19 December 2014 Higher Education Program News
Monthly Video – 1973 Iceland Volcanic Eruption -
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Monthly Video – 1973 Iceland Volcanic Eruption - In 1973, the Eldfell volcano on Haimaey island in Iceland erupted, forcing the evacuation of several thousand residents to the mainland. When the lava flow threatened the only port on the island, the Icelanders made a desperate attempt to halt the flow. This video clip highlights that attempt and its outcome. Blog Highlights – The following are excerpts from my blog Canton on Emergency Management. Please visit my blog to see the rest of my articles. What are you afraid of? 12-11-2014 Three steps to keep storm warnings from scaring the pants off of you...»
How the Media Raises Your Anxiety Over Terrorist Attacks 12-03-2014 Tracking a news item back to its source shows how small errors can produce big changes to the original story....» Disaster Operations Are Really About Logistics 12-05-2014 One of the best logisticians with whom I have worked was my friend, the late Ken Chin. Ken had a unique way of looking...»
Bridging the Academic/Practitioner Gap 11-20-2014 Bridging the gap between academics and practitioners, as this blog is dedicated to doing, is not an easy task. While there are...» Leadership Coaching - The Importance of Personal Values
Is it more important to be clear on your personal values or the values of the organization you serve? The answer may surprise you. As you would expect, leaders who are clear on both have the highest level of constituent commitment. One would expect that the lowest level of commitment would be where the leader was unclear on both. But surprisingly, commitment is lowest when a leader is unclear on his or her values but clear on the organization's values. Further, when a leader is clear on his or her values, he or she is able to compensate for being unclear on the organization's values. Featured Article - Avoiding "Disaster of the Month" Syndrome: Five Ways to Maintain Your Focus Although public interest in Ebola has waned as the media moves on to other issues, planning for pandemics should not stop. While the Ebola crisis is far from over and remains a serious world health concern, the hysteria in this country has died down and the impetus for planning for infectious disease outbreaks is waning. In a very real sense, Ebola has masked the true need for such continued planning.
Emergency planners need to ride out these cyclical peaks of near hysteria and maintain their focus on substantive planning. We can't afford to be only reactive; planning shouldn't stop because a new "hazard of the month" has captured the attention of the public and elected officials. But how do we resist the demand to "drop everything and get on this?" CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE Professional Development - Give Yourself A Gift for the Holidays
Most of us experience a bit of downtime during the holidays. I realize that it can be tough balancing work and family commitments, particularly as many of us are engaged with winter storm response. But, generally, things slow down a bit and it's a good time to get in a bit of professional development. Here are some easy ways to improve over the holidays:
You get the idea. You don't have to take a lot of time for any of these. But a few minutes here and there spent on your professional development can pay big dividends in the new year. who knows, it might even get to be a habit. Wouldn't that be a great gift! Life Balance - Last month I wrote about the importance of passion to being a success. Consultant Alan Weiss addressed this same topic in a recent blog posting, reprinted here with his permission.
Finding David by Alan Weiss (I do not have permission to reprint so readers you will need to access Lu’s newsletter to read the Life Balance section) From The Bookshelf - Volcanoes in Human History: The Far-Reaching Effects of Major Eruptions by Jelle Zeilinga de Boer and Donald Sanders While the immediate impact of volcanoes are readily apparent, we often tend overlook the long-term effects that volcanic eruptions have had on human history. Volcanoes can produce significant climate and ecological change that can literally change the course of history. In this fascinating book, de Boer and Sanders examine a number of eruptions that have done so. Each chapter is a case study focused on a particular event. The authors describe the geology of the affected area and the progress of the eruption. But the real focus is on the aftermath and consequences of each eruption. The studies range from the formation of the Hawaiian Islands to Mount St. Helens in 1980 and the stories associated with them are fascinating: the eruption of Thera that may have destroyed the Minoan civilization in the Bronze Age, the last moments of Pompeii as Vesuvius explodes, the eruption of Tambora in 1815 that led to widespread starvation around the globe. But the authors also consider smaller events that illustrate the impact on people. The fight to save the island of Heimaey in Iceland and the evacuation of Tristan de Cunha are stories that are both dramatic and instructive. I plan to use both as case studies in future courses I teach. If you want to learn about volcanoes and their consequences, you couldn't do better than this book. I highly recommend it. ©Lucien G. Canton 2014. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission To subscribe to the newsletter: http://www.luciencanton.com/newsletter.html
2015 Agenda of Activities The Agenda of Activities is now posed on our website.
The finalized Training Sessions and Workshops will be posted in January. Be sure to check out our new and exciting sessions for the 2015 GHC!
The Award Nomination Form is now posted on our website. The deadline for submission is March 13, 2015.
The GHC has negotiated a reduced group rate and amenities at the official 2015 GHC hotel...Rosen Shingle Creek. Reservation information can be found on our website. The group rates are available through April 10th so make your hotel reservations today!
*** Attention All Attendees *** Please be aware that there are outside companies representing themselves as the GHC housing service who have been contacting exhibitors claiming they represent the GHC and can book hotel rooms at a reduced rate. These companies are NOT affiliated with GHC! We are advising both exhibitors and attendees to ignore these calls as it may be a scam that could result in a loss of funds for you and/or your agency. The official GHC Housing Bureau will NOT contact you unless they receive an email, fax or phone call asking for assistance.
Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year! With 2014 coming to an end it’s time for us to take a look back. It has again been an exciting year with many activities and a lot of progress. We are very grateful for all the support we have received through our sponsors and partners around the world and the appreciation of the international research community. GRF Davos has established fruitful collaborations in the past year, has successfully organized its 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference, published an outcomes report as input to the WCDRR 2015 in Sendai and has worked on a number of projects. In 2015 we will keep on promoting the worldwide exchange of know-how and expertise, creating solutions and fostering good practices in integrative risk management! We thank you all for your continuous interest in our activities and your support throughout the last year and take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and all the best for 2015! Sincerely, Walter J. Ammann Chairman
ANNUAL CONFERENCE UPDATE IAEM Annual Conference issues call for speakers for 2015 conference IAEM The IAEM Call for Speakers is now open. Read the Speaker Guidance in its entirety to learn all the requirements for a breakout submission. The online submission site will close on Feb. 20, 2015 at 5:00 pm, EST. The IAEM 63rd Annual Conference will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nov. 13-18, 2015. The theme is "Expanding the Spectrum of Emergency Management." IAEM Annual Conference photos now are available IAEM Photos taken by the professional photographer for the IAEM 2014 Annual Conference are posted here for download. The link will be active until Jan. 25, 2015. Thanks to IAEM member Jennifer Duke Holmes of Hydrid Intuition Media, for making additional conference photos available for you to view or download here, with photos posted until Mar. 31, 2015. IAEM Annual Conference presentations are available IAEM Speaker presentations submitted to IAEM are located in each individual session in the Program icon on the IAEM to GO 2014 Mobile App and also on the web-based version. Choose a session, and click on the link for speaker presentations under PDFs located at the bottom of each individual session screen. IAEM MEMBER NEWS Randy Duncan, CEM, honored by IAEM at Dec. 12, 2014, retirement event IAEM Randall C. Duncan, MPA, CEM, was honored at a Dec. 12 retirement party in Wichita, Kansas, where he served as director of Sedgwick County Emergency Management. He was presented with an IAEM Proclamation of Esteem by IAEM Past President Mike Selves, CEM, commending his accomplishments and contributions both in Kansas and nationwide. Randy's dedication, contributions, and commitment to the emergency management profession and IAEM were noted. Randy is a past president of IAEM, and most recently served the association through his leadership as chair of the IAEM-USA Government Affairs Committee. Closer to home, he served as chair of the Kansas Governor's Commission on Emergency Planning and Response, first chair of the Kansas Emergency Management Association's (KEMA) Standards and Practices Committee, and is a past president of KEMA. He was the first local emergency manager from the United States invited to join an EMI/FEMA delegation to the Republic of Turkey. Additional contributions at the national level include: biological warfare improved response program projects; Department of Defense exercises and simulations; and Department of Justice fire department support after 9/11 at the World Trade Center Command Post. See a news interview with Randy regarding his retirement and the emergency management department he leaves behind. EM NEWS Hurricane, flood standards development committee meets WCTV-TV Experts say forty percent of hurricane property damage comes from storm surge. That's one of the issues the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology has to consider when looking at hurricane models. Hurricane models are computer models that look at property loss. They're what's used to develop insurance rates. READ MORE Changes urged to Sizewell emergency leaflet after it is branded as 'misleading' EADT24 Suffolk's emergency planning officer has pledged to consult widely and listen to views expressed about a leaflet due to be distributed to 14,000 homes within a 15-kilometre radius of the Sizewell nuclear site. READ MORE Swiss Re: 2014 insured catastrophe and disaster losses estimated at $34 billion Artemis Global insured losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disaster events are estimated to reach $34 billion in 2014 by Swiss Re's sigma research unit, below recent annual averages, while economic losses reached $113 billion. READ MORE IAEM-USA NEWS FEMA Reservist, Coast Guard retiree partnership announced IAEM FEMA partnered with the Coast Guard to create a unique and exciting opportunity for Coast Guard retirees – the U.S. Coast Guard Retiree to FEMA Reservist Initiative. This initiative allows semi-retired or fully retired former Coast Guard employees to serve fellow citizens and take part in disaster response missions. FEMA's website includes a section dedicated to recruitment of Coast Guard retirees for this initiative that includes information on the application process, forms and resumes. FEMA Reservists are the largest component of the FEMA response workforce during a disaster. They are trained and qualified to perform the necessary tasks for the disaster response and recovery process. When deployed, FEMA Reservists are reimbursed for travel and paid as intermittent employees. FEMA has openings within the reservists program, with more than 2,700 vacancies available. Reservist positions are managed through FEMA Cadres, and the skills needed to serve in most of them are generally equivalent to many Coast Guard ratings and officer specialties. Many Coast Guard retirees may already have experience in disaster response, Incident Command System, hazardous material handling, survivor support, recovery operations and many other areas of expertise needed in the aftermath of a disaster. FEMA changes employee hiring procedures to streamline application process IAEM The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced a change in its employee hiring process, which is part of its initiative to streamline process and provide opportunities for the FEMA workforce. Effective Dec. 1, 2014, FEMA has a 200-applicant limit for all job opportunity announcements (permanent full-time and CORE). The impact of the applicant limit will be that, upon announcing a job opportunity, the first 200 applicants' resumes will be reviewed and considered. This is in alignment with existing private sector and other federal agency business practices. After the first 200 apply, the job opportunity announcement will close. The applicant limit will increase the efficiency of the hiring process in that applicants can be more quickly contacted for interviews and final hiring decisions. Those who are interested in apply for FEMA job openings are advised to create a search agent in your USAJOBS account. By doing this, you can receive email notifications on a regular basis of new FEMA job opportunity announcements. GAO publishes report on FEMA administrative costs for major disasters IAEM The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Dec. 17 published GAO-15-65, "Federal Emergency Management Agency: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Oversight of Administrative Costs for Major Disasters." FEMA leads federal efforts to respond to and recover from disasters, and provides grants to states and localities through the DRF. For each major disaster, funds can be obligated from the DRF to cover administrative costs — the costs of providing and managing disaster assistance — for FEMA, states, tribes, localities, and certain nonprofits, among others. GAO was asked to review these administrative costs along with FEMA policy changes. In the report, GAO recommends that FEMA (1) develop an integrated plan to better control and reduce its administrative costs for major disasters, (2) assess the costs versus the benefits of tracking FEMA administrative costs by DRF program, and (3) clarify the agency's guidance and minimum documentation requirements for direct administrative costs. FEMA agreed with the report and its recommendations. Download the full report or the summary here. FEMA ups its game in sussing out phony aid claims Government Executive New controls put in place following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 have allowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to sharply reduce payments to individuals making fraudulent damage claims, a watchdog reported. EM RESOURCES NOAA reflects on 10 years since Indian Ocean tsunami, provides resources IAEM Dec. 26 marks 10 years since the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Since then, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has made great improvements in tsunami detection, forecasting, warning, and preparedness capabilities. As a result, U.S. and international coastal communities are far better prepared to respond to a tsunami. Today, NOAA manages enhanced networks of water-level and seismic stations, including 39 tsunami buoy stations, which are strategically located throughout the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Caribbean Sea. Other advancements include expanded operations for NOAA's two tsunami warning centers and an array of numerical tsunami forecast models that are used in conjunction with high-resolution coastal inundation models to provide accurate and reliable real-time inundation forecasts for tsunami-threatened coastal communities. Through the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, the TsunamiReady Program (now 181 sites and counting), and NOAA's international coordination activities, significant investment has been made in tsunami preparedness activities. Since tsunamis cannot be prevented, it is vital that people who live, work, or play at the coast understand and are prepared for tsunamis. To help educate the public about what to do before, during, and after a tsunami, NOAA's National Weather Service has launched a new online tsunami safety resource. Click here for more information about the advancements since 2004. National Hurricane Center unveils new storm surge watch, warning maps The Times-Picaynne The National Hurricane Center took the next step towards creating separate hurricane storm surge warning messages, releasing an example of new color storm surge watch and warning maps to be used on an experimental basis in the 2015 hurricane season. READ MORE White House launches open data disaster portal Emergency Management The White House launched a new open data portal targeting the needs of first responders and emergency survivors. The website, found at disasters.data.gov, features disaster-related data sets, tools and resources for those who want to join a larger community of data-minded first responders. READ MORE CEM® UPDATE New certification exam will be released in January IAEM The CEM®/AEM℠ Exam will be updated and released in January 2015. Candidates taking the exam in January will have the option to take either the current exam or the updated exam. If taking the current exam, use the study guide dated May 2014. Beginning Feb. 1, 2015, all candidates will be scheduled to take the new exam and should reference the updated study guide dated December 2014. CEMs and AEMs scheduled to recertify in 2014 MUST submit application by Dec. 31, 2014 IAEM Don't wait until the last minute! Current CEMs and AEMs scheduled to recertify in 2014, must submit their recertification application through the online certification portal by Dec. 31, 2014. Candidates must submit the recertification fee of $250 online before the system will allow you to submit your application. IAEM requires 24 hours to process the recertification payment after it is submitted before the blue "submit application" button becomes visible within the online application. You will have successfully submitted your application when you click on the blue "Submit Application" button on the candidate dashboard within the online application and you receive an automatic generated email confirming that the application was submitted. Plan ahead. Make your payment today and organize your application for submittal. DISASTER TECHNOLOGY NEWS Hurricane-forecast satellites will keep close eyes on the tropics University of Michigan A set of eight hurricane-forecast satellites being developed at the University of Michigan is expected to give deep insights into how and where storms suddenly intensify — a little-understood process that's becoming more crucial to figure out as the climate changes, U-M researchers say. READ MORE Bureau of Meteorology joins the Twitter age by targeting tropical cyclones in northern Australia ABC Online The government's national weather service launched three separate Twitter accounts for Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. The accounts will start off by focusing on tropical cyclones, which are prone to visit these northern parts of the country. READ MORE IAEM-GLOBAL STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS Voting extended on IAEM Student Council Bylaws amendments to Jan. 16, 2015 IAEM Only 107 IAEM Student members have voted so far on the proposed IAEM-Global Student Council (GSC) Bylaws amendments. The voting area is open to learn about the changes recommended by the IAEM GSC Board, which completed a comprehensive review of the bylaws this year. While the majority of the review has been to address issues with consistency, redundancy and clarity, the IAEM GSC Board has proposed a modification to the election of council officers (e.g., president, vice president, treasurer and secretary). Online voting began on Nov. 26, 2014, and the voting deadline has been extended to Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time. All current IAEM Student Members are eligible to vote. Enter the voting area here, and make your wishes known. NEW INSIGHTS Self-doubt hampers disaster preparation efforts Medical Xpress People who are indecisive rather than anxious are more likely to be under-prepared for disasters, such as bushfires, according to a recent study. The work builds on previous psychological research which suggested that a lack of preparedness could be connected to the interrelated personality traits of indecisiveness and "trait anxiety." READ MORE EM CALENDAR Directory: NewsFilePath NewsFilePath -> 2 October 2015 Higher Education Program News NewsFilePath -> 4 September 2015 Higher Education Program News NewsFilePath -> 8 October 2015 Higher Education Program News NewsFilePath -> 23 May 2014 Higher Education Program News NewsFilePath -> 27 March 2015 Higher Education Program News NewsFilePath -> 19 June 2015 Higher Education Program News NewsFilePath -> 22 May 2015 Higher Education Program News NewsFilePath -> 5 December 2014 Higher Education Program News NewsFilePath -> 6 February 2015 Higher Education Program News NewsFilePath -> 10 October 2014 Higher Education Program News Download 222.87 Kb. Share with your friends:
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