Redcross Directory & News

Posts Tagged ‘Disaster’

Disaster Management Degree – an Emerging Career That Bring you to a Brighter Future

Earthquakes, hurricanes, killer tornados, landslides, large floods and wildfires are among non-routine hazards and emergencies that require emergency management personnel to manage and successfully response to these disasters. Recently years, world community has been challenge with more complex hazards such as Tsunami and terrorist attacks, require well trained disaster management team to respond to the needs of the people and areas affected in a quick and efficient manner. This urgent needs of trained disaster management experts has created a good career opportunities for those who like to choose this field as their career path. If you are the one, then, disaster management degree should be your option to equip yourself with a good knowledge of disaster management and emergencies responses before you jump start your career.

The Scope of Disaster Management

Disaster management scope includes both pre and post disaster event responses. The Pre disaster activities include analysis of disaster risks, back up plan or strategies to reduce the risk to minimum, disaster preparedness planning, conduct public education and training on how to response to the crisis when it happen.

During an emergency, disaster management professionals typically are in charge to coordinate activities between local community agencies, government bodies and relief agencies such as hospital and rescues team to provide the needed supports and material to the victims as quickly as possible.

Projected Career Future

Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows that emergency management specialists average earning is around K annually. The projected growth on this field from now to year of 2012 is expected to be 28.2%, one of the highest growth rates projected among all other career fields. Hence, if you are interested in disaster management career, it is a good opportunity for you to get start you career now.

Earn a Disaster Management Degree

You will need a strong education background and practical experience to be success in this line. There are many universities or colleges offer disaster management degree programs that cover various majors, which you can choose one that best suit your career goal. If you are a working individual who like to switch career to disaster management or you already involve in this field, but require addition degree to upgrade your career, online disaster management degree program may well should you as you can continue with your current job while manage your time to get a Disaster Management Degree Online.

If you are interested to pursue your degree online, you could search for related online degree programs from these online universities:

* Walden University

* Kaplan University

* Touro University International

* Grand Canyon University

* Jacksonville State University

These are among online universities that offer Disaster Management Degrees cover from associate to bachelor degrees and master to doctorate degrees in various majors. You can send an information request to these universities to get a details information on their disaster management degrees.

Summary

Disaster Management Professionals have a wide range of employment options and always in good demand as shown in a high projected growing rate in this field. Hence, it will be your good option to start your career in disaster management and you must qualify for the job with a disaster management degree.

When Do I Need A Disaster Recovery Plan For My Company?

There are many questions that may arise when an individual embarks on a new business venture. Whether the individual is starting a new business or revamping an old business, there are certain steps that should be taken to protect the individual’s investment in their company and ensure that business can continue as usual in the event that something adverse happens to affect the business. Many individuals have turned to using a disaster recovery plan to ensure the fast implementation of procedures that will help a business recover and continue to satisfy clients if anything happens to affect the business. So when is a disaster recovery plan needed for a company? Preferably, the company should have a disaster recovery plan in place before a disaster strikes.

A disaster recovery plan is an outline created by the principals of a company, or those they choose to hire, to detail how a business will deal with any potential disaster that may occur. This may include any adverse events from server failure to an earthquake leveling the building. Because a true disaster is typically unforeseen, it is best for the company to have a disaster recovery plan in place prior to a disaster occurring within the company. The disaster recovery plan will outline the steps that need to be taken to ensure that the customers will be taken care of in a timely manner and return the business to operation as quickly as possible.

A proper disaster recovery plan will need to be formed only after an intense review of business practices has been conducted. Any business procedures that are found to be ineffective or unneeded can be corrected at this time. By focusing on the business methods that bring results and including them in the disaster recovery plan, the business will be focused on completing the steps that will bring the best results if any type of adverse event affects the course of business. The disaster recovery plan may cover several different types of disasters and the steps that may be needed to recover from each.

There are many types of businesses that could benefit from having a disaster recovery plan, but many business owners either believe that a disaster recovery plan is not necessary or they put off creating, implementing, and testing a plan for so long that a disaster strikes and disrupts their business before they have a plan put into place. This is the catalyst that many business owners need before they decide to create a disaster recovery plan, but unfortunately much damage could be done and much revenue lost because a disaster recovery plan was not in place before the disaster occurred.

More Disaster Articles

Crisis and Disaster Planning Information is Worth Knowing

Apparently as long as we live in this world, the road to our success is not always pleasant but circumstances will come that makes it rocky and dusty making it almost impossible to make use of it. In most cases it is not easy to predict with certainty when this will happen and also the magnitude. This is the rationale behind the countries adopting the crisis and disaster planning or management to avoid the unforeseen suffering.

By planning for a crisis you can keep away from many disasters, nevertheless this does not connote that having a crisis plan in position will prevent all catastrophes. This is why I am going to take you through a brief guide on why your company should have both a crisis and a disaster plan, and I will also provide you some thoughts on how you should go about designing these plans. A crisis can be any unanticipated occurrence; anything from loss of data from computers or even theft fire name them all, that essentially affects your business negatively, a crisis happening is never certain.

Perceptibly, you will not be able to plan for every crisis, but there will often be predetermined way of dealing with any unpredictable danger that is likely to affect projections of company. Dealing inadequately with a crisis reflects poorly on the business, and equally, coping with a crisis in a professional and guaranteed manner can amplify customer confidence in your dealing. Disaster on the other hand can be anything that pressure either someone’s life or their business. It could be an explosion that devastates your premises, graver than a crisis; but having a sound plan in place can give your company a better opportunity of survival.

Like I mentioned earlier you must have a crisis and disaster planning initiative in mind after which you deal with each of them at a time. For crisis planning, you must commence every thing by having a team of committed people with an inspirational leader. This leader should have adequate authority and admirable personality to get things done swiftly and effectively. Think about all threats and make sure that you have taken all preventative measures available.

It will be very important to consider outside intervention from risk management experts to be part of the team because they will aid to pointing out the majors to be included it the crisis plan. Go through all possible scenarios with them and always make sure that lines of communications set out in the event of a crisis are open to all including the home contact details of all members of staff. Including a list of external contacts, such as the police and the media, may prove essential during a crisis. Review the plan periodically, or whenever there has been a significant change in operations.

You should have a disaster team as well for disaster planning in place with a team leader who is respected and proficient. If your business premises have been destroyed after a serious disaster, then you should relocate and you must let your vital clients where to and they also need to know when normal service will resume. Back up all computer files and hardcopy; keep these in a secure place. Try to have emergency funds available, insurance may take a long to compensate. Consider to keep a number of copies of your crisis plan and your disaster plan in various locations.

Poly Muthumbi is a Web Administrator and Has Been Researching and Reporting on Debt for Years. For More Information Visit Her Site at CRISIS AND DISASTER PLANNING

How to Apply for Fema Disaster Assistance This Hurricane Season

Each year, many individuals end up seeking assistance from FEMA due to the fact that they have experienced damages directly related to hurricanes. If you experience complications and need to reach out for assistance, it is important to know exactly how to apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance this Hurricane Season. Here, I will provide the steps that are necessary to do just this!

 

Step 1:

 

The first thing that you need to do when applying for FEMA Disaster Assistance this Hurricane Season is to gather a few necessary pieces of information. You should have the following:

 

Social Security Number
The address of the property that is damaged, as well as any other address where you can be located.
A valid telephone number where you can be reached.
Any and all information that is directly related to any insurance that you have.
A detailed description of the complications that you are experiencing.
An estimate of how much money you make each year.

 

Step 2:

 

Now, you will need to go to the FEMA website online in order to register for assistance. You can get there by pointing your web browser to this address: https://www.disasteraid.fema.gov/IAC/displayPage.do?forward=home&

 

Step 3:

 

If you experience any complications while registering for assistance from FEMA online, you should call 1-800-745-0243. A customer service representative will be able to assist you in any way that you need them to.

 

Step 4:

 

While waiting on the FEMA team to conduct their investigation on your claim, you may want to take pictures and provide copies to your insurance company.

This video consists of a several clips from from Fox News featuring Glenn Beck. In the first part he makes some very disturbing claims about the reality of FEMA detainment camps and the possiblity of a totalitarian takeover of the United States with the imposition of martial law. In the next segment he completely reverses his position, saying that the information was not properly researched, despite having claimed earlier that his team had spent days researching and “could not debunk it”. Next we see Beck interviewing Congressman Ron Paul, who, while not confirming the existence of the camps, nonetheless says there is “justified concern” and makes some disturbing claims of his own about the enormous power which FEMA wields, giving them the ability to put people in camps without further legislation. In the final section James Meigs of Hearst publications makes a direct comparison between the FEMA camp claims and 9/11 “conspiracy theories”. Meigs was the author of a massively flawed Popular Mechanics piece which attempted to debunk the 9/11 truth movement, and particpated in a debate with a young and inexperienced Dylan Avery in 2006. The views put forward by Meigs regarding the collapse of WTC 7 have subsequently been refuted even by NIST, the official governent body which investigated the 9/11 building collapses. The full “investigative” piece on the “FEMA Camps” from James Meigs is due Monday 6th April. For more info on 9/11 visit: www.911truth.org http www.911blogger.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Preparing for a Disaster, Cheap & Easy – Part 1

The simple act of Preparing for a Disaster could save your life and your families so your not caught flat footed and helpless.

Disasters happen all the time whether they be man made or natural, and how prepared you are can have a dramatic affect on your life. If a disaster is coming or has already arrived, such as weather, your too late. Preparedness needs to be done before something happens. It’s not a matter of IF, but WHEN.

It is very easy to become complacent when things seem to be going well. “I’ve been through dozens of hurricanes” I’ve heard people boast. Great, ask the people that were in Katrina if they still think that. Situations can change dramatically in an instant. It comes swiftly and knocks you over the head, and hopefully opens your eyes to what’s important to you and how a little preparation could have helped improve the situation.

If you think your prepared, just do a double take and make sure you really are. Having a nice supply in your home is only one little piece of the preparedness pie. You may not have access to your home. Do you have the same supplies in your vehicle? Let’s take a quick look at some potential disasters that have and could occur:
Common and Possible Disasters
Hurricanes- This is a common disaster that happens every year and the severity varies.
Flooding- Often simultaneous with hurricanes or excessive rainfall and drainage buildup. Flooding can be very disastrous, destroying roads, homes, and life.
Tornado- Common in many areas and a hit or miss disaster. Very powerful and deadly.
Snow & Ice- Very common in northern regions. Power outages that can last weeks, dangerous road conditions, and whiteouts leave many people stranded every year.
Earthquakes- Another common occurrence in many regions, which much too often causes complacency. Earthquakes can be non destructive tremors, or highly destructive to both life and property.
Anthrax, biological, nuclear attacks- These are always a possibility, especially nowadays. They can happen anywhere at any time without warning. Sept 11 is a prime example.

All of these disasters can shut down transportation, empty the store shelves, overwhelm emergency resources and services, grossly inflate common item prices (water, food, plywood, fuel, etc) and cause widespread panic. Grocery store shelves are stripped of necessities almost always overnight, and this happens even for very minor disruptions, never mind a large tragedy. Most people are so unprepared they don’t even have basics like food, water, first aid kits, and most importantly a plan.
What You Can Do To Prepare

Due to the numerous potentials, what should you put aside and prepare for? If you live in a normally occurring disaster area such as “tornado alley” in the Midwest USA, or the “West coast earthquakes”, or “Southern hurricanes”, or “flood prone” areas, you should certainly expect a disaster to happen and put aside items that regularly disappear.

No matter where you live, put aside the basic necessities first, such as:

Food- You must eat food to live.
Water- You must drink water to live.
First Aid Kits- It would be a real tragedy to develop a serious infection because you allowed a simple scratch to go untreated because you didn’t have a first aid kit to clean and care for it. There are many more items you should have, but these are the bare necessities essential to life. You shouldn’t expect someone else to take care of your needs, and certainly don’t expect to be welcomed by others who are trying to care for their own needs and survival. This is gambling with your life.
What To Do in The Event of a Disaster

Depending on the situation, the impending or occurring disaster, you have two choices.
Stay at home, or Evacuate & Travel.
Stay at Home – Snowstorms, earthquakes (maybe), cyber attacks, biological attacks, or anything that collapses the infrastructure. Staying home is often your best choice.
Evacuate & Travel – Hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, or disasters with advance notice, evacuating may be your best choice. If your home is threatened, leaving could save your life.

Staying in a familiar area and having emergency supplies at hand is always the best choice whenever possible. I am not a big proponent of listening to what self appointed desk jockeys have to say. They do not have your personal interest in mind, and if they are wrong about the advice they gave you, their answer is “Oh well”.

You need to think and act for yourself and should care for your own needs. Don’t be herded to the slaughter by non interested strangers.
Your Disaster Kit

Putting together a disaster kit is a personal thing in many ways, but everyone should have the basics. At least 2 weeks worth of food, 2 weeks of water, a good first aid kit, extra clothing, and any special needs. Yes, I know FEMA (Forget Everyone Manage After), advises 3 days, but I assure you, they will not be coming to your home to refresh your supplies on the fourth day.

Excessive detail is beyond the scope of this article, so we’ll summarize some priorities for your disaster kit.
Food- You must eat food to live. Keep non perishable foods that require no refrigeration and little or no water to prepare.
Water- You must drink water to live. Put aside 15 gallons PER person PER 2 weeks, this is a minimum. You can read the article specific to just this subject by Clicking Here.
First Aid Kits- It would be a real tragedy to develop a serious infection because you allowed a simple scratch to go untreated because you didn’t have a first aid kit to clean and care for it. Have a first aid kit that includes items to treat lacerations, sprains, burns, infection, anti-diarrhea, pain, and antiseptic wash at the very least.
Special Needs- There are items you may need beyond the essentials. Medications, toilet paper, sleeping bags, warm clothes, hats, gloves, boots, flashlights, diapers, contacts, glasses, batteries, etc. You can add you own personal needs to the list.
Spare Cash- The amount is up to you and your budget. I would have several hundred dollars. It needs to be cash. A debit card is NOT cash, a credit card is NOT cash, a check is NOT cash, I think you get the point. Businesses, banks, atm machines are easily shut down and rely way too much on the computer to stay in business. If you’ve ever been is a “situation” then you already know stores will stop accepting credit cards, debit cards, and banks will hold your money hostage and restrict the amount of money you can withdraw. I’ve been there, done that. You need cash only. Still there is no guarantee the store will be open, but if your mobile and find one, it may be the only way you can pay.
Biological Man made Disaster Supplies- Nobody likes to think about it, but the reality is that we face many threats nowadays other then natural disasters. We live in a new world with the real possibility of a disaster occurring. Some basics you could store to protect yourself are: Chemical gas masks, at the very least, a surgical mask. Potassium Iodide Tablets, these are helpful in the event of a radioactive fallout. The tablets basically flood your thyroid glands and help prevent thyroid cancer which can be caused by radiation absorption. Allergic individuals to iodine should not take these.

All of these items are fairly inexpensive and easily obtained. Keep supplies in your home AND your vehicle. Don’t expect to have time to transport your supplies from the house to the vehicle. You may have to jump in and go.

Prepare yourself and you family with a very inexpensive insurance, the disaster kit.

If you feel this whole article is overdoing it, and nothing really will happen to you, then just ask yourself this question, “If I was caught in a disaster, would a disaster kit help or hinder my survivability”? I think you already know the answer…

If you liked this article, keep an eye out for Part 2, “Preparing for a Disaster, Hardcore Survival” which will be published at DIYinnovation.com

Article Copyright 2007-2008 David V | DIYinnovation.com

Find More Disaster Articles

Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents Are Rarely Accidental

• ISBN13: 9781402753039
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Chernobyl and Katrina. Challenger and Columbia. BP and Vioxx. The Iraq War. Were these unavoidable misfortunes that no one could possibly have imagined? Hardly. All of them were disasters that could have been prevented, or whose damaging repercussions could have been mitigated. Despite warnings of impending disaster, preemptive action is rarely taken by those who have the ability to do so. How do smart, high-powered people, leaders of global corporations, national institutions, even nati

Rating: (out of 4 reviews)

List Price: $ 24.95

Price: $ 0.50

bp oil spill t-shirt cool * FUBP * OIL DISASTER sz S-4X

US $6.99 End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 17:30:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

bp oil spill t-shirt cool * FUBP * OIL DISASTER sz S-4X

US $4.99 End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 17:30:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $4.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Most popular Disaster eBay auctions:

bp oil spill t-shirt cool * FUBP * OIL DISASTER sz S-4X

US $4.99 End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 17:30:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $4.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

bp oil spill t-shirt cool * FUBP * OIL DISASTER sz S-4X

US $6.99 End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 17:30:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Here’s a little video i made containing photos of the shocking 2009 Victorian Bushfires. About the 2009 Victorian Bushfires A series of bushfires, including 31 major fires, ignited across the Australian state of Victoria on 7 February 2009. The fires have so far resulted in at least 181 deaths, and 100 people have been admitted to hospitals across Victoria with burns, at least 20 in a critical condition, and 9 on life support or in intensive care. The 2009 Victorian bushfires so far have had the highest fatalities of any bushfire to date.(Info from wikipedia) Victorian Bushfire Figures 181+ dead (could top 200+) 750+ homes have been destroyed 330000 hectares have been burnt out More info here: en.wikipedia.org Please support and donate to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal 2009 www.redcross.org.au Donate online: www.redcross.org.au

Introduction to Disaster Recovery for Home and Business Locations

Disasters can strike anytime, anywhere. Recovering from disasters can be a major task, especially if not handled properly. Chaos and confusion generally rule the day. The need for organization is critical and everyone wants to return to some semblance of “normal” life. It doesn’t matter whether it is a small, local disaster or a major, national scale event. The goal is the same; get back to some form of normalcy as quickly as possible.

Disasters do not need to be major in scale to disrupt daily life. A fire is a disaster that may affect only one family. A tornado may impact one town. These are still disasters by definition and a period of recovery must take place. Usually, the recovery effort for small-scale disasters is local in nature. Volunteer organizations such as Red Cross and the Salvation Army will often help with local disaster recovery efforts. Religious and other community-based groups will usually step in and also help with these efforts. Much of the recovery work falls on the shoulders of the victims and their immediate friends and families. The individual insurances are often the sole financial help.

Larger disasters, on the state and regional levels, usually involve several agencies that assist with the recovery efforts. Local, state, and many times, federal, agencies all have a hand in the clean up and recovery. Resources may be made available to assist individuals and businesses with their recovery. Federal money can be requested in larger disasters. Shelters and alternative housing are often set up to help those displaced from their homes.

Local and state agencies have plans in place to minimize damage and loss of services from a disaster, no matter what scale. Part of that plan includes beginning disaster recovery efforts as soon as possible. Delays in recovery work can lead to additional destruction. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf States, the recovery effort was started as quickly as possible. However, due to the immense scale of the disaster, many areas could not be reached immediately and many homes and businesses had to be torn down due to the growth of dangerous molds and bacteria. The sooner recovery work can begin the better chance that homes and businesses can be saved.

Individuals involved in a disaster, whether local or large-scale, must rely on their insurance to cover the major costs of repair or rebuilding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the federal government are not insurance programs for individuals. In larger emergencies they may help out by bringing the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) loan programs into play. This allows individuals to secure low or no-interest loans to help with repairs.

Small businesses are often treated as individuals in disaster recovery. The SBA offers loans to help rebuild the business and get operations moving again. Other loans and grants may be available, depending on the scale of the disaster and programs involved. The individual state may offer low and no interest loans and grants as well. The goal of these programs is to get businesses back up and running as quickly as possible to serve the communities and help workers get back to their wage earning positions. This helps individuals in their recovery efforts as well.

Governmental agencies and services will receive the bulk of federal monies. They are tasked with serving the community throughout and after the disaster. They are often without necessary equipment or supplies and this must be taken care of quickly to ensure continued operations. Federal money may also be channeled through local governments in the form of grants and federal assistance programs. This money may directly, and indirectly, benefit the individual citizen.

There are many companies that specialize in disaster recovery plans for businesses either consulting or the actual disaster recovery work. They help companies develop plans for safeguarding important data and information during a disaster. They also work with companies after a disaster to recover and get back on their feet. Any disaster can cause the loss of valuable information, hardware and software for a business. This must be recovered in order to continue operations as before. Sometimes it can be saved and reused; often it must be repaired or replaced.

The main goal of disaster recovery is to get individuals and businesses back on their feet and back to normal as quickly as possible. The transition will never be smooth, but it should be well planned and organized. Many outside organizations may be available to help out, although it is important for the individual citizen or business to have a plan in place for recovering from a disaster. This should include adequate insurance to cover losses and a plan for operations during the recovery effort. Recovery of important data for a business may require assistance from an outside company that specializes in disaster recovery. The most important aspect of disaster recovery is having a plan in place before disaster strikes.

More Disaster Articles

Disaster on eBay:

bp oil spill t-shirt cool * FUBP * OIL DISASTER sz S-4X

US $4.99 End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 17:30:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $4.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

bp oil spill t-shirt cool * FUBP * OIL DISASTER sz S-4X

US $4.99 End Date: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 17:30:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $4.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list