http://dspace.udel.edu:8080/dspace/handle/19716/1130 Search the Channel search http://dspace.udel.edu:8080/dspace/simple-search http://dspace.udel.edu:8080/dspace/handle/19716/1327 Title: Interaction Between Canadian and American Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations During the Red River Flood of 1997 <br/> <br/>Authors: Wachtendorf, Tricia <br/> <br/>Description: This study examines transnational interaction between Canadian and American organizations during their response to the 1997 Red River flood. In particular, the research focuses on: 1) the direction and degree of dependency organizations had on their cross-border counterparts for information and response implementation; 2) the use of formal and informal processes in transnational decision-making and communication; 3) the extent to which standardization inconsistencies affected the disaster response; 4) whether or not transnational interaction occurred primarily between centralized emergency organizations or decentralized agencies involved in flood-fighting efforts. The analysis uses a grounded theory examination of cross-border agreements, agency and governmental reports, newspapers, and interviews conducted with sixty-two key representatives from principle Canadian and American organizations involved in the flood response. The study describes the nature and frequency of the interaction. It finds that although several problems or areas of cohesion developed, transnational interaction between organizations during the 1997 flood was generally successful, with respondents reporting satisfaction with the willingness and ability of their counterparts to provide information and assistance. The research also identifies ways in which cross-border interaction can be expanded and issues that should be considered before such implementation occurs. Recommendations are listed below in the order that they are discussed in the body of the text. Fri, 29 Oct 1999 22:58:59 GMT http://dspace.udel.edu:8080/dspace/handle/19716/1326 Title: Problems of Field Research: Techniques and Procedures of the Disaster Research Center in the 1960s <br/> <br/>Authors: Quarantelli, E. L. <br/> <br/>Description: In August of 1963, we established the Disaster Research Center at Ohio State University. The basic purpose of the Center is to conduct research into disasters. We are not interested in the physical features of disasters, but primarily in their human and social aspects. We have several contracts: one with the Office of Civil Defense, which supports most of our field work, and another with the Office of Scientific Research of the Air force, which supports what we call the laboratory part of our research. Those were our initial contracts and are still our two basic contracts as of today. Essentially, they call for us to study organizational functioning under stress. That is, were are not interested in victims themselves; rather, our basic objective is to study organizations and their personnel, particularly those that get involved in solving the community problems engendered by disaster. This would include such groups as police and fire departments, civil defense, mass media, hospital, etc. We are not confined to them alone, although they were our initial focus and are still the major point of interest in our research. Wed, 29 Oct 1997 22:58:59 GMT http://dspace.udel.edu:8080/dspace/handle/19716/1325 Title: Disasters and Mental Health: Therapeutic Principles Drawn From Disaster Studies <br/> <br/>Authors: Fritz, Charles E. <br/> <br/>Description: Why do large-scale disasters produce such mentally healthy conditions? What therapeutic principles can we derive from a study of the natural human adjustments that develop among disaster survivors? Those are the central questions addressed in the paper that follows-a paper whose content is exactly as it was written in 1961. Those questions appeared rather strange to readers at that time, especially among people who had never personally experienced a large-scale disaster or who had not conducted considerable field research in actual community or societal disasters. Even today, many people are likely to reject these questions as incredible because they believe that the deaths, injuries, physical destruction, and personal deprivations caused by disasters must inevitably produce pathological personal and social consequences. Because my emphasis in this paper focuses attention on the positive, beneficent, and therapeutic personal and social effects of disaster, it may be helpful to trace the history by which I arrived at this contrary perspective. The development of these ideas gradually emerged from personal and researched experiences covering a period of about 18 years – from 1943 to 1961. The specific events and experiences cover five different periods: Sun, 29 Oct 1995 22:58:59 GMT http://dspace.udel.edu:8080/dspace/handle/19716/1324 Title: The Fire Department in Disaster Operations in the 1960's <br/> <br/>Authors: Warheit, George J. <br/> <br/>Abstract: Along with the police department, the fire department in the United States is one community organization typically called upon in a crisis situation such as a natural/technological disaster or a riot/civil disturbance. This report analyzes data from fire department operations in the 1960s, both in disasters and civil disturbances. Thus, whatever is said is most relevant to that time period in American society, although it is probably true that much of what is reported is still applicable at the present time. This report analyzes fire departments in terms of (1) their typical organizational patterns; (2) their disaster-related tasks and activities which are a response to the demands upon them; (3) their organizational adaptation to demand situations, especially those of high intensity; (4) their interorganizational relationships; and (5) their potential involvement and organizational adaptation to a postnuclear attack environment as this was visualized in the 1960s. The local fire department perhaps changes less from its precrisis to its emergency time operations than any other community organization. Fire departments are likely to continue to cope with tasks similar to their preimpact responsibilities. They are organizations that retain a great deal of autonomy both in disasters and civil disturbances since their specialized tasks can seldom be preempted by other groups or agencies. They are organized to deal with crises, for example, by having a reserve force on call at all times, or by having mutual aid pacts with other departments. Also, the extent to which fire organizations can change is limited by state laws and regulatory codes of agencies such as the American Insurance Association. Sun, 29 Oct 1995 22:58:59 GMT