Described are recent developments in technology which make it possible to predict hazardous events, develop disaster plans, and develop hazard-resistant facilities. Stressed are the needs for action on the local level and cooperation on the international level. (CW)

In the event of a natural disaster, community medical and disaster resources might not be available. It is essential that school boards make disaster preparedness a priority and then leave the actual planning to principals, teachers, and students. Outlines the basic elements of a plan and lists disaster and first-aid supplies for schools and…

Reviews the use of spatial data and information technology by environmental managers and emergency responders. Discussion includes environmental legislation, the Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (TRI) database, public access to environmental information, information standardization problems, emergency response software development and a case study…

Computer system hard drives will fail at some time. Stresses preparing to cope with emergencies that cannot be prevented, including making arrangements for use of an alternative computer in case of system failure. Outlines requirements for a computer environment; explains that backup is the key to disaster recovery. Describes four public domain…

A detailed discipline plan must be developed with the consensus of the school community. To be effective, the plan should have the following characteristics: (1) be understood by everyone; (2) be consistent in imposing sanctions; (3) specify good and bad behavior; (4) include instructions for emergencies and alternatives to out-of-school…

Emergency management training programs have been developed mostly for trainees from high-risk environments such as aviation or the chemical industry. This article describes a training program for staff members from low-risk environments such as hospitals or hotels, where the awareness of potential dangers is usually low and emergency plans are…

Objective: Describe training goals, objectives and requirements in emergency psychiatry to assist residency programs in developing comprehensive training programs to ensure psychiatric residents acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to competently assess and manage patients with psychiatric emergencies. Methods: The American Association for…

"Lessons Learned" is a series of publications that are a brief recounting of actual school emergencies and crises. School and student names have been changed to protect identities. Information for this publication was gathered through a series of interviews with school stakeholders involved in the actual incident. This "Lessons Learned" issue…

The Forum on Microbial Threats (previously named the Forum on Emerging Infections) was created in 1996 in response to a request from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The goal of the Forum is to provide structured opportunities for representatives from academia, industry, professional…

The way in which a school community deals with a crisis situation is a test of its sense of community. This guidebook, intended for Catholic-school principals, presents a detailed plan to help schools establish crisis-management teams and offers directions for their operation. Chapter 1 presents an overview of crisis management and focuses on how…

As a result of a lack of information about the preservation of library and archives materials in Massachusetts libraries and records repositories, a survey was conducted to determine the preservation needs of public, academic and special libraries (including museums), manuscript repositories, historical societies and town clerks' offices. The…

This volume presents 27 conference papers: (1) "1985 Killing Waters Revisited: Physical Plant Emergency Preparedness" by Al Ingle; (2) "We Were Prepared: UC (University of California) Santa Cruz Experience in a 7.1 Earthquake" by F. Louis Fackler; (3) "Indoor Air Quality of Buildings and Schools" by Marilyn S. Black;…

This document is concerned with the practice of conservation of library materials in African university libraries south of the Sahara and north of the Limpopo. Data were collected using a questionnaire mailed to 42 university libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Responses were received from 27 libraries for a 64% response rate. Data analysis was…

This learner manual for rescuers covers the current techniques or practices required in the rescue service. The 10th of 10 modules contains a 16-page glossary of rescue terms and 3 appendices: (1) 4 computer programs and 32 other technical assistance materials available for hazardous materials; (2) hazardous materials resources--60 phone numbers,…

The Far West Laboratory used a five-step instructional systems design (ISD) model to develop a nationwide training and educational curriculum and delivery system for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Stages of the model involved defining a comprehensive set of objectives, defining a priority curriculum, assigning training strategies,…