No description available.

Bakgrund: Utifrån det förändrade och förvärrade säkerhetsläget i Europa har frågan om livsmedelsberedskap aktualiserats i den svenska politiska diskussionen. Ansvar och utformande av en sådan beredskap saknar idag tydlig organisation. Livsmedelverket, Jordbruksverket och Statens veterinärmedicinska anstalt nämner i en utredning avseende underlag för beredskap att bland annat de regionala livsmedelsstrategierna bör adressera livsmedelsberedskap. Den aktuella studien fokuserar på hur de regionala livsmedelsstrategierna förhåller sig till livmedelsberedskap i nuläget, samt hur de beskriver ansvarsfördelning av teman i relation till detta.Metod: Genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av regionernas livsmedelsstrategier undersöks hur strategierna ser på livsmedelsproduktion i relation till livsmedelsberedskap och lokalisering av ansvar för detta. Analysen har ett deduktivt förhållningssätt där teman från tidigare forskning som relaterar till livmedelsberedskap ligger till grund för vilka fynd som eftersöks vid analysen.Slutsats: Hälften av strategierna nämner livsmedelsberedskap, vilket kan tyda på att det varken ses som självklart att det hör ihop med de regional livsmedelsstrategierna eller ej. Strategierna visar på en splittrad bild av livsmedelsproduktionen som dels en samhällsviktig verksamhet och dels en näringsgren med ekonomisk tillväxt som incitament. Uppfattningen om ansvar för livsmedelsproduktionen som samhällsviktig verksamhet kan tolkas som en fråga om altruism där frivilligt deltagande utifrån solidaritet ses som eftersträvansvärt. / Background: The growing political insecurity in Europe has made food preparedness a current discussion in the political discussion is Sweden. Accountability for and shaping such preparedness is today not clearly organized. The Swedish Food Agency, The Swedish Agency for Agriculture and The Swedish Veterinary Medical Institute has mentioned in an investigation regarding prerequisites for food preparedness that the regional food production strategies (among other instances) should address the achieving of food preparedness. The aim of this study is to describe how the current regional food strategies relates to food preparedness and how they describe division and location of responsibility for themas related to this.Method: The regional food production strategies is analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The study has a deductive approach where previous research structured into themes related to food preparedness has formed a base for which findings to search for in the analysis.Conclusion: Half of the strategies mentions food preparedness, which could be a sign of food preparedness not being seen as an obvious theme to address in the food production strategies but also not an obviously irrelevant one. The strategies display a shattered attitude toward food production as both a vital societal function and an industry with economical growth as primary incentive. Responsibility for food production as a vital societal function can be viewed as altruistic with solidarity and voluntary participation as aspirational ideals.

No description available.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Responders (SAFER) Grant Program: An Analysis of Fiscal Federalism and How Local Governments Utilize SAFER Grant Funding. Thomas J. Layou ABSTRACT This dissertation presents a comprehensive analysis of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Responders (SAFER) grant program's impact on Virginia's local governments, emphasizing their fiscal strategies, emergency management practices, and demographic relationships. By incorporating theories of fiscal federalism and the political economy, this study explores how SAFER grants, provided by the FEMA, influence local tax policies, economic stability, and the staffing levels in fire and emergency medical service departments, against the backdrop of a critical need for enhanced public safety post the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The second chapter provides a review of the literature tracing the evolution of fiscal federalism from its roots in the political philosophies of the Federalist Papers to its contemporary interpretations and applications. The study found gaps in the literature, providing opportunities for further exploration of how the current scholarship has been built upon the different generations of fiscal federalism. This study seeks to contribute to the literature by examining the relationship that federal grants have with local governments' preparation for emergencies through their local fire and emergency medical service staffing. The dissertation constructs a novel dataset covering SAFER grant allocations, local tax rates, and fire and emergency medical service budgets across Virginia's cities and counties from 2016 to 2022. It evaluates the grants' effects on budgetary decisions and staffing levels, utilizing a methodological framework that includes regression analysis, correlation coefficients, and event series analysis. The third chapter focuses on the socio-political and economic determinants affecting the distribution of the SAFER grant funding, revealing that jurisdictions with higher median household incomes receive more funding, contrary to expectations that economically disadvantaged areas are prioritized. This chapter also highlights the disparities in resource allocation and examines the equitable distribution between volunteer and professional fire departments and the relationship of political leanings on fund allocation. The fourth chapter explores the SAFER grants within the principal-agent framework, investigating their impact on local government tax policy and economic stability. It explores whether SAFER grants lead to changes in local tax policies and how they contribute to fiscal stability, especially during crises such as the 2007-2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The fifth chapter assesses the SAFER grants' effectiveness in increasing the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees and improving public safety. It scrutinizes whether these grants supplement or supplant local budgets and their broader implications for budget allocations and incident reduction, which tie closely with the federal government's national preparedness goals. This dissertation advances emergency management scholarship by offering new insights into the allocation of SAFER grants in Virginia and its impact. It provides a multifaceted understanding of how federal funding influences local emergency services, fiscal policies, and community welfare, contributing valuable knowledge for policymakers, grant administrators, and scholars interested in enhancing public safety and preparedness. / Doctor of Philosophy / The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Responders (SAFER) Grant Program: An Analysis of Fiscal Federalism and How Local Governments Utilize SAFER Grant Funding. Thomas J. Layou GENERAL AUDIENCE ABSTRACT This dissertation investigates how federal money, specifically the SAFER grants aimed at improving fire and emergency services, impacts local communities in Virginia. The SAFER grants are designed to provide a financial boost to a community's fire department in hiring more firefighters. This study goes beyond hiring to determine who receives the grant money and why. It examines if richer areas are more likely to receive funds than poorer ones. The study also considers whether a community's size or the number of emergencies they handle influences the amount of funding they receive. By analyzing the data from Virginia, this study sheds light on the process behind these grants. It finds that wealthier areas often receive more funding, supporting prior research and challenging the idea that such grants primarily benefit economically disadvantaged regions. Additionally, the study examines whether there exists a fair balance in funding between volunteer-based and professional fire departments and how politics may play a role in who receives more or less funding. Furthermore, this dissertation explores the ripple effects of the SAFER grants. It assesses whether these grants encourage local governments to adjust their spending and tax policies. The findings suggest that receiving a SAFER grant does not necessarily lead local governments to increase taxes or decreases spending in other areas. Instead, these governments appear to use these funds strategically to enhance public safety without overburdening local taxpayers. Ultimately, this dissertation not only provides valuable insights into the allocation and impact of the SAFER grants but also raises important questions about equity, fairness, efficiency, and the role of government at all levels in ensuring public safety.

Master of Public Health / Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / Katherine Stenske / Over the past few decades, animal and public health professionals have become increasingly concerned about the global animal population’s vulnerability to Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs). Through analysis of the lessons learned by the United Kingdom (UK), Taiwan, and Egypt in responding to FMD outbreaks in their countries, it becomes apparent that even with response plans in place at the time of an outbreak, problems still arose as the outbreaks progressed. To better understand why these deviations from the planned course occur, the concept of “disconnects” in the various “domains” of TAD emergency preparedness and response were explored for the United States (U.S.). Particular emphasis was placed on issues related to the collaboration and cooperation between the federal and state levels of government. The domains of communication, knowledge, and resourcing were selected to be analyzed due to their importance in TAD emergency outbreak preparedness and response. The research questions this thesis explores concern three domains of TAD emergency preparedness and response that experience disconnects between federal and state levels of government. They also explore how these disconnects affect Food and Agriculture Security in the U.S. Three different methods were used to research these topics. Literature reviews of lessons learned and after action reports from TAD outbreak exercises and real events were conducted. Direct observations of the author’s experiences at conferences, seminars, and training events were also included. Finally, personal interviews were conducted with Food and Agriculture Security experts. Through this analysis, numerous disconnects emerged in each of the domains. Several disconnects traverse all three domains. These disconnects related to laboratory collaboration with the federal government, the process of declaring a federal emergency, and the roles and responsibilities of individuals and groups involved in TAD outbreak preparedness and response. Overall, the disconnects affect the ability of state and federal governments to rapidly respond to and coordinate response efforts. This affects Food and Agriculture Security by compromising the safety, security, and ongoing operation of the food and agriculture sector. Further study will be needed to alleviate these disconnects so that better cooperation and collaboration can occur between federal and state levels of government.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sonya L. Britt / There has been increased interest in understanding the significant disparity in U.S. households’ retirement preparedness due to concern about the stability of Social Security benefits, the shift from defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans, and the decreased rate of saving. This dissertation explores a model that can be utilized to understand and enhance retirement preparedness by individuals, educators, practitioners, and policy makers. Retirement preparedness was measured in two different ways—using the income replacement rate and the capital accumulation ratio—for two separate empirical models. The general conceptualization of the framework is based on the retirement planning work of Hershey (2004). This study utilized the 2008 Rand version (Version L) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and 2006, 2008, and 2010 psychosocial and lifestyle questionnaire. The Rand HRS data file is a user-friendly version of the HRS data and contains cleaned data. The two hierarchical regressions were used to analyze the association between retirement preparedness and the theoretical concepts of cultural influence, environmental influence, task components, and psychological influence. Entering the conceptual components as four separate blocks allows for observation of changes in R[2] based on the addition of the conceptual components. This research investigates the following research questions: (a) How strongly are cultural influences associated with retirement preparedness?, (b) How strongly are environmental influences associated with retirement preparedness?, (c) How strongly are task components associated with retirement preparedness?, and (d) How strongly are psychological influences associated with retirement preparedness? Current retirement planning practices are often based on structural profiles such as financial resources, financial needs, and goals. The holistic approach used for this dissertation is based on the awareness of the influence of psychological and personal factors on financial decision making. The results showed that the variables positively associated with the retirement income replacement rate were self-perception of aging, homeownership, stock ownership, household pension ownership, IRA/Keogh ownership, and business ownership. Pre-retirement income log had a highly negative association with the retirement income replacement ratio. Big Five personality and perceived mastery were not significant. However, when asset ownership (excluding homeownership) was not controlled, conscientiousness and low emotional stability became significant and showed a positive association for conscientiousness and a negative association for low emotional stability. Self-perception of aging was a significant psychological variable in both models. The significant variables from the second model measured by the capital accumulation ratio were asset ownerships including homeownership, stock ownership, IRA ownership, real estate ownership, and business ownership. None of the psychological variables were significant, except for agreeableness, which was related negatively to the capital accumulation ratio when the asset ownerships (excluding home ownership) were not controlled. Other significant variables, when asset ownership was not controlled, were home ownership, pre-retirement income log, being non-White.

The purpose of this research activity is to determine how cultural astronomy manages natural disasters in the local communities. Study Area: Mahikeng in North West Province among the Barolong boora Tshidi. Indigenous people have contributed the least to world greenhouse gas emission and have the smallest ecological footprints on Earth. Yet they suffer the worst impacts not only of climate change, but also from some of the international mitigation measures being taken. Impacts on climate change affect people negatively, these may include droughts, floods, increased diseases in people, plants as well as animals, biodiversity extinct, high mortality rate, increased food insecurity to mention a few. This study aims to describe how knowledge of cultural astronomy manages natural disasters within our local communities. In this dissertation the history of Barolong using their knowledge of cultural astronomy to manage natural disasters is gradually fading away because of non-recognition of our knowledge custodians as they do not hold any formal education and those who have it only ended at primary level. Democracy brought a sense of mental decolonization unto us as South Africans. This brought light to some of our village members to acknowledge their identity which includes their customs and beliefs. This study unearthed that local communities have the rich indigenous knowledge to sustain their lives that is how some villages are able to prepare and manage natural disasters without the knowledge of cultural astronomy only. They practice other measures which also sustain them and are also easy to be passed on orally from generation to generation. In Barolong communities the knowledge of sky readers is regarded to be very important, it is information that can be relied on because sky readers are always correct. In addition, African traditional religious nature and structure endorses the practice to be acknowledged and be taken as African identity. In the light of the above, and after taking comments by the members of the communities, recommendations are made for an integrated study framework between the local knowledge and modern technologies or information of astronomy. It is also recommended that there should be proper documentation which is not distorted before it can be totally extinct. / Thesis (M.(Indigenous Knowledge Systems) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2014

Background: Public transportation constitutes a vulnerable sector in modern day society with a high probability of generating mass casualties if attacked. By preparing for mass-casualty attacks (MCAs), response can become more effective and public transportation can become a less rewarding target. However, preparedness for attacks, much like response, implies resource constraints, and this dissertation pinpoints some major dilemmas that inhibit achieving preparedness for MCAs on public transportation in Sweden. Aim: The aim of this dissertation was to investigate preparedness for mass-casualty attacks on public transportation. This allowed for identification of major challenges for preparedness and response with a particular focus on the Swedish context. Methods: Study I included 477 MCAs identified through searches of the Global Terrorism Database, journals, newspapers and websites, which were examined with descriptive statistics. Study II thematically analyzed 105 articles attained by systematic searches of the PubMed and Scopus databases. Study III and IV statistically analyzed data from 864 responses to a purposive-designed questionnaire, from operational personnel of the Swedish emergency organizations. Study V entailed validation of a finite element (FE) simulation model of a bombing in a train carriage compared to the bombings in Madrid 2004. Results: International trends of MCAs (≥ 10 fatally injured and/or ≥ 100 non-fatally injured) on public transportation, during the years 1970-2009 (I) showed that the average number of injured increased considerably, despite a quite stable incidence rate since the 1980s. High numbers of injured people were connected to attacks on terminal buildings, multiple targets and complex tactical approaches. Few MCAs occurred in Europe, but the average number of fatalities per incident and injured per incident were the second highest among regions. The literature study (II) of previous on-scene management showed that commonly encountered challenges during unintentional incidents were added to during MCAs, implying specific issues for safety, assessment, triage and treatment, which require collaborative planning and specific training. The study regarding the Swedish emergency organizations’ perceptions of terrorist attacks (III) showed significant differences on perceptions of event likelihood, willingness to respond, estimated management capability and level of confidence in knowledge of tasks to be performed on scene. The police respondents stood out; e.g., fewer police personnel had high estimates of their organizations’ management capability and knowledge of tasks on-scene compared to the other organizations. The study of factors that influence responders’ perceptions of preparedness for terrorism (IV) showed that these were influenced by the responders’ sex, work experience, organizational affiliation, various training arrangements and access to personal protective equipment (PPE). Investing in amenable factors, such as terrorism-related management training and provision of PPE, could improve responders’ perceptions of preparedness for terrorism. A finite-element (FE) model of an explosion in a train carriage (V) was developed and showed that FE modeling techniques could effectively model damage and injuries for explosions with applicability for preparedness and injury mitigation efforts, but, also, there was room for improvement of the model in terms of injuries. Conclusion: Achieving preparedness for MCAs on public transportation is a multiple choice balancing act between ostensible dilemmas regarding investments, disaster plans, training, response strategies, collaboration and inventions. / Bakgrund: Kollektivtrafik utgör en sårbar sektor i dagens samhälle, med hög sannolikhet att generera en situation med många drabbade vid attentat. Genom att förbereda för masskadeattentat (MCA) kan hanteringen bli effektivare och kollektivtrafiken utgöra ett mindre givande mål. Beredskap för attentat, liksom själva hanteringen, innefattar dock resursbegränsningar och denna avhandling belyser somliga avgörande utmaningar som hämmar utvecklandet av beredskap för MCA mot kollektivtrafiken i Sverige.   Syfte: Syftet med avhandlingen var att undersöka beredskapen för masskadeattentat mot kollektivtrafik. Detta möjliggjorde identifiering av stora utmaningar för beredskap och insatser, med särskilt fokus på den svenska kontexten.   Metoder: Studie I innefattade 477 MCA som identifierades genom sökningar i Global Terrorism Database, vetenskapliga tidskrifter, tidningar och webbsidor, som sedan undersöktes med deskriptiv statistik. I Studie II genomfördes en tematisk analys av 105 artiklar, funna genom systematiska sökningar i databaserna PubMed och Scopus. I Studie III och IV genomfördes statistisk analys av data från 864 respondenter till en ändamålsenligt utformad enkät, utskickad till operativ personal inom blåljusorganisationerna. Studie V innebar validering av en finita element (FE)-modell av en explosion i en tågvagn genom jämförelse med bombningarna i Madrid 2004.   Resultat: I den internationella utvecklingen av MCA (≥ 10 dödsfall eller ≥ 100 icke-dödligt skadade) mot kollektivtrafik, under åren 1970-2009 (I) visade det sig att det genomsnittliga antalet skadade ökade kraftigt, trots en tämligen stabil incidens av antalet händelser sedan 1980-talet. Skadadeutfallet var ofta stort vid angrepp på terminalbyggnader, multipla mål och användning av komplexa taktiska metoder. Få MCA inträffade i Europa, men det genomsnittliga antalet dödsfall per fall och skadade per fall var den näst högsta bland regioner. Litteraturstudien (II) av skadeplatshantering vid tidigare attentat visade att vanligt förekommande utmaningar under oavsiktliga masskadehändelser utökades under MCA med särskilda svårigheter kring säkerhet, bedömning, triage och behandling, vilket i sin tur kräver gemensam planering och särskild utbildning. Studien om de svenska blåljusorganisationernas uppfattningar om terroristattacker (III) visade signifikanta skillnader på uppfattningar om sannolikhet av olika händelser, viljan att respondera, beräknad hanteringskapacitet och förlitan till kunskap om uppgifter som ska utföras på skadeplats. Polisernas svar utmärkte sig; t.ex. hade färre inom polisen höga uppskattningar av sin organisations hanteringskapacitet och sin egen kunskap om uppgifter på plats, jämfört med de andra organisationerna. Studien av vilka faktorer som påverkade respondenternas uppfattning om beredskap för terrorism (IV) visade att uppfattningar påverkades av deras kön, arbetslivserfarenhet, organisationstillhörighet, olika former av utbildning och tillgång till personlig skyddsutrustning. Investeringar i åtgärder såsom terrorism-relaterad träning och personlig skyddsutrustning skulle kunna förbättra uppfattning om beredskap för terrorism inom blåljusorganisationerna. En FE modell av en explosion i en tågvagn (V) utvecklades och visade att FE metoden skulle kunna modellera materiella skador och personskador av explosioner, med tillämpning för beredskap och skadelindrande åtgärder, men visade också att det fanns utrymme för förbättring av modellen avseende personskador.   Slutsats: Förverkligandet av beredskap för masskadeattentat mot kollektivtrafik utgör en balansgång i beslutstagande mellan vad som förefaller vara dilemman om investeringar, krisplaner, utbildning, responsstrategier, samverkan och innovationer. / Preparedness for mass-casualty attacks on public transportation

The purpose of this study is to investigate the preparedness at the prehospital emergency care unit in north-western Skåne. Measuring preparedness is important to ensure that the ability to respond on emergency calls is satisfactory. To do this for north-western Skåne historical data from 2015 was extracted from SOS Alarm’s database. It was used to calculate preparedness using workload and coverage as measurements. The workload was calculated by taking the busy periods and comparing them to the ambulances working times. The coverage was calculated by defining neighbouring stations to cover for each station and then finding the amount of hours when there was no ambulance at either station. These calculations show that two of the six stations in north-western Skåne are in need of improvement. To increase the preparedness to a good level resources will have to be added at the liable stations. These resources would be new ambulances. There is a possibility to relocate ambulances from stations within the district but that would lead to a worsened preparedness for the stations which these ambulances belonged to in the first place.

Due to the emergent and dynamic nature of incidents, the complexity of emergency work is often referred to as a challenge for learning. Another recurrent challenge in emergency work is that of collaboration at and across established organizational boundaries involving actors with specific types of expertise who are operating under different regulations and responsibilities. In addition, training emergency service organizations in collaboration remains a challenge. In light of the difficulties and shortcomings that have been identified in major incident responses, the need for exercises for developing and maintaining collaborative response effectiveness prior to the next incident is often highlighted. The overall aim of this thesis is to understand how full-scale exercises can provide conditions for developing inter-organizational collaboration between the police, ambulance and rescue services at the incident site. Learning activities that carry the potential to support and develop collaborative capacity, and how the alignment of distributed expertise can be trained for, were of particular interest. Interviews with participants in eight full-scale exercises with professionals and interviews and observations of one exercise with senior-level students in Sweden served as the empirical base.Central concepts from Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) provided theoretical tools to explore the exercises and understand boundaries between organizations with a wider, systemic approach. The empirical studies show that the participants understood full-scale exercises to be valuable opportunities for becoming involved in response work, making decisions, and acting and interacting in uncertain situations and realistic environments. As in real-life responses, exercises are characterized by the stabilization and confirmation of everyday routines on the one hand, and by improvisation and change on the other hand. The studies also show that exercises tend to focus on specific scenarios,intra-organizational routines, and leadership positions. Infrequent exercises inwhich the participants were only trained in a limited role were perceived to be in adequate for developing preparedness and collaboration. However, the analysis suggested that the way in which exercises were organized and performed had implications for how participants were trained in collaboration.Realizing the potential of boundaries as resources for learning in exercises depends on how boundaries are explicated and approached. Thus, rather than striving to ignore or eliminate boundaries in exercises, the studies illustrated the learning value of explicitly reflecting on the multiple understandings around boundaries. The studies demonstrated that much of the work at an incident site takes place around negotiations. Collaboration at the incident site was not only aquestion about boundary crossing; operational tasks may not always be aligned and have to be prioritized and sequenced. The exercises comprised work situations in which no single motive could explain or determine the collaboration,due to different types of expertise, primary responsibilities and needs forinformation. These factors were understood in terms of the concepts of boundarywork and boundary awareness. These concepts point at a more divergent understanding of collaboration that reaches beyond striving to create mutual understanding between organizations in learning activities. Differences between organizations, such as in terminology, time horizons, priorities, leadership structures, understandings of safety and how intra-organizational decisions and actions could impact the collaborating organizations' work, were central triggers for discussion and negotiation. These differences required explanations in order to make the actions and decisions of one organization understandable and justifiable to another, based on organizational mandates and types of expertise.Giving emergency services the opportunity to work together, to develop an awareness of their expectations of each other in various situations, to use and interpret their own and others' terminologies, and to identify internal hierarchies and motives for prioritizations was essential dimensions of exercises