Imminent danger, managing the unexpected, dealing with the aftereffects of danger and potential trauma, and repeating this intense cycle is part of the military, first responders (police, fire fighters, wild land firefighting crews, EMTs, and paramedics), and emergency management organizations regular mission. Members of these organizations…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that school nurses provide leadership in all phases of emergency preparedness and management and are a vital part of the school team that develops emergency response procedures for the school setting, using an all-hazards approach. The school nurse is a vital school…

Preparing for every possible contingency seems daunting, but with teamwork and some help from the government, it's almost do-able. There is a great system out there that will help business professionals and educators develop a strong, effective emergency preparedness plan. If they haven't done a good job of implementing a solid emergency response…

School system leaders never know when disaster may strike. Having a plan in place to protect vital data and systems is crucial. School system leaders need to be actively involved in crisis preparedness, planned response, and recovery to ensure student and staff safety and to make certain that all important operations, services, processes, and…

Juntunen and Parham each reacted positively with important personal reflections and/or calls to action in response to "Counseling Psychology and Large-Scale Disasters, Catastrophes, and Traumas: Opportunities for Growth." We comment on the primary themes and suggestions they raised. Since the time we were stimulated by Katrina and its aftermath…

This dissertation examined the performance outcomes of public management networks (PMNs) in the disaster management context. The effectiveness of three disaster response sub-networks in the area of evacuation were examined and compared using the case of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana in August 2005: Citizen Protection:…

There's an old Swedish saying that "worry gives a small thing a big shadow." What started out as a subprime borrowing crisis is now casting a long shadow over the entire economy, including higher education, and everyone is, indeed, very worried--including college trustees, who fear the impact of smaller endowments, less annual giving, and…

School systems and police departments are community partners, and ensuring student, faculty, and officer safety is a high priority for both. In Pennsylvania, police departments are being both innovative and proactive by using wireless technology to handle school safety. If there's an emergency, local police departments can increase situational…

On April 20, 2010, a massive explosion killed 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Survivors of this explosion recounted terrifying near-death experiences and mourned the loss of coworkers and friends who had perished. Shock and grief spread through small coastal communities composed mostly of fishers and oil workers. However, this was…

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is designed to train Americans to safely help themselves and their community in the event of a widespread disaster. This program is designed for adults. Despite youth increasingly becoming recognized as valuable resources, able to equally partner with adults in leadership and decision-making…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the safe and effective management of allergies and anaphylaxis in schools requires a collaborative, multidisciplinary team approach. The registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as the school nurse), is the leader in a comprehensive management approach…

Resilience, the ability to spring back from adversity and successfully adapt to it, is becoming an increasingly popular focus in research on the intervention and prevention of mental breakdown. This article aims to assess the resilience of adults exposed to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake 1 year after the occurrence of the earthquake, to explore the…

On a daily basis, administrators are reminded of the potential, perhaps the likelihood, of violence or natural crises on their campuses. Comprehensive studies have been conducted and point to recommendations and best practices for planning, preparing, responding to, and recovering from critical incidents. The International Association of Campus…

Background: Well before the H1N1 influenza, health care organizations worldwide prepared for a pandemic of unpredictable impact. Planners anticipated the possibility of a pandemic involving high mortality, high health care demands, rates of absenteeism rising up to 20-30% among health care workers, rationing of health care, and extraordinary…

Prior research in responses to crisis and emergency messages has indicated that while the acquisition of information is critical in reducing anxiety and stress, informational needs and associated emotional reactions on the part of men and women may be quite different. This survey study revealed that responses following a campus shooting in 2008…