Evading Emergency: Strengthening Emergency Response Through Integrated Pluralistic Governance

This Article examines the significant governance challenges that arise during responses to public health emergencies and proposes a new multifaceted strategy-integrated pluralistic governance-to address these challenges. Emergency preparedness is an inherently complex problem that entails the integration ofscientific and medical expertise, good logistical planning, and clear laws and policies. The governance function has particular import for public health emergencies because pandemics, hurricanes, and other disasters can have profoundly divisive social and political consequences. Moreover, recent disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill revealed an emergency preparedness and response infrastructure in the United States that was broken: starved of necessary resources, beset by problems at all levels of government, and undermined by poor decision making at each of these levels. Governance theories are particularly relevant to addressing the challenges posed by public health emergencies because these theories can help to explain and shape outcomes within complex systems. This Article delineates and explores three categories of governance models: traditional governance models, New Governance models, and diffuse governance models. These models provide insight into existing efforts to govern public health emergencies within and outside of formal emergency response systems and highlight unexplored avenues for strengthening these systems. Integrated pluralistic governance adopts aspects of all three governance models and encourages the development of concurrency, coordination, and redundancy to create a more effective and resilient public health emergency response system

Maximizing Ferries in New York City's Emergency Management Planning

In addition to providing fast, efficient, and enjoyable public transportation under normal circumstances, ferries have consistently proven to be the most resilient mode of transit during and after emergencies. Lacking reliance on either a fixed route or the electrical grid, ferries have historically been deployed for speedy evacuations from no-notice emergency situations. Moreover, ferries are typically the first mode of transportation to resume service during prolonged transit outages, relieving New Yorkers -- particularly in communities lacking bus and subway access -- from an extended transit paralysis.In spite of ferries' utility in emergency management, they are presently underutilized in New York's waterways. This paper is a call to action to policymakers and city officials to redefine ferries as critical emergency management assets. In doing so, the City will not only be equipped for a robust, interconnected ferry transit network, but it will also be prepared to facilitate effective waterborne evacuation and transit recovery. This paper makes eight key recommendations for maximizing the role of ferries in citywide emergency preparedness:1. Increase capacity for waterborne evacuation by expanding inter-borough ferry service.2. Provide ferry crews with emergency personnel identification.3. Prioritize reimbursements to ferry operators when allocating federal and state emergency relief funds.4. Fully integrate ferries with mass transit to facilitate seamless regional mobility.5. Coordinate all regional ferry infrastructures -- including all boats and landings -- as one unified system of emergency management.6. Develop coastal design standards to equip New York's shoreline for emergency response.7. Establish a Department of the Waterfront -- a new city agency -- and house a Waterfront Emergency Management division within it to coordinate long-term planning and preparedness efforts.8. Considering ferries as essential emergency management assets, apply for government emergency preparedness and recovery grants for coastal retrofitting and additional tie-up sites

Public Health Emergency Operations Center - A critical component of mass gatherings management infrastructure

Mass gatherings (MG) are characterized by the influx of large numbers of people with the need to have infrastructural changes to support these gatherings. Thus, Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) is critical management infrastructure for both the delivery of public health functions and for mounting adequate response during emergencies. The recognition of the importance of PHEOC at the leadership and political level is foundational for the success of any public health intervention during MG. The ability of the PHEOC to effectively function depends on appropriate design and infrastructure, staffing and command structure, and plans and procedures developed prior to the event. Multi-ministerial or jurisdictional coordination will be required and PHEOC should be positioned with such authorities. This paper outlines the essential concepts, elements, design, and operational aspects of PHEOC during MG

Sandy Regional Assembly SIRR Analysis

The NYC Mayor's Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency (SIRR) is a comprehensive effort to formulate recommendations guiding the rebuilding of neighborhoods impacted by Superstorm Sandy, and increase the resiliency of New York City as a whole. The plan combines citywide proposals with neighborhood-specific interventions in various neighborhoods. The federal Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force administered by HUD is responsible for overseeing the rebuilding and allocation of funds for all post-Sandy projects funded by the federal government; the Task Force is also charged with preparing a Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy to present to President Obama by August 2nd. Recommendations in the SIRR Report include plans to allocate the $294 million in HUD funding already provided to New York City and must comply with the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force guidelines. After the Mayor's SIRR Report was released in June 2013, the Sandy Regional Assembly met to assess whether community-defined priorities and recommendations had made it into the Mayor's recovery plans. The following assessment reviews the SIRR Report from the context of the Sandy Regional Assembly Recovery Agenda, including both areas where there is synergy with the goals and recommendations of the Agenda and areas where the SIRR failed to address critical community priorities

How Mobile Devices are Transforming Disaster Relief and Public Safety

With its growing usage, mobile technology is greatly improving disaster relief and public safety efforts. Countries around the world face threats from natural disasters, climate change, civil unrest, terrorist attacks, and criminal activities, among others. Mobile devices, tablets, and smart phones enable emergency providers and the general public to manage these challenges and mitigate public safety concerns.In this paper, part of the Brookings Mobile Economy Project, we focus on how mobile technology provides an early warning system, aids in emergency coordination, and improves public communications. In particular, we review how mobile devices assist with public safety, disaster planning, and crisis response. We explain how these devices are instrumental in the design and functioning of integrated, multi-layered communications networks. We demonstrate how they have helped save lives and ameliorate human suffering throughout the world

Crisis management: operational logistics and asset visibility technologies

MBA Professional ReportThe purpose of this MBA Project was to identify and explore logistical frameworks that leverage technology to overcome problems associated with coordinated logistics operations during crisis management. Over the past ten years, there have been significant advances in RFID, satellite and other related asset visibility technologies. These advances are mature enough to significantly increase the probability of achieving a useful common operational picture during emergency response activities. Recent crisis response operations that would have benefited from improved asset visibility include the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Pakistani earthquake, Hurricane Katrina and those related to the Global War on Terror. In each of these cases, multi-agency involvement, both foreign and domestic, compounded the complexity of asset tracking and communication protocols. The establishment of a logisticstracking framework that provides adequate asset visibility, while maintaining operational security, will greatly increase the effectiveness of future crisis response operations. The proposed logistics framework serves as a viable solution for common logistical problems encountered by the U.S. and other industrialized nations while conducting crisis response operations. The framework identifies concepts, technologies and protocols that can be used to improve crisis operations on a global scale.http://archive.org/details/crisismanagement1094510122Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Incorporating security into the transportation planning process

The transportation system is an important network established to ensure the mobility of people and goods between destinations. In addition, it also serves a vital role in responding to disasters, and therefore deserves special attention when those disasters threaten to decrease its support capability. The task of securing a transportation system consisting of multiple interconnected assets is a complex responsibility. As an owner and operator of major transportation infrastructure, state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have a vested interest in ensuring this balance and represent an important mediator between federal and local interests, assuming nine key security planning roles in their traditional transportation planning duties: Coordinator, Analyzer/Planner, Financial Administrator, Infrastructure Owner, Infrastructure Operator, Implementer, Regulator, Information Provider, and Influencer. Through their internal vulnerability assessments, the departments already perform a vital security planning function that can support their own planning efforts as well as others. Incorporating security into the transportation planning process requires modification as feedback of implementation methods is received. It does not mean transforming the DOT into a security agency, but rather incorporating a security perspective into the analysis of the system. This first involves establishing a more solid role as a coordinator in order to solidify vital linkages between agencies relevant to security planning. This interaction should reveal standardization issues the DOT can address in order to ensure effective collaboration, communication and coordination. Funding security measures may be difficult; but by incorporating security measures into initial analyzation and planning processes, they can be brought into the broader concept of the system rather than simply added as additional funding needs. The nine roles suggested earlier offer opportunities for state DOTs to overcome these and other challenges faced in the process of incorporating security into the transportation planning process. Through these roles, state DOTs can ensure that security efforts reach the parts of the system that require them and begin to build a more secure system.M.S.Committee Chair: Meyer, Michael; Committee Member: Garrow, Laurie; Committee Member: Hunter, Michae

Newborn Screening Contingency Plan (CONPLAN)

On April 24, 2008, The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2008 became public law (H.R. 3825; Report No. 110-570)).This law directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in consultation with HRSA and the State Departments of Health (or related agencies), to develop a national newborn screening contingency plan for use by a state, region, or consortia of states in the event of a public health emergency. This plan was required to be developed within 180 days of enactment of the legislation, by October 21, 2008.Contingency planning for an emergency helps to ensure the availability of critical resources, the continuity of operations and sets standards for entities participating in the activation of the plan. Adhering to the established standards and maintaining continuity of testing and follow-up, play critical roles in the screening, diagnosis, referral, and treatment of disorders identified in newborn screening, especially during a public health emergency.NBS-CONPLAN_2010.pd

Fitting the Pieces Together Improving Transportation Security Planning in the Delaware Valley

Transportation security planning is essential for the Delaware Valley to prevent, prepare for, expedite response to, and aid in the recovery from major events. The all-hazards approach prepares for any of a range of major natural or manmade events. This report provides an overview of transportation security planning in the region to facilitate communication and coordination across disciplines. It is relevant for a wide range of professionals in transportation security, operations, and planning; emergency management; emergency response; land use planning and development, and other fields at a variety of geographic levels. This report focuses on how different disciplines can better cooperate, and on the role of DVRPC in this field. Appendices include a summary of grants available and reference list

Taking a punch: Building a more resilient Australia

The Australian Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of homeland and border security arrangements in Australia. The review, being undertaken by the former Secretary of the Department of Defence, Ric Smith, will report midyear. In response to 9/11, there’s been considerable planning and investment of resources by the Australian Government focused on Australia’s capacity to prevent, respond to and recover from a major terrorist attack in our homeland. The focus on disrupting the planning of terrorist acts, or to disrupt them once underway, has obscured the potential for much greater deaths and casualties caused by extreme natural disasters and therefore the need for an all-hazards risk approach in understanding and responding to all associated risks: if Cyclone Larry had impacted on Cairns in March 2006, not Innisfail, in conjunction with a king tide and storm surge this could have been Australia’s Hurricane Katrina. A terrorism attack in Australia remains without question a distinct possibility, but assessed against the risk of probability, we have more to fear from natural disasters, which are not exceptional events. More importantly, when it comes to time spent planning and resources applied to managing risks on an all-hazards basis, there hasn’t been sufficient effort to engage the Australian community on what Australians can do for themselves in the face of high consequence events like terrorism and extreme natural disasters. This paper examines how Australia can bounce back from all hazards, not just terrorism. The paper recommends a number of specific measures to a build a more resilient Australia