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Transit signal priority for emergency evacuation
Title
Transit signal priority for emergency evacuation: mitigating disaster.
Creator
Parr, Scott A., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description
The goal of this research is to answer a single question. During an urban evacuation, is it advisable for regional planners to allow transit units signal priority in cases where police assisted traffic controls are not an option? Standard practice for emergency evacuation is to place police officers at intersection throughout the evacuation area. However, this is not always an option where environmental factors such as the presence of fire, chemical plume, radioactive fallout (nuclear...
Show moreThe goal of this research is to answer a single question. During an urban evacuation, is it advisable for regional planners to allow transit units signal priority in cases where police assisted traffic controls are not an option? Standard practice for emergency evacuation is to place police officers at intersection throughout the evacuation area. However, this is not always an option where environmental factors such as the presence of fire, chemical plume, radioactive fallout (nuclear contaminated wind and dust) do not permit police presence. Results from a case study conducted on Washington D.C. show that it would take four non-prioritized transit units to accomplish the same task as three prioritized vehicles. Furthermore, allowing transit signal priority during an urban evacuation has little to no effect on evacuation clearance time or evacuee travel time. Moreover, when transit signal priority is restricted to operate only on evacuation routes, evacuee travel and delay time decreases.
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Date Issued
2010
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1930488
Subject Headings
Emergency transportation, Government policy, Emergency management, Evacuation of civilians, Electronic traffic controls
Format
Document (PDF)
Pre-disaster planning at Florida community colleges
Title
Pre-disaster planning at Florida community colleges: a comparison of FEMA guidelines to processes and practices.
Creator
De Palma, TImothy J., College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description
The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the pre-disaster planning processes and practices used by Florida's community college administrators as of December 2008. FEMA's Building a Disaster Resistant University (DRU) model was the conceptual lens for this study. A mixed methods research design included 15 surveys completed by Florida community college business officers and six semi-structured interviews with staff most involved in pre-disaster planning. Data were compared to DRU...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to explore and describe the pre-disaster planning processes and practices used by Florida's community college administrators as of December 2008. FEMA's Building a Disaster Resistant University (DRU) model was the conceptual lens for this study. A mixed methods research design included 15 surveys completed by Florida community college business officers and six semi-structured interviews with staff most involved in pre-disaster planning. Data were compared to DRU guidelines to establish whether processes and practices were congruent with the DRU. Six quantitative findings were reported in this study. First, 5 of 14 (35.7%) survey respondents appointed a project manager ; second, 14 of 15 respondents (93.3%) conducted a risk assessment ; third, 13 of 15 (87%) respondents reported contacting 2 to14 stakeholders; fourth, 14 of 15 (93.3%) survey respondents conducted an inventory of buildings and infrastructure assets; fifth, majority of survey respondents ( 87.7%) reported they identified mitigation goals and objectives; sixth, 8 of 14 (57.1%) respondents' president formally adopted the pre-disaster mitigation plan., Qualitative findings were, first, wide internal and external stakeholder representation was organized; second, advisory committees have no mission statement; third, one site identified hazards by consulting with stakeholders, but neither one could provide a list of hazards; fourth, sites used only half of the DRU's building inventory items; fifth, recording and mapping of infrastructure (i.e., utilities) are evolved at one site, while both sites backup administrative systems; sixth, neither site considered several hazard profile formula variables recommended by the DRU; seventh, Beta's internal and external stakeholders conduct a rigorous vetting process, which allows it to establish a prioritized list of mitigation goals and objectives; eighth, neither site uses an adequate formula for benefitcost an consultant has been hired to do so; ninth, only one participant could articulate how the mission guided mitigation action prioritization; tenth, key internal and external stakeholders adopted mitigation actions; eleventh, no plan for measuring mitigation action efficacy exists; and twelfth, mitigation action successes are communicated to internal stakeholders, but not external stakeholders making it difficult to achieve plan momentum and funding. Recommendations are provided for community college administrators.
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Date Issued
2011
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3170599
Subject Headings
Emergency managment, Planning, Universities and colleges, Security measures, Universities and colleges, Safety measures
Format
Document (PDF)
Catastrophic event planning and response for urban areas through dynamic traffic assignment and departure time-slot allocation
Title
Catastrophic event planning and response for urban areas through dynamic traffic assignment and departure time-slot allocation.
Creator
Degnan, William C., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description
Catastrophic event emergency planning has emerged as one of the most important operations management areas. Much of the successes of a response plan rely on the ability to maintain an operating transportation infrastructure. In recent years urban areas have become susceptible to biological terrorist attacks due to their size and demographics. To mitigate the devastating effects of an attack, a comprehensive catastrophic event response plan is devised. The characteristics of the disease ...
Show moreCatastrophic event emergency planning has emerged as one of the most important operations management areas. Much of the successes of a response plan rely on the ability to maintain an operating transportation infrastructure. In recent years urban areas have become susceptible to biological terrorist attacks due to their size and demographics. To mitigate the devastating effects of an attack, a comprehensive catastrophic event response plan is devised. The characteristics of the disease (dormant periods, signs/symptoms), daily traffic operations and trip distributions, patient-choice hospital modeling and emergency center corridor optimization are all elements of an effective response plan. Simulation and optimization modeling of this plan becomes a faster-than-real-time tool in replicating urban area degradation. Therefore, allowing planners to identify "worst case scenarios" within the network and implement Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) techniques and a non-linear departure time slot allocation mathematical model ensuring infected populations receive treatment and/or vaccinations efficiently.
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Date Issued
2010
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359332
Subject Headings
Emergency management, Bioterrorism, Government policy, Evacuation of civilians, Planning
Format
Document (PDF)
Towards modeling a long-term disaster recovery management
Title
Towards modeling a long-term disaster recovery management.
Creator
Nieto Tibaquirâa, Carlos A., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description
Disasters are unavoidable. The United States separates the phases of addressing a disaster into Response and Recovery. There are systems in place for Response; but Recovery, a fundamental process for countries to rebound from disasters, is a topic that is left aside. Recently the U.S. released a framework regarding this topic and it is the intention of this work to further explore recovery by starting a modeling process for disaster management systems by developing a Disaster Recovery Roles...
Show moreDisasters are unavoidable. The United States separates the phases of addressing a disaster into Response and Recovery. There are systems in place for Response; but Recovery, a fundamental process for countries to rebound from disasters, is a topic that is left aside. Recently the U.S. released a framework regarding this topic and it is the intention of this work to further explore recovery by starting a modeling process for disaster management systems by developing a Disaster Recovery Roles Pattern based on the framework and creating flowcharts using the Business Process Modeling Notation for use in future development of systems for the recovery process.
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Date Issued
2012
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342240
Subject Headings
Emergency management, Disaster relief, Government policy, Disaster relief, Planning
Format
Document (PDF)
STOCHASTIC METHODOLOGY TO QUANTIFY FLOOD-RISK FOR COASTAL AND INLAND AREAS
Title
STOCHASTIC METHODOLOGY TO QUANTIFY FLOOD-RISK FOR COASTAL AND INLAND AREAS.
Creator
Suarez, Eva L., Meeroff, Daniel E., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description
Current flood-risk models lack fidelity at the neighborhood level. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) develops flood maps based on experts’ experience and estimates on the probability of flooding. First Street Foundation evaluates flood risk with regional and subjective measures, without impact from torrential rain and nuisance flooding. The purpose of this research is to develop a data-driven method to determine a comprehensive flood-risk that accounts for severe, moderate, and...
Show moreCurrent flood-risk models lack fidelity at the neighborhood level. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) develops flood maps based on experts’ experience and estimates on the probability of flooding. First Street Foundation evaluates flood risk with regional and subjective measures, without impact from torrential rain and nuisance flooding. The purpose of this research is to develop a data-driven method to determine a comprehensive flood-risk that accounts for severe, moderate, and nuisance flood events at the single-family home level, while also estimating the recovery time from the specified flood event. The method developed uses the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) method from the American Society of Quality (ASQ) to determine the Consequence of Flooding (CoF), following the 1-day 100-yr storm for the Probability of Flooding (PoF). The product of CoF and PoF provides an estimate of the flood-risk. An estimated Resilience Index value derived from flood-risk, is used to determine the recovery time after a severe or moderate
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Date Issued
2022
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013945
Subject Headings
Floods--Risk assessment, United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Floods
Format
Document (PDF)
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plan for the FAU Satellite Campuses
Title
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plan for the FAU Satellite Campuses.
Creator
Harper, Daniel, Looby, Megan, Kaisar, Evangelos I.
Date Issued
2012-04-06
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3348824
Subject Headings
Hazard Mitigation Plan, United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency., Hazard Identification and Analysis, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Florida. Division of Emergency Management.
Format
Document (PDF)
An Inquiry into Fire Service Consolidation and the Economies of Scale Debate: The Centralization Versus Decentralization Argument
Title
An Inquiry into Fire Service Consolidation and the Economies of Scale Debate: The Centralization Versus Decentralization Argument.
Creator
D’Angelo III, Salvatore A., Thai, Khi V., Florida Atlantic University, College for Design and Social Inquiry, School of Public Administration
Abstract/Description
Addressing the current homeland security challenges requires scholars, practitioners, elected officials, and community partners working in unison to mitigate the hazards confronting first responders. Built on public choice theory, this research addressed a specific component of the emergency preparedness matrix: the most preferred fire service organizational design. The fire department organizational designs in this study included a Florida county, city, and independent special control fire...
Show moreAddressing the current homeland security challenges requires scholars, practitioners, elected officials, and community partners working in unison to mitigate the hazards confronting first responders. Built on public choice theory, this research addressed a specific component of the emergency preparedness matrix: the most preferred fire service organizational design. The fire department organizational designs in this study included a Florida county, city, and independent special control fire district (ISFCD) that serve residents on a full-time platform. The concurrent embedded methodology used attempted to unearth which organizational design achieves economies of scale based on quarterly emergency service calls: the centralized county model or the decentralized city/ISFCD models. This study was an inquiry into the centralization versus decentralization argument, with emphases on fire service scale economies and inter-local service agreements Using multiple linear regression modeling accompanied by face-to-face interviews with the respective fire chiefs, this research showed that the county and ISFCD achieve scale economies over 44 quarters, fiscal years 2004-2014. Moreover, the interviews uncovered that response times were the driving factor behind instituting voluntary inter-local service agreements between the three fire departments. Other positive benefits from the service agreements include an increase in personnel and scene safety, dispatch center protocol enhancements, multi-company/jurisdictional training, overtime savings on large-scale disaster incidents, and trust building. The implications of this research for the scholarly and practitioner community include a better understanding of the technical and allocative efficiencies within the fire service arena. Melding public choice theory with strands of inter-local service agreement literature provides policymakers and scholars with a template for uncovering the fire service production/provision narrative. Though the centralization-decentralization argument is not solved within the research scope presented, the future narrative as uncovered in the research requires a citizenry inclusion. The future public choice prescriptions regarding fire service consolidation requires not only statistical modeling, but a normative democratic ethos tone incorporating multiple stakeholders with the citizens’ concerns at the forefront.
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Date Issued
2016
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004674, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004674
Subject Headings
Emergency management -- Decision making, Metropolitan government -- United States, Municipal services -- United States, Organizational effectiveness, Preparedness -- Government policy, Regional planning
Format
Document (PDF)
Long-term post-Katrina volunteerism
Title
Long-term post-Katrina volunteerism: the ethics of an imported solidarity.
Creator
D'Aloia, Susan., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description
The trauma and devastation that resulted from Hurricane Katrina's landfall on August 29, 2005, produced a wide spread public perception of government neglect and ineptitude. Subsequently, a period of nationwide shame and concern for those most affected by the disaster elicited a wave of financial generosity from all social sectors. Yet, by late 2005 the media declared that the majority of Americans had become desensitized to the tragedy and its consequences, coining this shift in public...
Show moreThe trauma and devastation that resulted from Hurricane Katrina's landfall on August 29, 2005, produced a wide spread public perception of government neglect and ineptitude. Subsequently, a period of nationwide shame and concern for those most affected by the disaster elicited a wave of financial generosity from all social sectors. Yet, by late 2005 the media declared that the majority of Americans had become desensitized to the tragedy and its consequences, coining this shift in public perception as "Katrina fatigue." Thousands of volunteers contradicted this phenomenon, however, by performing service in the devastated city of New Orleans. Long-term volunteers defied "Katrina fatigue" by redirecting the trajectory of their lives so they could provide service. Conventionally accepted volunteer theory predicts that volunteers provide service and that their labor operates in conjunction with institutionally supported mechanisms of security and services., However, for the volunteer subjects in this study, Katrina and its immediate aftermath shattered the trust in such institutions. These volunteers did not assume that their service operated in conjunction with state sponsored agencies or corporations. Rather, they viewed their own acts of service as the means of promoting the recovery. This qualitative case study examines the deliberated choices and actions performed by long-term volunteers between the years 2005 and 2009. The primary subjects in this investigation include 15 volunteers who performed long-term and/or repeat delegations of service within organized networks. Volunteer subjects believed that if they did not perform the services they did, these services might not get done. Volunteers internalized contours of the larger political economy and their own perceived role within them. Performing service functioned partially to counteract this internalization and simultaneously redirect their lives., Second Line, a New Orleans street tradition of neighborhood processions, reveals more of what drives the long-term volunteer's desire. The root practice of Second Line processions embodies a form of cognitive liberation for the disenfranchised as the processions interrupt normal arrangements of order and power in the city, albeit temporarily. Volunteers desire to connect with poor and working class Black people in this capacity, and their attempts to do so played out in contexts that sometimes disrupted institutional or corporate power, constituting a demand for change on behalf of Katrina victims.
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Date Issued
2011
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3360619
Subject Headings
Hurricane Katrina, 2005, Social aspects, DIsaster relief, Emergency management, Social capital
Format
Document (PDF)
patient-centric hurricane evacuation management system
Title
A patient-centric hurricane evacuation management system.
Creator
Ambrose, Arny Isonja, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description
The use of wireless sensor networks for a myriad of applications is increasing. They can be used in healthcare for emergency management. In Florida, hurricanes are the main source of natural disasters. There has been a high incidence of hurricanes over the past decade. When a hurricane warning is issued it is important that people who live in potentially dangerous areas, such as along the coast, evacuate for their safety. Nursing homes and other care facilities for elderly or disabled people...
Show moreThe use of wireless sensor networks for a myriad of applications is increasing. They can be used in healthcare for emergency management. In Florida, hurricanes are the main source of natural disasters. There has been a high incidence of hurricanes over the past decade. When a hurricane warning is issued it is important that people who live in potentially dangerous areas, such as along the coast, evacuate for their safety. Nursing homes and other care facilities for elderly or disabled people experience difficulty with the evacuation as their residents require additional assistance. The characteristics and challenges of a hurricane evacuation are investigated. A patient-centric hurricane evacuation management system is proposed to allow healthcare providers the ability to continuously monitor and track patients. During a hurricane there are usually scarce energy resources and a loss of basic communication services such as cellular service and Internet access. We propose the architecture of the system that allows it to operate in the absence of these services. The hardware and software architectures are also presented along with the main phases of operation. The system was then validated and the performance evaluated via simulation using the OPNET Modeler.
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Date Issued
2011
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3329832
Subject Headings
Emergency management, Planning, Evacuation of civilians, Planning, Emergency medical services, Planning, Disaster medicine, Planning, Medical informatics, Wireless communication systems, Internet in medicine, Telecommunication in medicine
Format
Document (PDF)
Evil done vulnerability assessment: examining terrorism targets through situational crime prevention
Title
Evil done vulnerability assessment: examining terrorism targets through situational crime prevention.
Creator
Paton, Stacy, Santos, Rachel, College for Design and Social Inquiry, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Abstract/Description
Following the events of September 11th, 2001, national attention has been captivated by terrorism and terrorism prevention. Parallel to this time of increased focus on terrorism prevention, adequate funding to support new departments or increased terrorism prevention efforts in existing departments was unattainable. Consequently, a strong need for prevention strategies that are affordable and highly applicable at the local level has resulted. Thus, it is the purpose of this study to examine...
Show moreFollowing the events of September 11th, 2001, national attention has been captivated by terrorism and terrorism prevention. Parallel to this time of increased focus on terrorism prevention, adequate funding to support new departments or increased terrorism prevention efforts in existing departments was unattainable. Consequently, a strong need for prevention strategies that are affordable and highly applicable at the local level has resulted. Thus, it is the purpose of this study to examine methods of risk assessment and test the accuracy of such methodologies in order to assist local organizations in effectively applying limited resources for opportunity reduction at vulnerable locations based on calculated risks. The primary goal of this thesis is to test the validity of the EVIL DONE vulnerability assessment and evaluate its ability to predict the number of fatalities and injured persons resulting from a terrorist attack.
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Date Issued
2013
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004044
Subject Headings
Emergency management -- United States, Problem oriented policing -- United States, September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001 -- Influence, Terrorism (International law), Terrorism -- United States -- Prevention
Format
Document (PDF)
Survival and decontamination of potential bio-warfare agents on hospital surfaces
Title
Survival and decontamination of potential bio-warfare agents on hospital surfaces.
Creator
Moench, Ian, Florida Atlantic University, Esiobu, Nwadiuto
Abstract/Description
Effective decontamination of infectious agents on critical and other hospital surfaces will drastically reduce nosocomial infections and impacts of any biological attack. This research determined the distribution of multiple species of bacteria on 16 different surfaces in two hospitals over a period of time to identify potential reservoirs of infection. The relative efficacy of current hospital disinfectants on endospores were also evaluated to inform policy. Using simulations of endospore...
Show moreEffective decontamination of infectious agents on critical and other hospital surfaces will drastically reduce nosocomial infections and impacts of any biological attack. This research determined the distribution of multiple species of bacteria on 16 different surfaces in two hospitals over a period of time to identify potential reservoirs of infection. The relative efficacy of current hospital disinfectants on endospores were also evaluated to inform policy. Using simulations of endospore-laden surfaces under laboratory conditions, the effects of exposure time, disinfectant concentration and possible synergies with endospore germination stimulant were evaluated. Keyboards, phones, door handles and bed rails were identified as risky hospital surfaces. The location and use of the surfaces were significant determinants of bacterial load. None of the disinfectants tested was sporicidal (<50% reduction). The results of this unique study provide healthcare personnel with a practical guide to control the spread of infection during peace and bio-warfare times.
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Date Issued
2005
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13215
Subject Headings
Bioterrorism--Health aspects, Emergency management--United States, Health facilities--Sanitation--United States, Bioterrorism--United States--Prevention, Disaster medicine, Disinfection and disinfectants
Format
Document (PDF)