Disasters and public health emergencies are increasing. Climate change, transportation incidents, increasing numbers of mass gatherings, chemical and technical incidents, increasing number of armed conflicts and terrorism are some of the major reasons for this increasing pattern. Any of these events may result in severe casualties, destruction of infrastructures and create a situation in which the number of victims may exceed available resources. Much of the knowledge in disaster medicine is based on the “lessons learned”. However, it has been proven that no lessons learned theoretically can be of practical use if the knowledge is not tested in an appropriate environment. In this perspective, the major clinical excellence and testing laboratories for disaster response are the scenes where disasters happen. Yet, most of the research and reports in the field are produced in high-income countries, while most of the disasters happen in middle- or low-income countries. There is thus a need to bring these two environments together in order to translate theory into practice and among people who are highly exposed and involved in the multidisciplinary management of a disaster or major incident.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 modernised the UK’s approach to disaster and emergency management, taking into account the kinds of threats the country faces in the 21st century, including terrorist threats and threats to the environment. This third edition of the Tolley’s Handbook of Disaster and Emergency Management has been fully updated to cover the topics and themes reflected in the Act, and collates all the key components of disaster and emergency planning for both the public and the private sector, covering both man-made and natural disasters. Written from a UK practitioner’s point of view, using case studies and examples, it helps readers to understand and formulate disaster and emergency policies and systems for their workplace. Its practical approach will help organizations to ensure business continuity and safeguard the health and safety of their staff in the event of a disaster. The new edition has been updated in line with the latest legislation: * Civil Contingencies Act 2004 * Amendment to the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations * Corporate Manslaughter Bill

We propose here a comprehensive educational program, based on the best available evidence to date drawn from recent publications intended to impart the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for the role of crisis manager. We expect this program to enhance the intercultural and interagency performance across the Disaster Management (DM) cycle. Here “Intercultural” does not refer to different nations and cultural backgrounds but rather to working cultures within diverse agencies. Since communication and information shortcomings are the most common reason for failed DM, this educational program focuses heavily on collaboration and interoperability between trained professionals involved in disaster response to ensure that they understand the need for collaboration and are aware of each other’s limitations and possibilities. The aim of programs such as this is not to re-educate people in respect to their profession/area of expertise, but rather to train them in elements specific to DM and ways in which they can apply their existing knowledge and professional expertise in the disaster context. Such multidisciplinary programs cover all disaster phases, accommodate the needs of each organization, and offer a safe environment where participants are able to learn by doing in an interactive environment--vertically within their own organization and horizontally together with other organizations--by focusing on shared training, cooperation, and intercultural understanding. Such programs bring some degree of standardization and offer a thorough evaluation of participants and the program by using evidence-based scientific methods. One important part of the program is to offer a standardized handbook in which all necessary information is gathered. This is not intended as a substitute for reference books, but it is intended to make the information accessible and easy to learn so that the information can be combined with the practical parts of the education

Disasters both natural and human-induced are leading to spiralling costs in terms of human lives, lost livelihoods and damaged assets and businesses. Yet these consequences and the financial and human crises that follow catastrophes can often be traced to policies unsuited to the emerging scales of the problems they confront, and the lack of institutional capacity to implement planning and prevention or to manage disasters. This book seeks to overcome this mismatch and to guide development of a more strategic policy and institutional framework. This updated and revised second edition includes new coverage of climate change adaptation, which has rapidly become central to disaster and emergency planning and management. This is an essential handbook for practitioners across the world seeking to improve the quality, robustness and capacity of their disaster management mechanisms.

Since the first edition of The Human Side of Disaster was published in 2009, new catastrophes have plagued the globe, including earthquakes in Haiti and New Zealand, tornadoes in Alabama and Missouri, floods in numerous locations, Hurricane Sandy, and the infamous BP oil spill. Enhanced with new cases and real-world examples, The Human Side of Disaster, Second Edition presents an updated summary of the social science knowledge base of human responses to disaster. Dr. Drabek draws upon his 40-plus years of conducting research on individual, group, and organizational responses to disaster to illustrate and integrate key insights from the social sciences to teach us how to anticipate human behaviors in crisis. The book begins with a series of original short stories rooted within actual disaster events. These stories are woven into the entire text to demonstrate essential findings from the research literature. Dr. Drabek provides an overview of the range of disasters and hazards confronting the public and an explanation of why these are increasing each year, both in number and scope of impact. The core of the book is a summary of key findings regarding disaster warning responses, evacuation behavior, initial post-impact survival behavior, traditional and emergent roles of volunteers, and both short-term and longer-term disaster impacts. The theme of "organized-disorganization" is used to illustrate multiorganizational response networks that form the key managerial task for local emergency managers. The final chapter provides a new vision for the emergency management profession—one that reflects a more strategic approach wherein disasters are viewed as non-routine social problems. This book will continue to be an invaluable reference for professionals and students in emergency management and public policy and aid organizations who need to understand human behavior and how best to communicate and work with the public in disaster situations.

Chaos Organization and Disaster Management offers a scholarly survey of disaster response behavior and management in the face of natural and manmade catastrophe. The author provides a methodological and empirical platform from which to initiate a critical analysis of disaster management. Sparked by a unique field study of the Israeli experience during the Gulf War, this book demonstrates the massive divide between individual responses to disaster and the actual functioning of disaster management organizations. It exposes the fundamental flaws of disaster management agencies, analyzing disasters from the perspectives of both agencies and potential victims. Formulating an alternative approach to disaster management that draws upon the advantages of privatization, this volume appraises methods of measuring disaster agency effectiveness, emphasizing the citizen vantage point and stakeholder evaluations. It outlines the intrinsic bureaucratic constraints that impede the efficacy of government agencies, and reveals the disconnect between organizational and victim perceptions of disaster. By highlighting a new empirically based understanding of disaster behavior, the book recommends moving the focus of disaster management to a social process model that will save lives.

This encyclopedia covers response to disasters around the world, from governments to NGOs, from charities to politics, from refugees to health, and from economics to international relations, covering issues in both historical and contemporary context. The volumes include information relevant to students of sociology, national security, economics, health sciences, political science, emergency preparedness, history, agriculture, and many other subjects. The goal is to help readers appreciate the importance of the effects, responsibilities, and ethics of disaster relief, and to initiate educational discussion brought forth by the specific cultural, scientific, and topical articles contained within the work. Including 425 signed entries in a two-volume set presented in A-to-Z format, and drawing contributors from varied academic disciplines, this encyclopedia also features a preface by Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton of the 9/11 Commission. This reference resource examines disaster response and relief in a manner that is authoritative yet accessible, jargon-free, and balanced to help readers better understand issues from varied perspectives. Key Themes - Geography - Government and International Agencies - History - Human-induced Disasters - Infrastructure - Local Response - Major Disasters (Relief Case Studies) - Medicine and Psychology - Methods and Practices - Mitigation - Natural Disasters (Overviews) - Politics and Funding - Preparedness - Recovery - Response - Science and Prediction - Sociology - U.S. Geographical Response

Including 425 signed entries in a two-volume set presented in A-to-Z format, and drawing contributors from varied academic disciplines, entries examine disaster response and relief in a manner that is authoritative yet accessible, jargon-free, and balanced to help readers better understand issues from varied perspectives.

The 2010 Haiti and Chili earthquakes, the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami in Japan are but a few examples of recent catastrophic events that continue to reveal how social structure and roles produce extensive human suffering and differential impacts on individuals and communities. These events bring social vulnerability to the forefront in considering how disasters unfold, clearly revealing that disasters are not created from the physical event alone. Equally important, people—even those considered vulnerable—respond in innovative and resilient ways that unveil the strength of human ingenuity and spirit. It is not a foregone conclusion that a hazard event, even a large one, will result in catastrophic loss. This updated second edition of Social Vulnerability to Disasters focuses on the social construction of disasters, demonstrating how the characteristics of an event are not the only reason that tragedies unfurl. By carefully examining and documenting social vulnerabilities throughout the disaster management cycle, the book remains essential to emergency management professionals, the independent volunteer sector, homeland security, and related social science fields, including public policy, sociology, geography, political science, urban and regional planning, and public health. The new edition is fully updated, more international in scope, and incorporates significant recent disaster events. It also includes new case studies to illustrate important concepts. By understanding the nuances of social vulnerability and how these vulnerabilities compound one another, we can take steps to reduce the danger to at-risk populations and strengthen community resilience overall. Features and Highlights from the Second Edition: Contains contributions from leading scholars, professionals, and academics, who draw on their areas of expertise to examine vulnerable populations Incorporates disaster case studies to illustrate concepts, relevant and seminal literature, and the most recent data available In addition to highlighting the U.S. context, integrates a global approach and includes numerous international case studies Highlights recent policy changes and current disaster management approaches Infuses the concept of community resilience and building capacity throughout the text Includes new chapters that incorporate additional perspectives on social vulnerability Instructor’s guide, PowerPoint® slides, and test bank available with qualifying course adoption

Now in its second edition, this unique title is still the ultimate comprehensive resource that standardises the principles and practice of disaster planning and emergency management. The area of disaster management is growing in significance and recognition for both public companies and private sector organisations. Tolley's Handbook of Disaster & Emergency Management: Principles & Practice is the only publication on the market that collates all the key components of disaster and emergency management in one handbook. It has been written specifically for professionals with responsibility for health and safety, crisis, disaster and emergency management and incident prevention. Expanded to include two new chapters, the title also features: Key legislation and regulations How to formulate a disaster and emergency plan The financial implications of disasters and emergencies Analysis of causation Case Studies ILO Code of Practice on prevention of major industrial accidents