Psychosocial Responses to a Disaster in the Caribbean: A Case Study of a Barbados Cave-In

Robert Letterman

 

Reference

Phillips, J., Ring, K., & Hackett, P. (2011). Psychosocial Responses to a Disaster in the Caribbean: A Case Study of a Barbados Cave-In. Journal of Eastern Caribbean Studies, 1-33.

Theme

                The importance and role of social services during and after an incident is discussed.  Disasters have a tremendous impact on the lives of those affected and their recovery is aided by professionals who help them cope with the events.

Summary

·         On August 26, 2007 an apartment collapsed into a 100 foot limestone cavern where a family of five lost their lives.

·         The event caused questions to be raised concerning the geological stability of the area.

·         There are many variables that go into determining the vulnerability of those affected by disaster including economic situation, gender, and social status.

·         Social services provide many things to those affected by disaster, including: housing, employment assistance, and counseling.

·         These social agencies need to be prepared to serve in these disaster situations by being adequately resourced and trained.  In a survey taken in Barbados it showed that nearly 80% of social service workers had no disaster management training.

·         Of the 38 people affected by the cave-in only eleven responded and were interviewed for a survey regarding their experience in the incident.  Most avoided participating for fear of losing government benefits if they were to criticize.

·         A focus group of those who responded to the incident was also formed.  Some worked for the General Welfare Department, Community Development, and Police Victim Support services.

·         Results of the focus group showed that the respondents were very concerned about disaster preparation.

·         Recommendations for social services in the aftermath: "the development of a coordinated disaster relief and management plan needs to be initiated that includes the establishment and maintenance of an ongoing network of community agencies, government Ministries and departments, non-governmental organizations, churches, and other stakeholders" (Phillips, Ring, & Hackett, 2011).

Application

I think it's important to discuss the psychosocial aspects of those affected by disaster.  Sometimes we can become consumed with the physical recovery of victims, which is certainly the most important.  But I think there is certainly a need for social service professionals to be trained for disaster response.

 

 

 

 

 

Americus, Georgia: The Case Study of Disasters Serving the Role of Facilitators and Expeditors of Progress and Betterment

RAY HUNTZINGER

Reference:Hyden, M. & English, C. (2011). Americus, Georgia: The case
study of disasters serving the role of facilitators and expeditors of
progress and betterment. Homeland Security Affairs. Retrieved on
December 5, 2013, from http://www.hsaj.org/?fullarticle=7.1.5

Theme: The theme of this study is an evaluation of whether disasters
serve as beneficial long-term change agents or merely lead to
worsening conditions following the disaster. The study based its
conclusions on the town of Americus, Georgia following a category 3
tornado in 2007.

Summary:

· There has long been a debate in the emergency services as to
whether communities are better off economically before or after a
major disaster.

· The effect a disaster has on human life and suffering can't
not be underestimated and is difficult to quantify but what can be
quantified is economic and infrastructure growth/decline following a
major disaster.

· Following the tornado in Americus, many building were
damaged so badly they had to be demolished; the result of this
post-disaster demolition was ultimately updated buildings and homes
that were in desperate need of improvement before the disaster.

· Disasters can have a positive effect on local job growth
because of the need to rebuild infrastructure.

· Ultimately, Americus recovered from the tornado and will
likely be an improved city because of the disaster.

Application to lesson topic: The article is not directly related to
the lesson topic but serves as a great example of how a community can
make the most out of a bad situation. Resiliency and effective
post-disaster leadership can make the difference between disasters
that have mostly temporary affects on a community versus ones that
create permanent devastation.

Application to emergency services: This study emphasizes the
importance of the recovery phase of a major disaster. Although the
trauma to human life can't be completely healed, communities can use
disasters to build better and stronger communities with the right
leadership.

12 - Preparing for mass casualties - Jeffrey Martin

Reference:  Morgan, O. W., Sribanditmongkol, P., Perera, C., Sulasmi, Y., Van Alphen, D., & Sondorp, E. (2006). Mass Fatality Management following the South Asian Tsunami Disaster: Case Studies in Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Plos Medicine, 3(5), e195-0815. doi:</strong> 10.1371/journal.pmed.0030195 Retrieved from: Academic Search Premier

Theme:  This article discussed the difficulties with handling dead bodies in a mass casualty.

Summary:  The South Asian tsunami killed hundreds of thousands of people. This made it extremely difficult to manage all of the dead.  There were not sufficient refrigeration facilities to be able to store all of the bodies; this led to rapid decomposition and great difficulty identifying the deceased.  The inability to properly manage the dead took a huge psychological toll on the survivors who had to endure the sight, smells, and disease risk of dead bodies everywhere. 

·         Existing methods of mass fatality management are not directly transferable as they are designed for transport accidents and acts of terrorism.

·         Rapid decomposition made visual identification almost impossible after 24–48 hours.

·         The rights of survivors to see their dead treated with dignity and respect requires practical guidelines and technical support.

·         Some of the dead were buried in mass graves, the largest of which contained 60,000-70,000 victims.

·         The following recommendations were given:

o   Temporary burial in trench graves can be used if refrigeration is not available.

o   If mass graves are used, bodies should be buried in one layer to facilitate future exhumation.

o   Mass fatality plans should be included in national and local disaster preparedness activities.

Application:  No community can be fully prepared for a disaster on the size and scale of this tsunami.  This is entirely possible in the United States.  Yellowstone National Park is an active super volcano.  If we are around for the next eruption, there will be hundreds of thousands of casualties.  Many of them will be buried or unreachable, but many more will die in the following years as the Earth’s temperature drops due to ash in the atmosphere.   This is an extreme example of a  possibility.  I imagine that there are few, if any, emergency disaster plans in existence to be able to handle mega scale disasters.  We should be prepared for anything. 

Reading Summary 12 - Contribution of remote sensing to disaster management activities: A case study of the large fires in the Peloponnese, Greece.

Reference:

Gitas, I. Z., Polychronaki, A. A., Katagis, T. T., & Mallinis, G. G. (2008). Contribution of remote sensing to disaster management activities: A case study of the large fires in the Peloponnese, Greece. International Journal Of Remote Sensing, 29(6), 1847-1853. doi:10.1080/01431160701874553 Retrieved on December 5, 2013 from http://ezproxy.uvu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=30106072&site=ehost-live

Theme:

Due to the extensive environmental damage and human losses that occur as a result of natural disasters, it is important to study to understand these effects during the disaster and shortly after they happen. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether analysis of Earth Observation (EO) data acquired through the International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters' can be successfully used to address the requirements of environmental disaster management.

Summary:

·         Remote sensing technology is recognized more and more as a powerful tool in disaster management decision making and environmental monitoring.

·         Forrest fires in the Mediterranean Europe are increasing and as a result have become a real threat to natural environments.

·         Detailed information about location and extent of the burned areas after a forest fire are important for many reasons.

·         To achieve the goal of collecting and accessing this information, the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" was established.

·         This charter uses satellites to maximize availability and rapid access of disasters and the affected countries.

·         The analysis and processing of this data has changed from a once pixel-based analysis to an object-based.

·         In 2007, Greece faced the worst disaster recorded in recent decades in terms of human losses, the number of fire outbreaks and extent of estimated burned area.

·         The aim of this work was to demonstrate how the processing of remotely sensed data acquired through international mechanisms using advanced image processing techniques can be employed on an operational basis to support the disaster management activities of local and national authorities.

·         The study area is the Peloponnese peninsula in the southern part of mainland Greece.

·         The primary source of information for the study was a Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) image from NigeriaSat-1 supplied by DMCii through the International Charter.

·         Discusses the basis for object-based analysis.

 

Application to the Lesson Topic:

Case studies continue to improve preparedness, reaction, and recovery from natural disasters. The information in this article applies to the lesson topic of media coverage because they are both analyses of what has occurred and through them we can learn what to and not to do.

Application to Emergency Services:

Emergency services constantly use case studies in order to look back and learn.  What could have been done better? What can we do if a similar incident were to reoccur? This article talks mainly about the damage to the environment, but does touch on human losses.  The analyses of  aftermath of the environment and human loss can help emergency crews know what they are up against and how they can mitigate further damage.

"case studies" and "disaster"

Reading Summary 12:  :  Human Response to Extreme Events: a review of three post-tsunami disaster case studies.

Jeff Neal

Reference: Bird, Deanne K.,Chague-Goff, Catherine, Gero, Anna; Human Response to Extreme Events: a review of three post-tsunami disaster case studies; Australian Geographer, Vol. 42, No. 3,pp. 225239, September 2011

Theme: Risk and Crisis communication involve methods of how to communicate to the public and stakeholders information related to an emergency event.

Summary: To prepare to future tsunami's knowing that a tsunami may happen is important to prevent loss of life, Bird states the Australian Government has invest millions of dollars in the development of detection, monitoring and early warning systems.  Early warning systems will notify people of an approaching tsunami, that information must be joined with training the people what to do before and during and after a tsunami hits.

According to bird post-disaster surveys including video and questionnaires are critical in preparing for future events.  We must study the past tsunami's if we what to learn how to prepare for future tsunami's. This article looks at the following three tsunami's: Indian Ocean tsunami 26 December 2004, Java tsunami 17 July 2006, and the South Pacific tsunami on 29 September 2009.  When interviewing people involved in all three tsunami's they learned many valuable lessons.  It was evident that fewer people died in the 2006 tsunami because of what was learned in the 2004 tsunami.  People who were fishing along the shores ran to higher ground when waters started receding because of training they had received. The people were taught that they should run to higher ground as soon as they feel an earthquake, because it is possible for a tsunami to follow. One other important sign was the behavior of dogs and cats.  Two prior to the tsunami's  there was a noticeable absence of dogs and cats near the beach areas,  the animals seems to have a sense of what was coming. Like many disasters, following a tsunami the people needed homes, food, utilities, and work.

Following the recommendations were given at the conclusion of the study:

• Maintain and enhance community-based tsunami education activities for early warning and response;

• Work with communities to identify ways to facilitate the re-establishment ofpost-event livelihood opportunities.

• Establish an annual Tsunami Memorial Day to honor the lives lost and practice tsunami evacuation exercises.

Application to the lesson: This article made many good points, but the final results were similar to other types of disasters.  Preparations is critical, training and preparing prior to the disaster helps reduce losses and recovery.  I have learning many things in this class which center around gathering information and learning lessons from past disasters to help us in the future.                                                                                                                      

Application to emergency services: Emergency managers need to be prepared for disasters in their communities.  This article is a good example of the importance of CVA's and the importance of knowing our communities.  If we know what the hazards are and how our communities will be affected in the event of a disaster than we will be able to design a disaster preparedness plan that is affective.   We need to learn from the past so that we do not keep making the same mistakes.  From this article it appears this is happening.

Case Studies into disasters

Reference:

Coles, J. B., Zhuang, J., & Yates, J. (2012). Case study in disaster relief: A descriptive analysis of agency partnerships in the aftermath of the January 12th, 2010 Haitian earthquake. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 46(1), 67-77. doi:10.1016/j.seps.2011.08.002

Theme: By working together, agencies that respond to disasters can make a real difference in the country affected.

Summary:

• A case study after the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake in Hati
• A summary of the disaster relief efforts by 18 different relief agencies
• Paper reviews the formation and maintenance of partnerships after the earthquake
• The paper talks about the cooperation and understanding that were the result of the agencies responding to the call for help
•  Findings from the agencies interviewed found that the agencies that had no partnerships or presence in Haiti prior to the earthquake were the ones who built new clinics, orphanages, and schools.
• Agencies were more likely to develop some new partnerships because of new contacts rather than old, non active contacts.
• This paper discovered the partnerships between local and international agencies, was less stable than partnerships between international agencies
•  This paper wanted to increase understanding of the research and how it could be applied in disaster relief networks.
• This paper wanted to provide a new perspective into how agencies work together.

Application to the lesson topic: After a significant disaster, it is important to evaluate how emergency responses responded and acted. After the analysis, things may be put into place to help in the next disaster.

Application to emergency services: These studies may help emergency personnel in other parts of the world lean what works and doesn't in an emergency situation. These studies may help emergency personnel save lives. 

Integrating Mental Health Services into Humanitarian Relief Responses to Social Emergencies, Disasters, and Conflicts

Justin E. Ross

Integrating Mental Health Services into Humanitarian Relief Responses to Social Emergencies, Disasters, and Conflicts

Reference: Henley, R., Marshall, R., & Vetter, S. (2011). Integrating Mental Health Services into Humanitarian Relief Responses to Social Emergencies, Disasters, and Conflicts: A Case Study. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 38(1), 132-141. doi:10.1007/s11414-010-9214-y

Theme: The development of mental and behavioral health focused response efforts following disasters.

Summary:

·         There were early programs built around the September 11^th attacks that put behavioral health screening surrounding disasters into effect for the first time.  Subsequent similar programs followed soon there after

·         The hope is that there will be increased collaboration between international mental health and disaster relief communities too, increasing the understanding of the correlation between disasters and the need for mental health services.

·         There is an increased push for non-mental health professionals to be trained to provide the services necessary for people following disasters.  Some of this comes in the administration of triage.

·         Where as in the United States there is some stigmatism to providing mental health services, in other cultures there is a huge stigmatism and therefore there are great hurdles to overcome to implement these programs.

Application to the lesson topic:  This article relates directly to crisis uncertainty impacts on vulnerable populations and offers suggestions for how communications can help to deal with uncertainty.  This is especially true as how communications surrounding mental and behavioral health issues can be addressed during a disaster.

Application to emergency services: Too often emergency service organizations focus only on life safety issues and pay no mind to mental and behavioral health issues.  This article should be read by all emergency management professionals.  This topic needs to be on the minds of all people that are charged with developing response resources for a community.  The mental fragile are some of the most vulnerable populations we serve.

 

Justin E. Ross
j_elliotte@yahoo.com
360 609-2839