Please see the attached powerpoint presentation.   We will also be posting some powerpoints from a recent workshop in Melbourne.

• APS Workshop Final Draft

But, for the moment, if you are thinking about or planning research in the area of children and family preparedness, response and recovery from hazardous events, we are available for free consultation to help that research get off the ground.

Not only is our advice free, but we can also assist directly with research if your own time or resources are limited.  We can also make available a measure that we have used in previous research that assesses preparedness in children and youth, preparedness at home, knowledge, risk perceptions and other factors that we discuss in the book.

We had originally intended to put this measure here directly at the website but decided ultimately that it was better to have interested parties contact us in the first instance so that we could have an initial discussion about its usage.

The conference provides a forum to discuss the integration of hazard information into effective risk management, including:

- Applying hazard information to best practice planning
- Developing effective warning systems
- Improved response and recovery from events
- Creating resilient communities through integrating science into practice

Our target audience is: Emergency managers, planners, risk assessors, asset and utility managers, natural hazards researchers and scientists.

Read about:

• 2010 Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference -  Te Papa, Wellington, New Zealand 11–12 August 2010
• Wellington 2010 – Call for Papers
• Melbourne 2009
• Wellington 2008
• Brisbane 2007

Talking About Disasters: Guide for Standard Messages (2004), USA

Since early 2002, the National Disaster Education Coalition has worked on reviewing and updating its “Talking About Disaster: Guide for Standard Messages.” The review process included extensive participation by more than 450 professionals, scientists, and researchers who contributed to the material. Representatives from NDEC participating agencies have spent numerous hours to refine and resolve content issues and questions, to ensure accuracy, consistency, and appropriateness of messages.

http://www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/guide.html

FEMA Disaster Planning For Schools, USA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has introduced a planning process to help schools develop procedures to respond to all types of disasters, including school violence.

http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues084.shtml

Kentucky Center for School Safety, USA

An excellent set of guidelines for preparing emergency management plans for schools.

http://www.kysafeschools.org/clear/issues/crisis2.html

Emergency Mental Health – Tips for Talking About Disasters

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (USA): Tips for Talking About Disasters to Adults and Children. Also tips for Emergency and Disaster Response Workers. Spanish versions available.

http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/KEN-01-0094/default.asp

Early Intervention for Victims of Mass Violence and Other Disasters

National Institute of Mental Health (2002). Mental Health and Mass Violence:

Evidence-Based Early Psychological Intervention for Victims/Survivors of Mass

Violence. A Workshop to Reach Consensus on Best Practices. NIH Publication

No. 02-5138, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/massviolence.pdf

• Download Emergency_Procedures_For_Childhood_Services (PDF 388kb)

In terms of what to include at a hazards specific website for schools, youth and families, we recommend in particular looking at material at the Federal Emergency Management Agency website, Disaster Education Coalition website and the New Zealand Civil Defence and Emergency Management websites.  The first two websites are already listed in Appendix 2 of the book.

The New Zealand Civil Defence website is http://www.mcdem.govt.nz/memwebsite.nsf

At that site, there is information on a program that has been developed since the publication of our book in 2005.  The program is called “What’s the Plan Stan” and includes some quite useful resources for use with schoolchildren and that might be applicable for a website.  The specific URL for that site is as follows:

http://www.whatstheplanstan.govt.nz/index.html

Finally, feel most free to contact us if you are planning a website or are considering doing some research.  We like to talk with others who are interested in this area.  You can make initial contact in one of two ways:

1. send an email through this website
2. contact Kevin Ronan at k.ronan@cqu.edu.au

Johnston, D.M., Ronan, K.R., Becker, J., Gregg, C., & Davis, M. (2005).  Children’s risk perceptions and preparedness:  Mount Rainier 2005 hazard education assessment  tabulated results.  Science Report (2005/029).  Gracefield (NZ): Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences.

• If you would like more information on this program of research, or this publication, please send an email through this website or contact Kevin Ronan at k.ronan@cqu.edu.au

Not only is our advice free, but we can also make available a measure that we have used in previous research that assesses preparedness in children and youth, preparedness at home, knowledge, risk perceptions and other factors that we discuss in the book.

We had originally intended to put this measure here directly at the website but decided ultimately that it was better to have interested parties contact us in the first instance so that we could have an initial discussion about its usage.