Download or read book The Disaster Experts written by Scott Gabriel Knowles and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2012-07-02 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the wake of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, many are asking what, if anything, can be done to prevent large-scale disasters. How is it that we know more about the hazards of modern American life than ever before, yet the nation faces ever-increasing losses from such events? History shows that disasters are not simply random acts. Where is the logic in creating an elaborate set of fire codes for buildings, and then allowing structures like the Twin Towers—tall, impressive, and risky—to go up as design experiments? Why prepare for terrorist attacks above all else when floods, fires, and earthquakes pose far more consistent threats to American life and prosperity? The Disaster Experts takes on these questions, offering historical context for understanding who the experts are that influence these decisions, how they became powerful, and why they are only slightly closer today than a decade ago to protecting the public from disasters. Tracing the intertwined development of disaster expertise, public policy, and urbanization over the past century, historian Scott Gabriel Knowles tells the fascinating story of how this diverse collection of professionals—insurance inspectors, engineers, scientists, journalists, public officials, civil defense planners, and emergency managers—emerged as the authorities on risk and disaster and, in the process, shaped modern America.
Download or read book The Cure for Catastrophe written by Robert Muir-Wood and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We can't stop natural disasters but we can stop them being disastrous. One of the world's foremost risk experts tells us how. Year after year, floods wreck people's homes and livelihoods, earthquakes tear communities apart, and tornadoes uproot whole towns. Natural disasters cause destruction and despair. But does it have to be this way? In The Cure for Catastrophe, global risk expert Robert Muir-Wood argues that our natural disasters are in fact human ones: We build in the wrong places and in the wrong way, putting brick buildings in earthquake country, timber ones in fire zones, and coastal cities in the paths of hurricanes. We then blindly trust our flood walls and disaster preparations, and when they fail, catastrophes become even more deadly. No society is immune to the twin dangers of complacency and heedless development. Recognizing how disasters are manufactured gives us the power to act. From the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 to Hurricane Katrina, The Cure for Catastrophe recounts the ingenious ways in which people have fought back against disaster. Muir-Wood shows the power and promise of new predictive technologies, and envisions a future where information and action come together to end the pain and destruction wrought by natural catastrophes. The decisions we make now can save millions of lives in the future. Buzzing with political plots, newfound technologies, and stories of surprising resilience, The Cure for Catastrophe will revolutionize the way we conceive of catastrophes: though natural disasters are inevitable, the death and destruction are optional. As we brace ourselves for deadlier cataclysms, the cure for catastrophe is in our hands.
Download or read book Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Professionals written by Susan Snedaker and published by Butterworth-Heinemann. This book was released on 2011-04-18 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Powerful Earthquake Triggers Tsunami in Pacific. Hurricane Katrina Makes Landfall in the Gulf Coast. Avalanche Buries Highway in Denver. Tornado Touches Down in Georgia. These headlines not only have caught the attention of people around the world, they have had a significant effect on IT professionals as well. As technology continues to become more integral to corporate operations at every level of the organization, the job of IT has expanded to become almost all-encompassing. These days, it’s difficult to find corners of a company that technology does not touch. As a result, the need to plan for potential disruptions to technology services has increased exponentially. That is what Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is: a methodology used to create a plan for how an organization will recover after a disaster of various types. It takes into account both security and corporate risk management tatics. There is a lot of movement around this initiative in the industry: the British Standards Institute is releasing a new standard for BCP this year. Trade shows are popping up covering the topic. * Complete coverage of the 3 categories of disaster: natural hazards, human-caused hazards, and accidental and technical hazards. * Only published source of information on the new BCI standards and government requirements. * Up dated information on recovery from cyber attacks, rioting, protests, product tampering, bombs, explosions, and terrorism.
Download or read book The Disaster Profiteers written by John C. Mutter and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2015-08-11 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the tradition of Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine, a leading geoscientist argues that natural disasters too often push the modern world towards more extremes of inequality
Download or read book Disasters by Design written by Dennis Mileti and published by Joseph Henry Press. This book was released on 1999-06-18 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Disasters by Design provides an alternative and sustainable way to view, study, and manage hazards in the United States that would result in disaster-resilient communities, higher environmental quality, inter- and intragenerational equity, economic sustainability, and improved quality of life. This volume provides an overview of what is known about natural hazards, disasters, recovery, and mitigation, how research findings have been translated into policies and programs; and a sustainable hazard mitigation research agenda. Also provided is an examination of past disaster losses and hazards management over the past 20 years, including factorsâ€"demographic, climate, socialâ€"that influence loss. This volume summarizes and sets the stage for the more detailed books in the series.
Download or read book Dealing with Disaster written by Saundra K. Schneider and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-18 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now updated with examples through 2010, this classic study examines the disruptive effects of disasters on patterns of human behavior and the operations of government, and the conditions under which even relatively minor crises can lead to system breakdown.
Download or read book Integrating Disaster Science and Management written by Pijush Samui and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2018-05-04 with total page 486 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Integrated Disaster Science and Management: Global Case Studies in Mitigation and Recovery bridges the gap between scientific research on natural disasters and the practice of disaster management. It examines natural hazards, including earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis, and uses integrated disaster management techniques, quantitative methods and big data analytics to create early warning models to mitigate impacts of these hazards and reduce the risk of disaster. It also looks at mitigation as part of the recovery process after a disaster, as in the case of the Nepal earthquake. Edited by global experts in disaster management and engineering, the book offers case studies that focus on the critical phases of disaster management. Identifies advanced techniques and models based on natural disaster science for forecasting disasters and analyzing risk Offers a holistic approach to the problem of disaster management, including preparation, recovery, and resilience Includes coverage of social, economic, and environmental impacts on disasters
Download or read book Disaster Psychiatry written by Frederick J. Stoddard and published by American Psychiatric Pub. This book was released on 2012-09-24 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is becoming increasingly common for psychiatrists to be among the first responders when disaster strikes. More than 800 psychiatrists are believed to have responded to the 9/11 attacks. The first clinical manual on the best practices for helping those affected by disaster, Disaster Psychiatry: Readiness, Evaluation, and Treatment offers an explicit and practical discussion of the evidence base for recommendations for psychiatric evaluation and interventions for disaster survivors. Disaster is defined by the World Health Organization as a severe disruption, ecological and psychosocial, that greatly exceeds a community's capacity to cope. This manual takes an "all-hazards" approach to disasters and has application to natural occurrences such as earthquakes and hurricanes; accidental technological events such as airplane crashes; and willful human acts such as terrorism. The field of disaster psychiatry is more important than ever, in response to disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Today, disaster psychiatry encompasses a wide spectrum of clinical interests, ranging from public health preparations and early psychological interventions to psychiatric consultation to surgical units and psychotherapeutic interventions to alleviate stress in children and families after school shootings, hurricanes, or civil conflict. Although disaster mental health is still a young field, research is gradually yielding methods for accurately identifying valid relationships among preexisting risk factors, postdisaster mental health problems, and effective interventions. With its practical approach to readiness, response, and intervention and its focus on evidence-based recommendations for psychiatric evaluation and interventions, Disaster Psychiatry: Readiness, Evaluation, and Treatment is an invaluable manual for educator and student alike. The manual draws on a variety of sources, including the peer-reviewed scientific literature, the clinical wisdom imparted by front-line psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, and the experiences of those who have organized disaster mental health services, including the American Psychiatric Association and Disaster Psychiatry Outreach. Each chapter provides clear and concise information and in-depth review, followed by helpful study questions and answers. This book has been developed to give professionals the knowledge they need to respond swiftly and appropriately when disaster strikes.
Download or read book Disaster Response and Planning for Libraries written by Miriam B. Kahn and published by American Library Association. This book was released on 2003 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers instructions on writing and implementing disaster plans for libraries.
Download or read book Prepare for Disaster written by James D. Lee and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Disasters and Vulnerable Populations written by Lisa R. Baker and published by Springer Publishing Company. This book was released on 2014-08-26 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Print+CourseSmart
Download or read book Deadly Departure written by Christine Negroni and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-10-29 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The in-flight explosion of TWA Flight 800 on July 17, 1996, was one of the deadliest disasters in American history, spurring the most expensive airline investigation ever undertaken by the U.S. government. To this day the crash remains clouded in doubt and shadowed by suspicion of a government conspiracy. If there was any conspiracy to hide the truth about what really happened to Flight 800, it began long before the crash. Past crashes tell the story: What happened on Flight 800 has happened before and will again, unless drastic changes are made. Now veteran journalist Christine Negroni reveals what the commercial aviation industry has known for more than thirty-five years that during flight confined vapors in the fuel tanks can create a bomb like environment. It takes only a small energy source to ignite it. TWA Flight 800 was the fourteenth fuel tank explosion on a commercial airliner in thirty-five years. Yet each and every time, the airline industry persuaded regulators to deal with the symptoms of the problem and ignore the cause. When investigators could not immediately determine what happened, they were finally forced to look at the bigger picture. And, for the first time, this book exposes the hubris of aircraft manufacturers who knew all along, but dismissed as acceptable, the risk of fuel tank explosions. Deadly Departure shines a spotlight on the chaos behind the most massive crash investigation ever conducted, how the White House had to intervene between feuding investigators, and the surprising stories behind the missile theory conspiracies. It also tells the stories of the passengers and their families, the people of TWA and Boeing, the rescue and crisis workers, and the investigators and scientists involved illustrating the devastating effects on human lives. An impeccably researched, eye-opening examination of one of the great disasters of our time, Deadly Departure is a stunning exposé of how industry pressure continues to undermine regulatory policy, placing air travelers' lives at risk.
Download or read book Disaster Resilience written by Douglas Paton and published by Charles C Thomas Publisher. This book was released on 2017-06-12 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Japanese earthquakes and tsunamis in 2011 have provided unfortunate reminders of the susceptibility of many communities to devastating losses from natural hazards. These events provided graphic illustrations of how extreme hazard events adversely impact on people, affect communities and disrupt the community and societal mechanisms that serve to organize and sustain community capacities and functions. However, there is much that communities can do to mitigate their risk and manage disaster consequences. The construct that epitomizes how this is done is resilience. The contents of this volume provide valuable insights into how societal resilience can be developed and sustained. This considerably expanded new edition presents major topics of: Coexisting with Natural Hazards; Urban Resilience in Asia; Lifelines and Urban Resilience; Business Continuity in Disaster; Hazard Mitigation in Communities; Hazard Readiness and Resilience; Child Citizenship in Disaster Risk; Old Age and Resilience; Gender and Disaster Resilience; Impact of High Functionality on Resilience; Art and Resilience; Cross-Cultural Perspectives and Coping with Hazards; Religious Practices and Resilience; Living in Harmony with our Environment; Critical Incidence Response; Governance; Heat Wave Resilience; Wildfire Disaster Resilience; and Progress and Challenges to Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience. This exceptional book brings together contributions from international experts in core areas and includes chapters that provide and overarching framework within which the need for interrelationships between levels to be developed is discussed. The book will be an outstanding resource for those researching or teaching courses in emergency management, disaster management, community development, environmental planning and urban development. In addition, it will serve law enforcement and emergency agencies, welfare agencies, and professionals in applied psychology.
Download or read book Never Go With Your Gut written by Gleb Tsipursky and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2019-11-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This book is Moneyball for management. It will help you understand your subconscious biases that can lead to bad decisions, and it will teach you the techniques to help you make better decisions.” —Gordon Tredgold, author of Fast “This well-written, go-against-the-grain book is full of practical ways to tap into your very best mental resources to make better and better decisions.” —Brian Tracy, bestselling author of Eat that Frog! Want to avoid business disasters, whether minor mishaps, such as excessive team conflict, or major calamities like those that threaten bankruptcy or doom a promising career? Fortunately, behavioral economics studies show that such disasters stem from poor decisions due to our faulty mental patterns—what scholars call “cognitive biases”—and are preventable. Unfortunately, the typical advice for business leaders to “go with their guts” plays into these cognitive biases and leads to disastrous decisions that devastate the bottom line. By combining practical case studies with cutting-edge research, Never Go With Your Gut will help you make the best decisions and prevent these business disasters. The leading expert on avoiding business disasters, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, draws on over 20 years of extensive consulting, coaching, and speaking experience to show how pioneering leaders and organizations—many of them his clients—avoid business disasters. Reading this book will enable you to: Discover how pioneering leaders and organizations address cognitive biases to avoid disastrous decisions. Adapt best practices on avoiding business disasters from these leaders and organizations to your own context. Develop processes that empower everyone in your organization to avoid business disasters.
Download or read book Critical Disaster Studies written by Jacob A.C. Remes and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2021-08-20 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book announces the new, interdisciplinary field of critical disaster studies. Unlike most existing approaches to disaster, critical disaster studies begins with the idea that disasters are not objective facts, but rather are interpretive fictions—and they shape the way people see the world. By questioning the concept of disaster itself, critical disaster studies reveals the stakes of defining people or places as vulnerable, resilient, or at risk. As social constructs, disaster, vulnerability, resilience, and risk shape and are shaped by contests over power. Managers and technocrats often herald the goals of disaster response and recovery as objective, quantifiable, or self-evident. In reality, the goals are subjective, and usually contested. Critical disaster studies attends to the ways powerful people often use claims of technocratic expertise to maintain power. Moreover, rather than existing as isolated events, disasters take place over time. People commonly imagine disasters to be unexpected and sudden, making structural conditions appear contingent, widespread conditions appear local, and chronic conditions appear acute. By placing disasters in broader contexts, critical disaster studies peels away that veneer. With chapters by scholars of five continents and seven disciplines, Critical Disaster Studies asks how disasters come to be known as disasters, how disasters are used as tools of governance and politics, and how people imagine and anticipate disasters. The volume will be of interest to scholars of disaster in any discipline and especially to those teaching the growing number of courses on disaster studies.
Download or read book The Disaster Planning Handbook for Libraries written by Mary Grace Flaherty and published by American Library Association. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Libraries are in a unique position to aid communities during times of adversity, and this comprehensive handbook’s practical tools and expert guidance will help ensure that your library is thoroughly prepared for emergency response and recovery. Your library is a vital information hub and resource provider every single day, and that’s doubly true when calamity strikes. In fact, your library’s role as an “essential community function” during disasters is now encoded in U.S. law. Engaging as a partner in planning and preparedness will build much-needed community support should disaster strike, and even a basic plan will also save you time and stress later on. No matter where your library is in the disaster planning cycle, this handbook will make the process clearer and less daunting. You’ll get tools, activities, easy-to-adapt templates, and hands-on guidance on such topics as the six phases of disaster response; 15 first-hand accounts of library disaster planning or responses, helping you identify the library services most needed during a disaster; three essential factors that will shape the form of your disaster plan; preparing for hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods, and earthquakes; ideas for connecting with your community’s emergency response teams; federal government planning resources; pointers on working with state and local governments; a sample Memorandum of Understanding to outline mutual support for a speedier recovery; recommended courses and training, many of which are free; targeted advice for archives and special collections; sample building inspection checklists; and recommended games to help children and families prepare.
Download or read book Organize for Disaster written by Judith Kolberg and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guide focuses on planning for disasters as part of everyday life; it provides organizing tools like shopping lists, storage ideas, evacuation plans. etc.
