Hurricane Katrina devastated the American gulf coast, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless and without food, water, shelter, and clothing. Men, women, and children perished, crushed by the effects of violent winds across four states, or drowned in massive ocean waves and in floodwater that swamped New Orleans and made the city…

Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to explore the elementary school principals' experiences and reactions toward two earthquakes, which hit the north-west region of Turkey on August 17 and November 12, 1999. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative methodology was used since the goal of the researcher was to delineate the experiences and…

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC)'s Bushfire Program is unique amongst conservation organisations. The Program has been running for over ten years, focusing its campaign work mainly on government policy, legislation and commissions of inquiry. However, the Program was originally initiated to provide support to over 70 conservation…

People generally do not perceive New England to be tornado-prone. Yet, there is a long history of such storms in the six states going back to the late seventeenth century. Usually, New England tornadoes are small and short-lived; even so, some have caused many deaths and much property damage. There is a greater probability for a person to be…

This article presents an interview with Daniel W. Sutherland, Officer for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security, to discuss some of the Department's future goals related to emergency preparedness for people with special needs and to find out how citizens can help in that quest. This article also focuses on topics such as:…

Emotional competency is defined as developed ability and skills in the areas of self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. These skills are nurtured, developed, and practiced until they become competencies and serve as a resource when a tragic event occurs. They are relatively undeveloped in very young children…

This paper discusses the concept of "primal landscapes" as a way of conceptualising the interactions between children and the environments they grow up in. The paper discusses this concept drawing on empirical research conducted in the field of human geography on how people learn about their environments. The research employed a…

The nation's public schools played a critical role in the response to Hurricane Katrina, and they continue to contribute to the recovery of individual families and entire communities. By enrolling displaced children with compassion and efficiency in areas unaffected by the storms, providing parents with information and assistance, and supporting…

This report asserts that disaster preparedness at all school sites must become a major and immediate priority. Should a disaster equaling the magnitude of the Northridge earthquake occur, the current varying levels of site preparedness may not adequately protect California's children. The report describes why the state's children are not safe and…

Suggestions to help school administrators develop and implement a systematic crisis response system are provided in this guidebook, which focuses on system organization rather than staff training. The guidelines are designed to help administrators prepare for, manage, and evaluate site-based responses to various crisis situations, specifically,…

This guide assists service providers in developing a comprehensive plan for aiding farmworkers during federally declared disasters, undeclared emergencies, and other crises that affect the agricultural industry. The first section outlines general characteristics of the farmworker population and describes how farmworkers have been overlooked during…

This learner manual for rescuers covers the current techniques or practices required in the rescue service. The first of 10 modules contains 9 chapters: (1) introduction; (2) occupational stresses in rescue operations; (3) size-up; (4) critique; (5) reports and recordkeeping; (6) tools and equipment for rescue operations; (7) planning for…

This article describes a course in the City and Regional Planning program at the Ohio State University. Its overarching goal was to offer service-learning by providing students with an opportunity to apply what they learned in the classroom by meeting community needs following Hurricane Katrina and to reflect on their experiences through…

This report describes how, in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, the South Carolina Department of Mental Health activated its Emergency Preparedness Plan to assist mental health centers and their staff in providing crisis counseling services to the general public. The first section explains the history and structure of the involvement by the…

This document presents a two-part monograph developed to focus attention on emergency worker needs. It is designed to aid the paid and volunteer workers who respond to major disasters and should be useful to all agencies engaged in disaster relief operations; to regional, state, and local emergency planners; and to private charitable organizations…