Category: Spring 2022

In this Qualtrics report, MPH students Rebecca Sherrod, Maddie West, and Nancy Daneau presented the data of a cross-sectional, quantitative study on risk perceptions of COVID-19.  In this survey, 41 participants were asked to respond to 17 questions through distributed personal links, anonymous links, or email. 

Continue reading “Rebecca Sherrod, Maddie West, Nancy Daneau’s Qualtrics Survey and Report on Risk Perceptions COVID-19”

Ebola, first appeared on the map in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Identified as a deadly zoonotic disease. Ebola spreads to humans through contact with bodily fluids and tissues of infected animals after which transmission can occur human-to-human via the same mode of transmission (direct contact with bodily fluids). What started with two cases in the Bikoro region in May of 2018 turned into the 9th Ebola outbreak since 1976 which lasted from May 2018 to July 2018 and resulted in 54 cases and 33 deaths. 

Continue reading “Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Case Study by Alyson Marcinkowski”

The Christchurch Mosque shooting of March 15, 2019 catalyzed New Zealand’s gun law reform and increased scrutiny surrounding the use of social media as a primary source of information following this tragic event. As Alnsour describes in a recount of the events, White supremacist Brenton Harrison Tarrant began his attack on Al Noor Mosque, shooting at about 190 worshippers before driving to the Linwood Mosque to continue his rampage on another 100 worshippers. Tarrant killed 51 people with the use of 5 different guns, all of which he had legally purchased before he was arrested by the police.

Continue reading “New Zealand Christchurch Mosque Shootings: A Case Study by Sabaa Alnsour”

In this brief, Justice Quaye describes the importance of community resilience during disasters since they are the first line in disaster management, especially since they are the individuals impacted.  Quaye lists the various ways communities may be involved in mitigating disasters such as blowing horns, ringing the church bells, running from house to house, and so on.  Therefore, Community Base Risk Reduction and Community Base Disaster Management are powerful tools for building proactivity and resilience in disaster mitigation.

Read Justice Quaye’s brief here

According to Sabaa Alnsour, each of the three interviews assigned revealed a crucial aspect of emergency preparedness that can be very helpful for future disaster events. In the first interview with Thomas Chin, the response coordinator in the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, states that the primary goal of a government in disaster preparedness is communication. Service provision and alert systems become necessary during the event to organize people away from the disaster. Communication within sectors is also important to regulate the best performance of government agencies. The interview with Carmela Hinderaker, the director of Business Continuity at C&S Wholesale Grocers, epitomized businesses as being service providers by providing necessary resources and prioritizing such resources. Lastly, the interview with Peter Miller, a member of the Officers & Steering Committee in the World Trade Center Survivor Network, emphasized how individuals are often isolated from access to crucial services and first-responders. Fear and anxiety can interfere with the actions during an emergency, which is why individual training and preparation for individuals can save lives. Alnsour concludes that government, business, and community play different roles in disaster preparedness, but they all provide services for people to survive. 

Click here to read the full exemplar. 

The assignment started with the description of how Yining Liu developed an understanding of the role of government agencies in the event of a disaster from Thomas Chin’s interview. Liu learned that government agencies, such as the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management,  deploy officers and first responders to aid in medical emergencies, notify the public of impending threats, and direct citizens to mitigate the disaster. The second interview with the Director of Business Continuity of C&S Wholesale Grocers, Carmela Hinderaker, taught Liu how the role of a director can involve monitoring supply chains, planning preparedness, and dealing with emergency situations. The importance of emergency preparedness for communities through individual training was stressed by Liu in the final interview with Peter Miller, a member of the Officers & Steering Committee in the World Trade Center Survivor Network. Liu concludes the assignment by reiterating that warning systems and alerts should be developed, and both government and communities need to be prepared before a disaster strikes. Ultimately, people should be aware of fire drills, evacuation periods, and business codes to have organized evacuation efforts in the event of a disaster. 

Click here to read the full exemplar. 

A crucial tool for disaster preparedness and response efforts from government agencies is the Incident Command Center. This center focuses on risk assessment and resource allocation coordination, as well as disaster management drills and exercises for mitigation. Daneau reports the role and challenges of the ICC for the San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management from an interview with Tom Chin, a response coordinator; who explains the interconnectedness of preparedness, response, and recovery. Moreover, an interview with Carmela Hinderaker, Director of Business Continuity of C&S Wholesale Grocers, reveals how businesses are responsible for maintaining the continuity of operations. Government entities are focused on item tracking and transportation. An interview with Peter Miller, a member of the Officers & Steering Committee in the World Trade Center Survivor Network, made it clear that individuals should also have basic emergency preparedness training. From these interviews, Nancy Daneau identified core themes such as the importance of relationship building, collaboration and coordination, and communication during disaster events. 

Click here to read more. 

Arghya Iyengar reports on different interviews of experts in preparedness assigned during the course. From an interview with Thomas Chin, a response coordinator in the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, Iyengar observed that this department was responsible for quickly responding to large-scale emergencies by supplying trained police officers and firefighters. An interview with Carmela Hinderaker, the director of Business Continuity at C&S Wholesale Grocers, revealed the role of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and the possibility of different states helping each other and providing mutual aid in the event of a disaster. Finally, Iyengar’s report on the interview with Peter Miller, a member of the Officers & Steering Committee in the World Trade Center Survivor Network, sheds light on the successes of the evacuation process. Peter Miller recounts that there were many improvements post-disaster, such as changes to fire codes and the role of directors in high-rise buildings.

Click here to read the full exemplar.

In this brief, Khadija Akther discusses the Fukushima Daiichi accident.  On Mar 11, 2011, a tsunami caused by a major earthquake disabled the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, resulting in the melting of all three radioactive cores. The incidence cost $10 billion to clean up and 80,000 residents were left displaced.  Some evacuees have rejected the government’s request to re-inhabit the area and joined a lawsuit to oppose the plan due to concerns due to the residual levels of radiation.  Meanwhile, the Tokyo government has set a timetable for “decontamination efforts” over a 2-year period.  Khadija points out that if the plant’s owner and Japan’s regulator had followed international best practices and standards, the disaster that a nuclear plant being struck by a tsunami could have been predicted and protected.

Read Khadija Akther’s brief here

After the Great East Japan Mega Disaster, Japan has adopted several structural mitigation strategies to minimize harm from disasters.  Nancy Daneau points out, for example, buildings have been built to withstand earthquakes and strong winds and be more resilient; more trees have been planted as a post-disaster recovery strategy to provide a barrier against wind; AI software has been utilized to calibrate building frames and glass thickness; earthquake-resistant pipes, redundant communication system, and back up mini power grids have been built and implemented.

Nonstructural strategies have included updating building regulations to include rigorous mandatory testing; establishing key partnerships with industry to maintain critical infrastructure such as transportation; and harnessing social practices and norms to institutionalize risk mitigation into the culture.  

Read Nancy Daneau’s brief on mitigation strategies here