Volume 6: Issue 1 - Dec 2009
Interviews
Emily Hough talks to the newly-appointed Commissioner of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on how innovation, people, technology and the community all have a vital role to play in a prepared and resilient society.
EXCLUSIVE: Russian response
In his first interview with a Western journal, Sergey Shoygu, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of the Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM of Russia), speaks to Lina Kolesnikova.
Incident reports
Trouble in paradise
Carlos Fuentes Nieto and Marta San Segundo Campo describe the emergency medical response to this summer’s car bombings in the Balearics, a region where such attacks are rarely experienced.
Quake in Sumatra
John Holland, Team Leader of RAPID-UK’s response to the Sumatran earthquake in September, says the international response demonstrated the massive challenges of co-ordinating a near-overwhelming influx of rescue teams into the disaster area.
Typhoon Morakot hits Taiwan
Taiwan is no stranger to disasters, having experienced floods, typhoons and earthquakes, though Typhoon Morakot has proved to be one of the most devastating. CRJ looks at the response.
Arson in Kuwait
The wedding tent fire in August 2009 was considered the worst in Kuwait’s history, with 56 people killed and 92 casualties, according to the Kuwait Fire Department.
On exercise
EU FloodEx and FloodFighters USA
The FloodFighters’ dream draws closer: better international preparation and planning, with everyone sharing highly trained resources in a pre-planned way for emergency scenarios involving governments and agencies, writes David Lane.
Multi-agency working
Partners of the Staffordshire Resilience Forum have successfully tested their new Multi-Agency Mobile Command Post, says Andy Marshall.
Features
Oceans of change
Extreme weather and events have already begun to shape the world and its people, with poorer societies particularly facing a dire future. Mostafa Mohaghegh sheds light on current learning.
Command structures in crisis response
Imagine a European-wide model for multi-agency command and control structures to handle major crises, one that would improve capacity to face emergency operations at national and European levels. Fabio Bisogni and Paulo Fusco outline the CEMM project.
Colombia: International assistance
Located on the north-western corner of the South American continent is Colombia, a country whose geographic position on the ‘Pacific ring of fire’ and the Nazca and South American tectonic plates, makes it prone to diverse disasters. Ivonne Ramos elaborates a request for international assistance.
Disaster preparedness: A proactive approach
Disaster management expert Bijan Daftari of the Natural Disaster Research Institute of Iran, prepares us for disasters by putting forward ideas for effective programmes
Malevolent radiation
The Triage, Monitoring and Treatment Handbook project aims to provide practical guidance for responders in the event of radiation being deliberately used to harm or to cause disruption or panic.
ICT Security
Safety in cyberspace
Mischief-makers and criminals are already seeking to exploit our dependence on cyberspace, and it is only a matter of time before terrorists follow suit, according to Raphael Perl and Namanja Malesivic of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Analysing our dependence on ICT
Fabio Bisogni and Simona Cavallini explore the cross-sector dependencies of information technology systems and describe a model that predicts the possible effects of a breakdown in ICT on various economic sectors across Europe.
Defence against cyber crime
Jayne Clinton of the NATO Public Diplomacy Division talks about the NATO science programme, which has helped boost cyber security in partner countries, as well in other nations at particular risk.
Regular pages
CSARN
Richard Bingley looks at how counter terrorism in India has evolved since the Mumbai attacks claimed 173 lives; FULL ARTICLE
Stabilising businesses in the face of disasters
Mical de Boer of De Boer Structures talks about the key elements needed to ensure the survival of your business when disaster strikes.
FULL ARTICLE
Overseas assistance
The British Red Cross describes the facets of its international response operations and how it has been called upon to help in numerous high profile natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region.
FULL ARTICLE
Meeting higher expectations
As countries around the world emerge from recession, organisations will be under increasing pressure to get the best value out of new purchases, says Mike Hall of Hughes Safety Showers.
FULL ARTICLE
Vital new resource
Dr Tim Tinker, Director of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Centre of Excellence for risk and Crisis Communications, describes a new publication that will prove to be an invaluable reference and guidance tool.
FULL ARTICLE
In depth
Revolutionised reporting on CBRN
Andy Oppenheimer analyses increasing media responsiveness to CBRN and terrorist incidents and its effectiveness in assisting first responders and the public.
The View-Finder project
Hans De Smet, Carlos Pinzon and Jan Leyson – in collaboration with Jaques Penders – describe how they have developed a flexible and generic crisis management tool.
Looking backwards: Disaster exercises
Dr Jay Levinson says that beyond drilling basic skills, perhaps the most important result of disaster exercises is to develop a proper response mindset to handling problems.
Wildfires in South America
Maria I Manta and Patricio Sanhueza report on the current situation and trends of wildfires in South America and the Amazon Basin as a whole
Complex urban response
Ian Portelli and Mollie Marr analyse how surveillance and communication lessons learnt from the anthrax attacks of 2001 and the blackout of 2003 could help inform the public in the event of a pandemic or similar emergency.
Regulars
Book reviews
This issue’s book reviews examine urban terror attacks, featuring people’s responses to disasters from Israel’s perspective, and discuss business continuity. CRJ also reviews ‘Skyful of Lies’ and Black Swans, a publication from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, in which Nik Gowing examines the new tyranny of shifting information power in crises.
From the unknown – Society’s unsung heroes
Dr Patrick Lagadec talks to Michel Séguier, who works as an ‘accompanist’ in a number of areas prey to major social breakdown. Despite the challenges, he says that action is possible to improve the lives of people in what appear to be hopeless environments, but only on condition that it comes from the people and victims directly concerned. Michel Séguier, with the support of UNESCO, has just co-ordinated a publication dealing with these concerns – Pratiques émancipatrices: Actualités de Paulo Freire.
EU civil protection – Solidarity in the line of fire
Pia Bucella describes how participating states are pooling their capacities in the face of disaster, whether natural or man-made.
Lessons Learned – maintaining food security
JL Smither examines the efforts that need to be made to protect the population from food security risks and looks at some technological solutions that can keep us safe
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