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Government Publishing Office U.S. Congress House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform THE NEED TO KNOW: INFORMATION SHARING LESSONS FOR DISASTER RESPONSE Date(s) Held: 2006-03-30 109th Congress, 2nd Session GPO Document Source: CHRG-109hhrg27721 Superintendents of Documents ID: Y 4.G 74/7 Related Items: Congressional Serial No. 109-143

For many, the last few days of wildfires and relocation have been a very unfamiliar experience. Beth Brinston has 18 years of working in disaster recovery planning. When she lived in California and Oregon, she went through three forced evacuations.

A disaster is an event that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life, and deterioration of health services or services on a certain scale that requires a response from the community in the disaster-affected area. Matesih District is dominated by steep slopes and experiences high rainfall. These conditions cause extensive erosion, weathering and landslides. The purpose of this service is to improve the knowledge and skills of volunteers about splint dressing. Disasters that have occurred in the world include landslides that have caused several people to suffer minor injuries. Injuries to residents generally occur in the musculoskeletal system. To prevent injuries to the musculoskeletal system, splint dressing assistance is needed through health education/training. providing understanding and knowledge to volunteers about the importance of increasing volunteer knowledge and skills about splint dressing. The method used is by presenting material and a simulation. Based on this identification, STIKes Mitra Husada Karanganyar aims to provide an understanding to Destana volunteers about splint dressing. In this service activity, the population was 27 volunteers in Girilayu village. This activity was carried out with the initial method of providing material and then continued with simulations related to splint dressing. The results of the community service activities went smoothly, understanding and skills about splinting increased by 85,2 %. So it can be concluded that the increase in splinting skills is inseparable from the provision of splint dressing training.

NIST Manuscript Publication Search Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc (SGH) developed global models of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers using finite elements to gain an understanding of the roles of the aircraft impact damage and the subsequent fires in the WTC towers with respect to structural stability and sequential failures of components and subsystems and to determine the probable sequence of structural responses that led to initiation of global collapse. The study was conducted as part of the investigation on the WTC disaster by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The developed finite-element global models of the WTC towers simulated the structural performance of the part of the buildings in and above the aircraft impact zone. These models captured the nonlinear responses of the towers subjected to the aircraft impact damage and the subsequent fire effects. The nonlinearities included in the global models were temperature-dependent material properties such as thermal expansion, plasticity and creep of metals, large deflection and the resulting instability, and failure modes of members and connections. NIST provided temperature-dependent nonlinear material properties, estimates of aircraft impact damage to structural members, and temperature time histories of structural elements, which were used as input in this study...

On 12 December 1985, 248 members of the 101st Airborne Division were killed in a military air disaster in Gander, Newfoundland. This is a summary of the human response to that event. Throughout the report leadership emerges as the key variable ameliorating stress. However, this variable is most likely to be situation dependent. This report, therefore, is an attempt to facilitate consistent, appropriate responses in mass casualty situations, and to provide a source of expertise and consultation for next time. It also has implications beyond those related to infrequent mass tragedies. First, the military is not psychologically prepared to deal with death in any significant numbers. It has been nearly 15 years since American soldiers saw combat in Vietnam. In troop units only a few aging first sergeants and command sergeants major have had direct combat experience. In the small primary combat unit the ability to effectively deal with death separates blooded from green units. Green units become disorganized in the face of loss; blooded units absorb loss and move forward with the mission. Second, there is no doctrine for reconstituting Army units which have suffered severe losses, save the discredited individual replacement system which places new, isolated soldiers at high risk for stress breakdown. Fourth, there will be a next time. In an age of high speed mass transportation, terrorist tactics, and rapid commitment of troops to combat, these kinds of casualties are most probable and must be expected.

In the response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the gas industry is now fully embracing it's new role. Right alongside the API, Chevron, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the industry moved quickly to capture the narrative in the early days of the invasion, going from disinformation blitz to policy wins within a matter of weeks.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This systematised review will look into the factors that facilitate or prevent meaningful participation of physical therapists in disaster response following SODs due to natural hazards.

Taiwan is prone to many natural disasters, especially typhoons. This thesis adapts an existing stochastic prepositioning optimization model to create a tool for Taiwan military disaster recovery planners, and then uses experimental design techniques to systematically explore solutions. The goals are to minimize the expected number of casualties and unmet commodities demands, and to determine the average number of workers deployed in response to each scenario. A design of experiments methodology is applied to the optimization model to reveal how uncertainty in the parameters translates to uncertainty in objective function values. The approach can also identify the parameters with the greatest impact on the objective function, and result in more robust solutions. The analysis demonstrates that it is not always necessary to spend as much money and deploy as many workers as in the past in order to get the best results. Additionally, the approach shows how a decision maker, with more accurate and current weather reports, can refer to the path and intensity of typhoons while making rescue plans. In summary, this research shows that there is great potential for quantitative methods to improve the disaster-relief planning process.

No abstract available

A Performance Review of FEMA's Disaster Management Activities in Response to Hurricane Katrina, OIG-06-32, March 2006 http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIG_06-32_Mar06.pdf (Unofficial mirror of http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/241366-a-performance-review-of-femas-disaster.html)

Taiwan is prone to many natural disasters, especially typhoons. This thesis adapts an existing stochastic prepositioning optimization model to create a tool for Taiwan military disaster recovery planners, and then uses experimental design techniques to systematically explore solutions. The goals are to minimize the expected number of casualties and unmet commodities demands, and to determine the average number of workers deployed in response to each scenario. A design of experiments methodology is applied to the optimization model to reveal how uncertainty in the parameters translates to uncertainty in objective function values. The approach can also identify the parameters with the greatest impact on the objective function, and result in more robust solutions. The analysis demonstrates that it is not always necessary to spend as much money and deploy as many workers as in the past in order to get the best results. Additionally, the approach shows how a decision maker, with more accurate and current weather reports, can refer to the path and intensity of typhoons while making rescue plans. In summary, this research shows that there is great potential for quantitative methods to improve the disaster-relief planning process.

The specific goal of this thesis is to provide a strategic guide which can be used as a basis by the Naval Supply Center (NSC), Oakland, California to formulate a natural disaster planning, preparedness, response and recovery program. The objective of such a program is to reduce the amount of damage caused by a natural disaster, enable effective response to a disaster and facilitate recovery. The plan must be consistent with the supply center's priorities and be within budget limitations. Further, the plan must address additional areas such as supporting other defense activities and responding to taskings from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Congressional Hearing U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Title: THE NEED TO KNOW: INFORMATION SHARING LESSONS FOR DISASTER RESPONSE (Part 1) Date: 2006-03-30 Room: 2154 Rayburn HOB

Slide deck from a presentation at Communications Academy 2006.

Josh Bowen, an instructor at the NAIT Faculty of Disaster and Emergency ManagementLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Click here to view the University of Florida catalog record

Government Publishing Office U.S. Congress House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure HEARING ON POST-KATRINA DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY: EVALUATING FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY'S CONTINUING EFFORTS IN THE GULF COAST AND RESPONSE TO RECENT DISASTERS Date(s) Held: 2009-02-25 111th Congress, 1st Session GPO Document Source: CHRG-111hhrg47867 Superintendents of Documents ID: Y 4.T 68/2 Related Items: United States House Bill 3247 (111th Congress) Congressional Serial No. 111-12

This article is from BMC Emergency Medicine , volume 14 . Abstract Background: The Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) program provides a system of volunteers whereby active or retired Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel can register to be deployed to support other VA facilities or the nation during national emergencies or disasters. Both early and ongoing volunteer training is required to participate. Methods: This study aims to identify factors that impact willingness to deploy in the event of an emergency. This analysis was based on responses from 2,385 survey respondents (response rate, 29%). Latent variable path models were developed and tested using the EQS structural equations modeling program. Background demographic variables of education, age, minority ethnicity, and female gender were used as predictors of intervening latent variables of DEMPS Volunteer Experience, Positive Attitude about Training, and Stress. The model had acceptable fit statistics, and all three intermediate latent variables significantly predicted the outcome latent variable Readiness to Deploy. Results: DEMPS Volunteer Experience and a Positive Attitude about Training were associated with Readiness to Deploy. Stress was associated with decreased Readiness to Deploy. Female gender was negatively correlated with Readiness to Deploy; however, there was an indirect relationship between female gender and Readiness to Deploy through Positive Attitude about Training. Conclusions: These findings suggest that volunteer emergency management response programs such as DEMPS should consider how best to address the factors that may make women less ready to deploy than men in order to ensure adequate gender representation among emergency responders. The findings underscore the importance of training opportunities to ensure that gender-sensitive support is a strong component of emergency response, and may apply to other emergency response programs such as the Medical Reserve Corps and the American Red Cross.

Congressional Hearing U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Title: THE NEED TO KNOW: INFORMATION SHARING LESSONS FOR DISASTER RESPONSE (Part 2) Date: 2006-03-30 Room: 2154 Rayburn HOB

Recent disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and 9-11, have highlighted an increasing need for the U.S. Government (USG) to deliver a more rapid and coordinated response to both natural disasters and classic military response scenarios. Katrina highlighted deficiencies at the national, state and local levels in planning for and executing relief operations. The aftermath of Katrina demonstrated that, within the USG, the DOD possesses unique capabilities to plan for and command and control operations of the magnitude of Katrina. While Federal agencies, such as DHS, are working to improve their responsiveness and develop capabilities to lead these operations in the future, USNORTHCOM has a command element that can provide near term capabilities for the USG. This paper recommends that Standing Joint Force Headquarters North (SJFHQ-N) be utilized to lead planning and training with federal, state, and local agencies to identify and resolve Command and Control (C2) issues that impact mission accomplishment during National Disaster Response Operations. The recommendation provide the USG with a near term capability to solve a major operational deficiency and simultaneously could facilitate excellent planning and training for USNORTHCOM to prepare for its role in Homeland Defense, particularly response to a major terrorist attack requiring a massive USG response.

The social dynamics of informal networks are not well understood in the context of Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response (HA/DR). Informal networks are what personnel typically rely on when formal organizational barriers constrain their ability to accomplish the mission. This study examines the use of Informal Networks to resolve logistics-related issues faced by Air Forces Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH) during their HA/DR to the Haiti Earthquake of 2010. A Content Analysis was conducted of the logistics-related Lesson Learned (LLs) reports submitted by these organizations. The purpose was to determine if there exist any patterns in the LLs that identify situations where it is more beneficial to leverage Informal Networks than to rely on the existing Formal Networks, and to provide insight into the Informal Networks present throughout disaster response organizations. The results suggest that Informal Networks provided successful resolution of issues more often than Formal Networks and they were also used more often than Formal Networks. Hopefully, such insight will enable Air Force leaders to improve their organizational communication during disaster response by properly leveraging their units' Informal Networks.

This slide presentation reviews the use of cloud computing combined with the SensorWeb in aiding disaster response planning. Included is an overview of the architecture of the SensorWeb, and overviews of the phase 1 of the EO-1 system and the steps to improve it to transform it to an On-demand product cloud as part of the Open Cloud Consortium (OCC). The effectiveness of this system is demonstrated in the SensorWeb for the Namibia flood in 2010, using information blended from MODIS, TRMM, River Gauge data, and the Google Earth version of Namibia the system enabled river surge predictions and could enable planning for future disaster responses.

This slide presentation reviews the use of cloud computing combined with the SensorWeb in aiding disaster response planning. Included is an overview of the architecture of the SensorWeb, and overviews of the phase 1 of the EO-1 system and the steps to improve it to transform it to an On-demand product cloud as part of the Open Cloud Consortium (OCC). The effectiveness of this system is demonstrated in the SensorWeb for the Namibia flood in 2010, using information blended from MODIS, TRMM, River Gauge data, and the Google Earth version of Namibia the system enabled river surge predictions and could enable planning for future disaster responses.

This slide presentation reviews the use of cloud computing combined with the SensorWeb in aiding disaster response planning. Included is an overview of the architecture of the SensorWeb, and overviews of the phase 1 of the EO-1 system and the steps to improve it to transform it to an On-demand product cloud as part of the Open Cloud Consortium (OCC). The effectiveness of this system is demonstrated in the SensorWeb for the Namibia flood in 2010, using information blended from MODIS, TRMM, River Gauge data, and the Google Earth version of Namibia the system enabled river surge predictions and could enable planning for future disaster responses.

During Hurricane Katrina, the levees in New Orleans failed, turning a potential crisis into a catastrophic incident. The public began to question the responsibility and requirements of the United States (US) government in responding to the total devastation of New Orleans as the media continually showed the death and destruction. The public wanted answers on how the Federal government was going to provide quick and timely assistance in evacuation, search and rescue, and distribution of supplies (food and water). To answer these questions for John Q. Public, a logical response could have been the activation of a federal agency that will stop the horrors shown on an hourly basis. The agency with the responsibility to answer these questions is Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the direction of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The FEMA design, as a coordinating agency with the ability to task and synchronize the other federal agencies, was not able to respond to the widespread devastation. The President decides once again to call on the Department of Defense (DOD) to answer the call to assist in disaster response. This study will specifically focus on the logistical responses necessary to react to a catastrophic incident. An examination of the governmental laws and policies will provide the basis of the legal requirements in supporting the Defense of Civilian Authorities. These laws and policies will lay out the constraints that the President and DOD must work though in order to provide the type of response that the public was looking for in Hurricane Katrina. This paper conducted an examination of the National Response Plan (NRP) to determine which areas would fall under the purview of DOD. Focus of the investigation into the NRP also concentrated on the abilities of logistic units that can resolve some of the specified and improvised tasks of DOD.

On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami triggered overwhelming destruction and loss that had global implications. Because of the random nature of disasters, funding for response efforts is not currently included in the budget submitted for the Department of Defense. Thus, when the Department of the Navy responds to a natural disaster and provides humanitarian assistance, great fiscal costs are incurred, which must be accurately tracked and reported for reimbursement. This project investigates the response of the U.S. Navy following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The objective of this research is to analyze the operating costs associated with each DoN vessel and aircraft type. In order to determine the most cost-effective platform(s) the Navy should use when responding to a disaster, an in-depth analysis of all direct and indirect costs associated is provided. As a result, this analysis will provide senior leaders and policy makers with timely operational and financial policy recommendations to better prepare for unforeseen events in the future.

On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami triggered overwhelming destruction and loss that had global implications. Because of the random nature of disasters, funding for response efforts is not currently included in the budget submitted for the Department of Defense. Thus, when the Department of the Navy responds to a natural disaster and provides humanitarian assistance, great fiscal costs are incurred, which must be accurately tracked and reported for reimbursement. This project investigates the response of the U.S. Navy following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The objective of this research is to analyze the operating costs associated with each DoN vessel and aircraft type. In order to determine the most cost-effective platform(s) the Navy should use when responding to a disaster, an in-depth analysis of all direct and indirect costs associated is provided. As a result, this analysis will provide senior leaders and policy makers with timely operational and financial policy recommendations to better prepare for unforeseen events in the future.

Considerable public scrutiny has been focused on the Federal Governmentb2ss, especially the Federal Emergency Management Agencyb2ss (FEMA) supposed inadequate, misdirected, and slow response to the acquisition needs required for responding to the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. This seemingly failed response quite possibly cost the Federal Government billions in wasted taxpayer dollars and has affected the livelihood of thousands. Analyzing what went wrong and examining available acquisition concepts, organizations, processes, and technologies that could be leveraged for future disaster responses is the focus of our MBA project. The projectb2ss product provides some proposed solutions to assist FEMAb2ss acquisition mission, along with some recommended technologies for executing these solutions.

Considerable public scrutiny has been focused on the Federal Governmentb2ss, especially the Federal Emergency Management Agencyb2ss (FEMA) supposed inadequate, misdirected, and slow response to the acquisition needs required for responding to the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. This seemingly failed response quite possibly cost the Federal Government billions in wasted taxpayer dollars and has affected the livelihood of thousands. Analyzing what went wrong and examining available acquisition concepts, organizations, processes, and technologies that could be leveraged for future disaster responses is the focus of our MBA project. The projectb2ss product provides some proposed solutions to assist FEMAb2ss acquisition mission, along with some recommended technologies for executing these solutions.

/Circulars/Documents/MFMA Circular 102 - Emergency Procurement in Response to National State of Disaster/MFMA Circular 102 - Emergency Procurement in Response to National State of Disaster.pdf

/Circulars/Documents/MFMA Circular 102 - Emergency Procurement in Response to National State of Disaster/MFMA Circular 102 - Emergency Procurement in Response to National State of Disaster.pdf

In the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the press and policymakers have looked to the past for examples of federal responses to natural disasters that might serve as models for emulation today. Some Members of Congress have expressed an interest in creating a cabinet-level czar to administer Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief programs. Since the federal response to the flood of 1927 featured Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover as the director of the flood response and wielding immense executive powers, this episode in federal history may be of particular interest to Congress. This report describes the flood of 1927, and assesses the federal government's response thereto. In short, the federal response was an executive branch response. President Calvin Coolidge created a quasi-governmental commission that included members of his Cabinet and the American National Red Cross. This commission encouraged the public to donate funds to the relief effort. It also gave Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover near-absolute authority to organize and oversee its response. Hoover used this authority to weave together federal resources, American National Red Cross volunteers, and the private sector to carry out the relief and recovery program. The concentration of power and the blending of the governmental and private sectors in Hoover's hands enabled the relief effort to be carried out expeditiously and creatively. President Coolidge's empowerment of Hoover alone as director of the flood response clarified to federal, state, and local officials and the public who was in charge. However, this administrative structure was not without costs. There was little direct federal oversight of actual relief provision. So, for example, when local and state relief workers behaved illegally, they were not held accountable.

Congressional Hearing Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Date: 2006-03-30 Room: 2154 Rayburn HOB

A disaster is an event that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life, and deterioration of health services or services on a certain scale that requires a response from the community in the disaster-affected area. Matesih District is dominated by steep slopes and experiences high rainfall. These conditions cause extensive erosion, weathering and landslides. The purpose of this service is to improve the knowledge and skills of volunteers about splint dressing. Disasters that have occurred in the world include landslides that have caused several people to suffer minor injuries. Injuries to residents generally occur in the musculoskeletal system. To prevent injuries to the musculoskeletal system, splint dressing assistance is needed through health education/training. providing understanding and knowledge to volunteers about the importance of increasing volunteer knowledge and skills about splint dressing. The method used is by presenting material and a simulation. Based on this identification, STIKes Mitra Husada Karanganyar aims to provide an understanding to Destana volunteers about splint dressing. In this service activity, the population was 27 volunteers in Girilayu village. This activity was carried out with the initial method of providing material and then continued with simulations related to splint dressing. The results of the community service activities went smoothly, understanding and skills about splinting increased by 85,2 %. So it can be concluded that the increase in splinting skills is inseparable from the provision of splint dressing training.

NIST Manuscript Publication Search This report analyzes the global response of WTC 7 to fire-induced structural failures and the resulting sequence of component and subsystem failures to determine the events that led to the global collapse of the building. The analysis involved a finite element model of the entire building, which was developed in LS-DYNA. Preliminary work involved two-story and 14 story subassemblies. The 47 story global model was based on the original structural drawings as well as construction fabrication shop drawings for connections. The model included the primary structural components throughout the building, including exterior and core columns, floor framing beams and girders, floor slabs, column transfer truss structures, wind bracing truss members, and penthouse structures.

NIST Manuscript Publication Search This report analyzes the global response of WTC 7 to fire-induced structural failures and the resulting sequence of component and subsystem failures to determine the events that led to the global collapse of the building. The analysis involved a finite element model of the entire building, which was developed in LS-DYNA. Preliminary work involved two-story and 14 story subassemblies. The 47 story global model was based on the original structural drawings as well as construction fabrication shop drawings for connections. The model included the primary structural components throughout the building, including exterior and core columns, floor framing beams and girders, floor slabs, column transfer truss structures, wind bracing truss members, and penthouse structures.

This slide presentation reviews a system that uses the SensorWeb connected to the cloud computing, assist in disaster response, specifically flood warning in Namibia.

The U.S. Military, chief among them the U.S. Army and National Guard, has gained an enormous amount of civil support experience since the birth of the United States. However, in supporting Joint and Service publications there is little reference to the relevant disaster research studies that would either support or shape this experience. This study investigates U.S. Defense Support of Civil Authorities doctrine and related disaster research, which is supported by 60 years of social science and related ethical studies, in an effort to find feasible ways to coalesce the two methodologies. The study focuses on the loosely defined U.S. Government lexicon of vague and overlapping terms that contrast with social science definitions. It then discusses disaster relevant philosophy and ethics, followed by a discussion of the disaster response process and the information gaps between myth and reality.

In December 2007, the Head Start program was reauthorized and modified through the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, Public Law 110-134. One of the provisions of this law added subsection 649(m) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9844) (Act), entitled "Program Emergency Preparedness," to address the preparedness of Head Start to respond in the event of a large-scale emergency. The Report to Congress on Head Start Program Emergency Preparedness is responsive to the requirements of section 649(m)(2) of the Act, which required that: "The Secretary shall evaluate the Federal, State, and local preparedness of Head Start programs, including Early Head Start programs, to respond appropriately in the event of a large-scale emergency, such as the hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, or other incidents where assistance may be warranted under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)." To comply with this evaluation requirement, the Office of Head Start (OHS), with assistance from the Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), developed and conducted a survey of the 1,622 current Head Start and Early Head Start grantees to learn what procedures grantees had in place for dealing with large-scale emergencies. In particular, the survey sought to collect information to respond to the three evaluation requirements described at section 649(m)(3)(B)-(D) of the Act: (1) an evaluation of the procedures for informing families of children in Head Start programs about the program protocols for response to a large-scale emergency, including procedures for communicating with such families in the event of a large-scale emergency; (2) an evaluation of such procedures for staff training on State and local evacuation and emergency protocols; and (3) an evaluation of procedures for Head Start agencies and the Secretary to coordinate with appropriate Federal, State, and local emergency management agencies in the event of a large-scale emergency and recommendations to improve such procedures. In addition to providing the results of the survey, this report also describes the Head Start Program Performance Standards related to emergencies and specific activities OHS has taken in recent years to help grantees prepare for and respond to emergencies, such as issuing Information Memoranda and Program Instructions and providing technical assistance resources.

Hurricanes Gustav and Ike devastated the region that our University serves. Near the start of the semester, only one of the ten scheduled class days could be completed and administrators asked students and faculty to "continue the learning process" online via Blackboard©, our Electronic Delivery System (EDS). The Student Storm Survey© (SSS) examined student reaction to shifting from "brick-and-mortar" to "online" instruction on EDS as well as other storm-related decisions. A small majority of the respondents reported that they wanted to work on EDS assignments, though most failed to complete them while the University was closed; most disagreed that such assignments helped them return to school. With respect to the University's decisions about when to close and reopen, overall, students were satisfied with these decisions, but those whose homes suffered the most damage were the least content. Suggestions for improving EDS effectiveness to continue learning, and making more informed decisions about school reopenings after future emergencies are presented.

Meet Jamal Warraqi, an Israeli Muslim volunteer for Zaka, an Israeli volunteer organization that primarily engages in disaster and emergency response. Jamal was one of the first emergency responders to reach Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, and after witnessing the aftermath of Hamas’ horrific attacks, he has a message: “We need to live with each other. It’s not a question, it’s a need. Jews, Arabs, Christians, Muslims, we are all the same. Israel is a big whole body; every one of us is part of this body.” 🎥 @stand_with_us

DJ’s family survived Hurricane Maria. But our government’s failed response to the disaster left his family and hundreds of thousands of people vulnerable. In 2016, DJ supported Bernie, but in 2020 he’s supporting @ewarren because she won’t forget about Puerto Rico. https://t.co/BysaIW3UGh Source: https://twitter.com/TeamWarren/status/1233790168966082560 Uploader: Warren Democrats

Government Publishing Office U.S. Congress House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security RESPONDING TO CATASTROPHIC EVENTS: THE ROLE OF THE MILITARY AND NATIONAL GUARD IN DISASTER RESPONSE Date(s) Held: 2005-11-09 109th Congress, 1st Session GPO Document Source: CHRG-109hhrg33474 Witnesses: Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, Chief, National Guard Bureau, U.S. Department of Defense: Admiral Thomas H. Collins, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security: The Honorable Michael P. Jackson, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security: The Honorable Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Homeland Defense, U.S. Department of Defense: Major General Richard J. Rowe, Jr., Director of Operations, U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Department of Defense: Related Items: Public Law 84-99 Congressional Serial No. 109-56 Congressional Serial No. 109-83

On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami triggered overwhelming destruction and loss that had global implications. Because of the random nature of disasters, funding for response efforts is not currently included in the budget submitted for the Department of Defense. Thus, when the Department of the Navy responds to a natural disaster and provides humanitarian assistance, great fiscal costs are incurred, which must be accurately tracked and reported for reimbursement. This project investigates the response of the U.S. Navy following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The objective of this research is to analyze the operating costs associated with each DoN vessel and aircraft type. In order to determine the most cost-effective platform(s) the Navy should use when responding to a disaster, an in-depth analysis of all direct and indirect costs associated is provided. As a result, this analysis will provide senior leaders and policy makers with timely operational and financial policy recommendations to better prepare for unforeseen events in the future.

The main thesis of this monograph is that these same basic guidelines for maximizing interagency cooperation and for focusing military capabilities on establishing security and providing for the establishment of basic services that underpin the counterinsurgency warfighting model can be successfully transferred to the task of providing support to civil authorities during disaster response operations. Although the method of infliction in these two cases may be different, the result is the same: the capacity of the government is damaged, and the military is called to respond in order to provide security and sustenance to the populace in order to re-establish normalcy and thereby reaffirm the legitimacy of the society's governing institutions. The purpose, therefore, is to demonstrate how the proper use of military assets, in close coordination with civilian governmental and non-governmental authorities during the planning and execution of disaster relief operations can have a positive impact on the timely restoration of expected levels of societal function following a disaster.

Historically, the military has been used as a primary resource to provide assistance and support in the aftermath of domestic disasters. Over the years, initiatives to improve the federal governments preparedness to respond to domestic incidents have resulted in varying initiatives of varying levels of success. However, many still believe the federal government and the U.S. military is still not adequately prepared to respond effectively and immediately to an out-of-the-ordinary catastrophic disaster. Today, the U.S. military's preparedness for catastrophic incidents has been hampered by several issues. First, civil support has traditionally been considered a secondary mission set of the Department of Defense (DoD). Secondly, the primary attention and stress caused by combat operations over the past decade have limited investment and attention to domestic missions. Lastly, the DoD has focused more on preparing the National Guard for domestic contingencies than its federal forces. As a result, the DoD has still not organized, trained, or equipped its federal forces sufficiently to mitigate the effects of catastrophic disasters in a rapid and integrated manner. This paper examines enduring problems faced by the federal government and the DoD in dealing with large-scale disasters and highlights several flaws in DoD's current priorities and mechanisms for ensuring immediate disaster relief; specifically, the initial hours and days following a catastrophic disaster that immediately overwhelms local and state responders and resources. One of the principle mechanisms for providing rapid federal assistance, the DoD's Immediate Response Authority (IRA), requires improved guidance, oversight, and other initiatives discussed in this paper to better balance the DoD's total force approach to saving lives and mitigating the effects of domestic disasters.

8.25.2023 Mayor Richard Bissen and other county, state and federal officials will provide an update on wildfire disaster response efforts, including: The introduction of an interim Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator. An update on the validated list of individuals who remain unaccounted for. An update on the search of Lahaina-area shoreline waters by the Maui Fire Department.

8.25.2023 Mayor Richard Bissen and other county, state and federal officials will provide an update on wildfire disaster response efforts, including: The introduction of an interim Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator. An update on the validated list of individuals who remain unaccounted for. An update on the search of Lahaina-area shoreline waters by the Maui Fire Department.

The ability to manage and monitor assets provides undeniable benefits in accomplishing mission objectives. The value of these capabilities is exponentially greater in disaster situations. This thesis introduces the BLOS C2 capability as a method of improving disaster response and recovery by enhancing situational awareness (SA) as well as command and control (C2). Demonstrated overseas in support of U.S. military battlespace coordination, the BLOS C2 capability promotes seamless communication and data sharing by means of sensor data and a truly common operational picture. Using the proven model that has improved mission effectiveness for the U.S. military, this thesis uses the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other levels of government involved in emergency response as case studies for analyzing the BLOS C2 capability in an effort to fill gaps in interoperability and information sharing. After analyzing each of these case studies, the application of the BLOS C2 capability will be considered and evaluated for potential benefits. Once these evaluations are made, recommendations will be offered that are aimed at implementing the BLOS C2 capability at all levels of government. These recommendations will provide DHS with courses of action that could enhance SA and C2, and potentially improve response and recovery efforts in the event of a disaster.

Congressional Hearing Committee on Appropriations Date: 2009-02-26 Room: 2359 Rayburn HOB