Climate change has begun to affect the frequency, intensity, and duration of weather related disaster events. This trend may foster a greater probability of encountering 2 or more disaster events simultaneously, increasing the potential to deplete emergency resources. Using Canadian forest fire management as a focal point, this research has determined the extent to which forest fire resource sharing (resources being equipment, fire fighter teams, planes, etc.) has been able to mitigate the impacts of simultaneous forest fire events induced by climate change. Provincial and territorial forest fire management agencies are responsible for forest fire suppression within their jurisdictions, but when fires exceed their suppression capabilities they may request resources from other agencies using resource sharing agreements including: Compact agreements with American States, other international agreements and agreements initiated through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC). If the potential for simultaneous forest fires is neglected, excess fire activity may overwhelm the resource sharing structure. A historical analysis, 2 case studies, and a survey were employed to uncover information regarding simultaneous forest fires. Moreover, an examination of other resource sharing disciplines was used to uncover new ways of approaching resource sharing issues. The results of this study show that simultaneous fire events have overwhelmed the resource sharing system (during at least two years 1998 and 2003) and that modifications are needed to prepare for the potential increase in forest fire frequency.

This thesis provides a case study of the Government of Canada's former Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP) through the lens of horizontal management (part of New Public Management theory). This study demonstrates that the effective use of horizontal management (horizontality) may reduce fragmentation occurring when the goal of critical infrastructure protection requires organizations to work cross-jurisdictionally and in partnerships. This need to collaborate is due to the ownership problem: over 85 per cent of Canada's critical infrastructure is owned by organizations other than the federal government. Research methods include a background survey of literature on critical infrastructure protection, horizontal management and horizontality, and new public management; and interviews using a snowball sample of eight subjects who held various positions within OCIPEP to better understand what the organizational structure appeared to be from within the organization. The research concludes that OCIPEP was not given the resources necessary to successfully fulfil its mandate. Results include the need for administrative and managerial support for horizontal endeavours, to encourage a "cultural context" of horizontality, as there are many organizational barriers to successfully using horizontality and collaborative methods. There were areas of success for OCIPEP, but more areas of weakness. Recommendations include additional study of the organization, a shift into a better-supported organization (which was accomplished with OCIPEP's inclusion into Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada), and clear delineation of roles between the Government of Canada and the owners of the critical infrastructure.

This study examined some factors to understand earthquake preparedness behavior. The roles of demoghraphic characteristics of the participants, trait anxiety, the severity of exposure of past earthquake experience, outcome efficacy (perceived effectiveness of preparedness), self efficacy (perceived difficulty of preparedness), impact of past experience (avoidance and intrusion symptom levels of impact of event scale), threat perception, locus of control and four factors of coping strategies (problem focused approach, fatalistic coping, helplessness/self blaming approach and seeking social support) in predicting earthquake preparedness behavior were studied. Data was collected by a questionnaire consisting of three parts. The first part was a socio-demographic information form. The second part of the questionnaire included sets of items designed to examine past earthquake experience, the severity of past earthquake experience, estimations of the severity of a possible future earthquake, probability of occurence of a potential future earthquake, reasons to prepare and responsibility related to preparedness. The third part of the questionnaire consisted of four scales. These scales were Ways of Coping Inventory (WCI) to measure coping strategies in stressful situations, Impact of Event Scale (IES) to measure current subjective distress trait part of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to measure the level of trait anxiety of persons and Revised and Translated Mulilis- Lippa Earthquake Preparedness Scale (MLEPS) to measure the level of earthquake preparedness behavior, perceived difficulty of being prepared and perceived effectiveness of being prepared. Two hundred eighteen adults (120 females and 98 males with an age range of 20 to 67) were participants of the study. There were participants from all 32 districts of istanbul in the sample. Data was collected in two departments of Istanbul Technical University, which were architecture and civil engineering, Psychology Department of Middle East Technical University, High School of KabataS Erkek Lisesi and istanbul Bah&ccedil / elievler Primary School. Participants were parents of students. The regression analysis results revealed that, severity of exposure of past earthquake experience, avoidance, self-efficacy and outcome efficacy were found to be significantly related to earthquake preparedness. Considering significant predictors, the severity of the exposure to past earthquake experience and perceived effectiveness of being prepared increases the level of earthquake preparedness behavior / perceived difficulty of being prepared and avoidance symptom levels of impact of event scale decreases it. As an evidence to Person Relative to Event Model, the results of the current study showed that there is a significant relationship between both perceived effectiveness of being prepared and perceived difficulty of being prepared with the level of earthquake preparedness level. The importance of the results of the current study and their shortcomings were discussed within the earlier findings on disaster preparedness literature.

Thesis (M.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2008. / Description based on title page of source document ( viewed on April 23, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-139).

Thesis (M.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2008. / Description based on title page of source document ( viewed on April 23, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-100).

Thesis (M.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2008. / Description based on title page of source document ( viewed on April 28, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-143).

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Psychology, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 21-23).

Bakgrund: Att vårda en närstående med livshotande sjukdom innebär ett stort ansvar och uppgiften kan både upplevas svår och tung men kan även vara en källa till tillfredställelse då man kan göra något för sin närstående. Flera studier har visat att situationen kan vara förknippad med negativa konsekvenser för närståendevårdaren. Förberedelse för att vårda är en faktor som visat sig ha samband med mer positiva konsekvenser av att vårda. Syfte: Att beskriva närståendes erfarenhet utifrån berättelser om förberedelse för att vårda sin partner i hemmet under pågående palliativ vård Metod: Kvalitativ intervjustudie, kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Deskriptiv design. Resultat: Analysen utmynnade i ett övergripande tema, Förberedelse i medvetenhet om döden och två teman; Strävan efter något att förhålla sig till i förberedelsen för det värsta; Förberedelse för att vårda en partner i livets slut- en utmaning ett ansvar och en möjlighet. Diskussion: Förberedelse för att vårda en partner i livets slut tolkades som en transition med betydelsen förberedelse i medvetenhet om döden. Två sätt att förhålla sig till döden och framtiden fanns; att skjuta upp förberedelsen eller att förbereda sig. De närstående förberedde sig trots ovisshet genom strävan efter något att förhålla sig till. Förberedelse för att vårda beskrevs som ett ansvar, en utmaning och en möjlighet. Det upptäcktes efter hand vad vårdarrollen och den förändrade relationen skulle innebära. Detta kunde upplevas antingen positivt eller negativt. / Background: Caring for a family member with a life limiting illness is a big responsibility and it can be experienced as difficult and as a burden but it can also be a source of satisfaction doing good for a loved one. Studies have shown that the situation can be associated with negative consequences for the caregiver. Preparedness is a factor that is associated with positive outcomes of caregiving such as higher levels of wellbeing, less anxiety and higher rewards of caregiving. Aim: To describe caregivers experiences from their stories about preparedness when caring for a partner during palliative care. Method: The study design was descriptive using qualitative in depths interviews and qualitative content analysis. Result: One overarching theme emerged which was Preparedness for caregiving in awareness of death, and two themes witch were Striving for something to relate to when preparing for the worst and Preparedness for caregiving-challenges, responsibilities and possibilities. Discussion: The event could be seen as a transition that caused a major change in the lives of the participants influencing meaning, roles and actions. The overarching theme Preparedness for caregiving in awareness of death could be seen as the meaning influencing the transition and a change in values and priorities in the lives of the participants and in different ways of dealing with the situation. Nurses have an important role and may through a person centered approach understand and increase preparedness through knowing what the transition means for the caregiver and where in the process he or she is.

Trauma preparedness of medical care of a particular region represents the professional core of public health emergency preparedness. The key subjects are medical rescue service and hospital service provider. Current legislation imposes the providers of medical service with duty to work out the trauma plan which covers the system of activities used if some mass disaster happens. Topic of this diploma thesis focuses on trauma planning, specifically on mass health damage and on knowledge mapping and medical staff orientation in trauma plans and preparation on not common accidents with great number of wounded. I focused on non-medical staff of the regional emergency rescue service and the regional hospital. I focused on their knowledge and orientation in terms of trauma preparedness of the given subject. The theoretical part serves as a base for the research. It is split into chapters which deal with pre-hospital necessary care, co-operation of the integrated rescue system members and procedures of participating rescuers- mostly medical staff. I paid more attention to the terminology of mass health damage and separation of wounded at the place of an accident. I also described the subsequence of medical care at medical facilities. While searching for the level of preparedness of subjects for an uncommon accident I used the method of data comparison. There I focused on comparison of trauma plans of two subjects: the regional hospital and the regional emergency rescue service and I was researching the level of co-operation of both subjects based on the similarity of the trauma plans. In the second part I was mapping the medical staff knowledge of the trauma plan directive via quantitative research, for that purpose I used the survey. The respondents had to circle the correct answer. The questions were modified and applied to directives of both trauma plans. The respondents were non-medical workers of emergency rescue service in CB and non-medical workers of the hospital of CB. I tightened the workers of the hospital to trauma emergency staff and the resuscitation department staff. The survey consists of 28 questions. Five of it had rather an information character, they were searching for: the sex, age, years of praxis, education and a grade. The rest 23 were used for the statistic research. Those questions dealt with the theory presented in directives of both subjects. The received information I worked out in the chapter results. The comparisons of trauma plans were presented at charts. The survey was evaluated by nonparametric testing and a chi-square test of a good match.

Acts of school violence exist on a continuum of severity, ranging from less severe to anarchy, occur in various locations throughout schools, and affect various stakeholders. School counselors play an integral role in responding to school violence. The purpose of this study was to assess school counselors' perceptions of the occurrence of school violence and their preparedness to respond to violent events. This study provides valuable information about school counselors' perceptions of their personal safety, current programs and services provided to target reducing the impact of school violence, and training needs of professional counselors. A survey was completed by 103 school counselors serving schools in the St. Louis metro area. Results from the survey indicate community setting and years of experience influence school counselors' perceptions of school violence and their preparedness to respond. Implications for school counselor training, school-based violence preparation and school counselors' response to violence conclude the manuscript.