry, Jeffrey R. Kugelman, Margaret L. Pitt, Gustavo Palacios

University of Nebraska's National Strategic Research Institute: Publications

Development of an effective vaccine became a worldwide priority after the devastating 2013–2016 Ebola disease outbreak. To qualitatively profile the humoral response against advanced filovirus vaccine candidates, we developed Domain Programmable Arrays (DPA), a systems serology platform to identify epitopes targeted after vaccination or filovirus infection. We optimized the assay using a panel of well-characterized monoclonal antibodies. After optimization, we utilized the system to longitudinally characterize the immunoglobulin (Ig) isotype-specific responses in non-human primates vaccinated with rVSV-ΔG-EBOV-glycoprotein (GP). Strikingly, we observed that, although the IgM response was directed against epitopes over the whole GP, the IgG and IgA responses were …

The Effect Of Cobra Training On First Responder Self-Confidence To Work In A Toxic Chemical Or Biological Agent Environment, Robert A. Mann

Dissertations

First responders are our nation’s front line defense against intentional or accidental releases of toxic chemical or biological agents. Self-confidence which is a building block of self-efficacy is hypothesized to be malleable and increased through training. The purpose of this study was to determine the change if any, which first responders undergo during Chemical, Ordnance, Biological, and Radiological (COBRA) training, in their self-confidence to operate in a toxic chemical or biological agent environment. That is to determine if there is a correlation between increased self-confidence and COBRA training. The methodology of this study was based on quantitative methods of analysis …

A National Pragmatic Safety Limit For Nuclear Weapon Quantities, Joshua M. Pearce, David C. Denkenberger

Civil and Architectural Engineering Faculty Research

This study determines the nuclear pragmatic limit where the direct physical negative consequences of nuclear weapons use are counter to national interests, by assuming all unknowns are conservatively optimistic. The only effect considered is nuclear winter (“nuclear autumn” in the low weapons limits) and the resultant effects on the aggressor nation. First, the ability of low nuclear weapon limits is probed for maintaining deterrence in the worst-case scenario of attacking the most-populous nation. Second, the ability of aggressor nations to feed themselves is assessed without trade and industry resultant from a nuclear attack causing “nuclear autumn” (10% global agricultural shortfall). …

Climate Change Vulnerabilities In The Coastal Mid-Atlantic Region, Charles Colgan, Juliano Calil, Hauke Kite-Powell, Di Jin, Porter Hoagland

Publications

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) has identified increased understanding of the possible effects of climate change on the socio-economic assets and systems of the region as a priority need. This is based both on recent experience studying climate change and concern for the economic values that have been placed at risk. Changes in ocean temperatures and chemistry are already affecting fisheries, while the critical marine transportation facilities of the region must now address concerns about sea level rise in addition to shifting global transportation markets. New research is showing that coastal and ocean ecosystems are already changing …

U.S. Presidential Leadership And Crisis Rhetoric, Robert Mccabe

Honors Projects in History and Social Sciences

My capstone project seeks to determine what are U.S. presidents attempting to accomplish in (or with) their speeches? This matters because presidential responses to crises can reflect how a president’s leadership abilities are perceived by the people he serves. This perception plays a large role in determining how much political strength the president has to accomplish his agenda. I address this research question by analyzing four different speeches: President Kennedy’s Address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors on the Bay of Pigs, President Kennedy’s Address on the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Bush’s National Cathedral Speech after the September 11th …

Natural Disasters: Continued Security In The Aftermath, Victoria Quinones

Master in Management for Public Safety and Homeland Security Professionals Master's Projects

This paper reviews one of the leading threats that the United States faces: natural disasters. As the rate, strength, and cost of damages increases, so too does the vulnerabilities of the country’s security and that of its people’s. This paper highlights several significant points that surround the topic of natural disasters. First, identifying first the importance of such a topic and the threats that natural disasters pose; and, secondly, how to manage those threats. This paper shows the development of a strategic plan that incorporates a multidisciplinary approach, intelligence gathering, and an assessment of the proposed plan. This strategy identifies …

Human Trafficking In The Wake Of Natural Disasters: Is The United States Any Different Than Third World Countries?, Samantha Stout

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research compares the impacts of devastating natural disasters on levels of human trafficking in developed countries to the impacts experienced in third world countries. The two disasters selected for this study were Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana and the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia. Factors selected to measure the impacts of the natural disaster include income level, homelessness, and unemployment rates.

Human trafficking is a crime that touches nearly every country around the world. It is known that human trafficking levels are impacted by factors including poverty levels of regions, political unrest, and even natural disasters. There is …

Throughput Of The Strategic National Stockpile Points Of Distribution, Maryann Fenwick

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background and Significance

In the event of a national public health emergency, FEMA has a 48-hour timeline between the declaration of the emergency and the treatment of the last person in need of medical countermeasures (CDC, 2016b; Fisk, 2015; The National Academies of Sciences, 2017). The staff of the health department only is not enough to get the medications dispensed in the 48-hour requirement (CDC, n.d.). Senior nursing students are uniquely suited to fill the gap as they are not currently obliged to report to work as a nurse in emergent times and they have training that qualifies them to …

Climate Change, Colonialism, And Second-Class Citizenry: A Case Study Of The Impacts Of Hurricane María In Puerto Rico, Aislyne Calianos

Senior Honors Projects

The hurricane season of 2017 was a historic one, with mammoth storms making landfall one after another, in what seemed like an unrelenting assault on our coastal cities and communities. Hurricane Harvey inundated Houston, Irma plowed through Florida, and Maria devastated Puerto Rico, but one of these storms was unlike the others. Why is it that the American citizens of our southern states were able to recover so much more quickly than our citizens in Puerto Rico? In the era of climate change, we will be forced to reckon with the modern legacy of colonialism, as vulnerable communities must face …

Safety In Sanctuaries: A Threat Assessment Of Omaha Churches, Matthew Spicka

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Churches are a soft target for people with malicious intentions. They are filled with a large amount of people, including large groups of children and elderly folk. Religions also encourage people to be friendlier towards outsiders, which could result in the church goers lowering their defenses and being more vulnerable to attacks. Church security teams are also primarily composed of volunteers, which means there is limited experience in security protocol and that could lead to limited incentive to perform security tasks thoroughly. Churches are a crucial part of the spiritual wellness of a community. All these factors make churches a …