Firefighting is a dangerous and difficult task. Simulation affords researchers and practitioners the ability to examine performance and training in adverse conditions while preserving life, offering repeatable scenarios, and reducing costs. Multiple Resource Theory is used in this study as a model for assessing alternate sensory channels for information delivery when the optimal channel is not available. Specifically, this study tests the influence of a waist-worn vibrotactile display to assist navigation when visibility is reduced in a firefighter simulation. The present study measures participants' objective performance and self-reported workload while navigating a simulated fireground. Results from 70 research participants revealed statistically significant differences between the experimental and control conditions for completion time and overall workload scores. Workload and performance emerged as significantly correlated in both the experimental and control conditions; however, no statistically significant correlations were found for the spatial anxiety hypotheses. The results of this study indicate that participants engaged in a simulated search and rescue task in a low visibility environment benefit from the assistance of a vibrotactile display as a tool. Participants' performance scores and self-reports show that they had more mental resources to engage in the search and rescue task more quickly when assisted by a vibrotactile tool. Evidence was found to demonstrate a statistically significant association between workload and performance. The implications of this study have real world consequences for training for dangerous tasks to maximize performance and save lives while minimizing risks to personnel.

At the point of injury, critical medical tasks include locating and identifying an injury as well as applying the appropriate initial care. Over the past decade, to increase the fidelity of wound representation and ultimately the quality of medical care, a considerable amount of research and development has occurred to improve simulated wounds during training, primarily at the point of injury. As material and techniques mature and as more relevant data is collected on tissue properties, examining what fidelity is required for training at the point of injury is crucial. The main objective of this effort was to assess a three dimensional silicone wound versus a two dimensional tattoo wound for training and to examine differences in user perceptions and treatment time. This was accomplished with a test population of 158 City of Orlando Fire Department First Responders which were randomly assigned to each group (three dimensional silicone wound group versus a two dimensional tattoo wound group). The data analyses incorporated the use of non-parametric statistics (Mann-Whitney U Test) to compare the differences between the two groups on depth perception, sense of urgency, immersion, and time on task. Other factors that were examined included the costs for the average tattoo wound and silicone wound as well as the number of uses before the synthetic wound is visibly damaged. The data results indicated that at the point of injury, there were relatively few statistically significant differences in the survey data or time on task between the silicone and tattoo wounds. Additionally, the cost analysis revealed that the silicone wound is significantly more expensive than the tattoo wound. Supporting the military and civilian first responder communities, the results of this study provides statistically reliable data on the use of trauma tattoos as a tool for mastering point of injury treatment during training exercises.

As a quintessential role of government, emergency and crisis management requires coordination between levels of government and private and nonprofit sector organizations. Hurricane Irma in 2017 was used as the context in examining interorganizational network effectiveness. Effective and efficient policy implementation and service delivery can be key indicators of collaborative networks; however, it was equally important to understand what factors determine the effectiveness of those collaborative networks. Using network theory and network governance as the theoretical foundations, this study measured and compared the designed versus implemented networks during disaster response. The guiding research for this study was: What factors facilitate effective implementation of interorganizational networks in response to disasters? Using a mixed-method approach, this research surveyed Florida emergency managers on their use and reliance on plan and policy documents to make decisions, analyzed the policies and plans and After-Action Reports of seven (7) Central Florida counties, utilized Twitter data to understand how social media demonstrates interorganizational networks, and employed focus group interviews to gain clarification about the differences between designed and implemented disaster response networks. This research will demonstrate the practical need to examine the interorganizational network differences between designed and implemented for disasters and crises, how policy change and adaptation can reflect the lessons learned from disaster response.

It is anticipated that the occurrence and intensity of disasters will increase globally and in South Africa where typical disasters include droughts, floods, extreme hailstorms, gales, structural fires, as well as earthquakes and the occurrence of sinkholes in dolomitic areas arising from mining activity. Disasters such as these, result in human suffering and damage to the resources and infrastructure on which South Africans rely for their survival and the maintenance of their quality of life. In addition, such disasters impact severely on people’s economic and social activities and have particularly negative consequences for those living in vulnerable conditions due to their high levels of poverty, their lack of access to resources, their lack of education, the degradation of the environments in which they live, and the nation’s slow economic growth. Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 affords to everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to his or her health and well-being. It may be argued that a person’s sense of environmental security in relation to the potential risks and danger of disaster falls within the scope of the protection provided by section 24. The responsibility to intervene for the protection of the interests inherent in the constitutional environmental right lies with the government of South Africa. Disaster management specifically is a functional area of competence of national and provincial government, but, practice has shown that the actual implementation of and planning for disaster management happens in the local government sphere. Against the backdrop of these introductory discussions and, given the fact that several municipalities in South Africa are under-resourced this study very specifically aims to question from a legal perspective, the potential and function of public-private partnerships (PPPs) between local government (municipalities) and the private sector (industries etc.) in fulfilling the legally entrenched disaster management duties of municipalities. Through a critical evaluation of some existing PPPs, this study illustrates that the private sector has a key role to play in assisting municipalities to fulfil their legally entrenched disaster management duties. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

It is anticipated that the occurrence and intensity of disasters will increase globally and in South Africa where typical disasters include droughts, floods, extreme hailstorms, gales, structural fires, as well as earthquakes and the occurrence of sinkholes in dolomitic areas arising from mining activity. Disasters such as these, result in human suffering and damage to the resources and infrastructure on which South Africans rely for their survival and the maintenance of their quality of life. In addition, such disasters impact severely on people’s economic and social activities and have particularly negative consequences for those living in vulnerable conditions due to their high levels of poverty, their lack of access to resources, their lack of education, the degradation of the environments in which they live, and the nation’s slow economic growth. Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 affords to everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to his or her health and well-being. It may be argued that a person’s sense of environmental security in relation to the potential risks and danger of disaster falls within the scope of the protection provided by section 24. The responsibility to intervene for the protection of the interests inherent in the constitutional environmental right lies with the government of South Africa. Disaster management specifically is a functional area of competence of national and provincial government, but, practice has shown that the actual implementation of and planning for disaster management happens in the local government sphere. Against the backdrop of these introductory discussions and, given the fact that several municipalities in South Africa are under-resourced this study very specifically aims to question from a legal perspective, the potential and function of public-private partnerships (PPPs) between local government (municipalities) and the private sector (industries etc.) in fulfilling the legally entrenched disaster management duties of municipalities. Through a critical evaluation of some existing PPPs, this study illustrates that the private sector has a key role to play in assisting municipalities to fulfil their legally entrenched disaster management duties. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

M.P.H., Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2008. / Disasters are events that cause death, injury or disease, damage to property, damage to the environment and disrupt the life of the community. The majority of South Africa’s population lives in fragile and vulnerable conditions due to high levels of poverty, low standards of living and lack of access to resources. The risk of further disaster occurrences is increased by population growth outstripping available residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial development leading to occupation of “at risk” areas such as flood plains. Furthermore South Africa’s extensive coastline and proximity to shipping routes present various meteorological and marine threats. The Disaster Management Act, 2002 (No. 57 of 2002) was promulgated in January 2003 and seeks to focus on disaster risk reduction and prevention. Among other things, the Act requires every sphere of government to develop disaster management plans. It is not clear how much progress has been made by local government in Gauteng province in this regard. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted to evaluate the disaster management function of municipalities in Gauteng province as at February 2008. The study aim was broken down into three study objectives; a) to determine the availability of disaster management plans; b) to determine the degree of compliance of each disaster management plan to the standard required by the Act and c) to determine the disaster management capacity of each municipality. A questionnaire was forwarded at least two weeks before Key informant interviews with designated disaster managers were conducted. Following each interview a physical site inspection of each Disaster Management Centre was carried out and assessed against a uniform check list. All six metropolitan and district municipalities were evaluated with no abstention. The key findings of the study were that; • 66.7% (four out of six municipalities) had approved disaster management plans. The remaining two had draft plans. All the plans were level 1 disaster management plans. • In terms of compliance of the disaster management plans, the municipalities scored between 65.6% - 84.4% with an overall average score for Gauteng province at 75%. • In terms of capacity to carry out their disaster management function; the municipalities ranged from 35.5% - 78% with the overall average for Gauteng province at 65.6%. Significantly Metsweding district municipality was the only municipality in Gauteng province without a Disaster Management Centre. The study made the following recommendations; • The National Disaster Management Centre and subsequently the Provincial Disaster Management Centre need to develop a Remedial plan of action with new time frames for the development of level 3 disaster management plans that are realistic. The Remedial plan of action should prioritize which objectives and Key Performance Indicators in the Disaster Risk Management Framework are deliverable in the immediate term, the medium term and over the long term. • The establishment of a Disaster Management Centre for Metsweding district municipality. This will require that the municipality engages with the Provincial and National Disaster management Centres about the allocation of a conditional grant to fund start up costs as provided for in the Disaster Risk Management Framework (Enabler 3 – funding arrangements). • The National and Provincial Disaster Management Centres need to provide guidelines on the standards/norms for the staffing requirements of a Disaster Management Centre as well as the physical infrastructure requirements of a Municipal Disaster Management Centre.

The price of industrial progress is the potential for exposure of an increasingly informed public to chemical hazards in the environment. Of particular concern are acute exposures to chemical incidents, where problematic health risk assessments have highlighted the lack of expertise and resources available to support public health professionals in Wales responsible for protecting the health of populations. A systematic literature review of chemical incident databases, public health surveillance systems and major chemical incidents worldwide was used to guide the development of the first active, multi-agency community-based public health surveillance system for acute chemical incidents to be undertaken in Europe. A total of 642 acute chemical incidents were reported in Wales from all sources over a three year period. Of the 270 incidents reported by the primary source, chemical spills were the most frequently reported type of incident (28%) and operational industrial sites the most common location (25%). Of the estimated 238,000 people exposed, 528 reported symptoms in a total of 57 incidents. A single chemical was implicated in 86% of the incidents. Shortfalls were identified in the current expertise and resources available to public health professionals in Wales, leading to the development of a public health management model for acute chemical incidents. Model development took place in the context of United Kingdom - wide initiatives and involved the conduct of structured interviews with 41 organisations with interests in the field. The model selected for Wales was implemented on 1 February 1997 and comprised three levels of operation: (a) accountability for the protection of public health vested in health authorities at the local level; (b) a subscription-based front-line advisory and support unit to those authorities; (c) and a centrally funded national co-ordinating centre to provide the necessary evidence-base through programmes of surveillance, training, and emergency planning.

The premise of this thesis is that complex socio-environmental problems, such as those associated with urban disaster risk and climate change, cannot be managed by individual organisations or hierarchical forms of organisation, but require integrated, inclusive, and multi-actor forms of governance. By adopting the concept of 'disaster governance' and by drawing on governance discourse, this thesis argues that multiple actors with various capacities and understanding of the problem should be involved in disaster management processes. This thesis demonstrates that in practice, however, a collaborative, decentralised, and inclusive disaster governance approach, which often involves actors outside of taken-for-granted networks, is harder to design, implement, and maintain in cities of the global South. In this thesis, an embedded qualitative case study approach is adopted to explore how the local municipality in Cape Town manages flood risk in one of their high-risk informal settlements called Sweet Home, which is located in Philippi on the Cape Flats. Qualitative data is collected from in-depth, semi-structured interviews and multi-actor workshops with local government officials in Cape Town, residents from Sweet Home informal settlement, and non-governmental organisations involved in flood management activities. This research uses a nodal governance approach to describe and analyse the unique mentalities, resources, technologies, and institutions that shape actors' actions and decisions with regard to flood governance. Added to this is an in-depth look at what barriers might be present as a product of these characteristics, and how these barriers impact on the ability of these actors to collaboratively address disaster risk. This thesis demonstrates that by unpacking these characteristics and the potential barriers, the conditions needed to strengthen disaster governance can then be identified.

Governments provide resources that enable people and neighborhoods to return to normalcy after emergencies, which enhances community resilience. Past research found that such resources are not always equitably utilized by communities, where oftentimes communities with high social vulnerability receive fewer resources. COVID-19 was one of the largest and most widespread public health emergencies. In response to the emergency, the United States (U.S.) government sponsored the creation and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 vaccines reduce the probability of severe illness and death, making them an important resource for community resilience. This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to examine three research questions related to social equity in vaccine administration: (1) What is the relationship between community social vulnerability and COVID-19 vaccine administration?; (2) Did individuals trying to access the COVID-19 vaccine encounter administrative burdens?; and (3) How do the administrative burdens experienced by individuals when trying to access the COVID-19 vaccine provide a better understanding of the relationship between social vulnerability and COVID-19 vaccine administration? County level data for all U.S. counties were analyzed to examine the first research question. Findings indicate that there was an association between counties with higher wealth-related social vulnerability and lower county vaccination rates, but counties with higher employment-related and ethnicity-related social vulnerability were associated with higher vaccination rates. Qualitative interview data from 31 individuals revealed that few individuals faced administrative burdens when trying to access the COVID-19 vaccines, but a variety of resources and support services were used to access the vaccines. However, not everyone had equal access to resources, as individuals indicated that resources required wealth for access, and many resources were provided by employers. In addition, results revealed that ethnicity often presented psychological barriers to getting vaccinated. These results suggest that the resources invested in vaccination efforts materialized for some, but not all types of vulnerability. Emergency managers and policymakers should consider these results when providing resources meant to enhance community resilience following future emergencies and crises.

Health and well-being are key focuses for international organizations and governments around the world as one of the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs). The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic since late 2019 has led to not only substantial life losses, but also negative social and economic impacts that are relatively comparable to the "Spanish Flu" pandemic. The insights from public administration literature suggested that emergency and crisis management require collaborative efforts from various stakeholders across sectors and levels. However, the existing literature that studied the COVID-19 pandemic response under network perspective is still scarce in developing countries, especially in Thailand in particular. Understanding the structures of the COVID-19 pandemic response networks and their effectiveness can provide insights for not only scholarly theoretical development, but also lessons learned for practitioners in developing future pandemic response system. The current study builds upon the network governance literature by providing multiple case studies of Thailand's provincial COVID-19 pandemic response networks. Specifically, it is aimed to explore the characteristics of the network structures in COVID-19 pandemic response networks in Samut Sakhon province, and the relationship between network structures and network effectiveness of this initiative. Furthermore, the current study is also aimed at comparing the network structures and network effectiveness between different geographical-administrative structures, as well as between different policy processes, to examine the influence of the regional administration and the local municipality administration on the provincial COVID-19 pandemic response networks in Thailand. This study applies a Multi-Theory, Multi-Level Network Governance (MTML) framework as key conceptual framework for studying Thailand's provincial COVID-19 pandemic response networks. It adopts a comparative multiple-case case studies research design with the purposive sampling and snowball sampling strategies. The semi-closed-ended roster of the organization list and interviews were used for social network data collection. Descriptive social network statistics, network visualization, and MR-QAP regression are key data analyses methods for this study. The descriptive findings suggest that Thailand's provincial COVID-19 response networks in Samut Sakhon province demonstrate the centralized network structures that the provincial administration actors and the district administration actors are the key policy actors in several network relationships in all districts and at the provincial level. The explanatory analyses suggest that policy institutional rules networks and the actual policy ties are key predictors for the resources allocation networks in all districts and the provincial networks, whereas there is no consensus for network characteristics as predictors for perceived network effectiveness. Study's theoretical contributions, its limitations, and implications for research and practice are also discussed.