The Ecology of Emergency Management Work in the Digital Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalini Misra ◽  
Patrick Roberts ◽  
Matthew Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Outcomes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Personal Attributes ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
The Public ◽  
Antecedent Conditions ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
The One

Abstract This research uses an abductive research strategy and person–environment (P–E) fit as a frame to understand: (1) how digital technologies have transformed emergency managerial work; and (2) managers’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to these structural and organizational transformations. Interviews of county-level emergency managers in the United States reveal that pervasive computing environments have resulted in intensification of interchanges and new patterns of relationships with public, public officials, and other agencies that have changed the power balance between the public and emergency managers. We uncover points of tension between managers’ personal attributes and their organizational and broader environmental conditions. We articulate two mechanisms, optimization and passive adaptation, by which emergency managers and their immediate and broader socio-cultural and political environments interact to influence psychological and behavioral outcomes. On the one hand, role ambiguity, role conflict, and diminished agency indicate passive adaptation to structural transformation. On the other, predictive uses of technology, novel organizational routines, and new collaborative relationships suggest managers’ efforts at optimization. We develop a social ecological framework for P–E fit that elucidates the contextual factors most relevant to understanding public managerial responses to technological change and links antecedent conditions to the processes and outcomes of P–E incongruence.

Celebrity and Presidential Targets

Stalking ◽  
2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert T. M. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Figures ◽  
Celebrity Status ◽  
The Status ◽  
Unique Factor ◽  
The Mind

Celebrities have become targets of potentially violent stalkers who instill fear by their relentless pursuit and, in some reported cases, threatened risk of violence. Celebrity stalking may evolve to planned, often violent attacks on intentionally selected targets. The causes of these incidents are complex, and frequently involve delusional obsessions concerning a contrived relationship between the target and stalker. Similar dynamics can be at play for presidential stalkers. Becoming the focus of someone’s delusional obsession is a risk for anyone living in the public eye. Planned attacks by stalkers, however, are not confined to internationally prominent public officials and celebrities. Some of the same themes emerge on a more local level when public figures become the object of pursuit. Celebrity and presidential stalkers often do not neatly fit any of the typologies that have evolved to codify our understanding of the motivation and special characteristics of stalking. Clinicians are often unaware of a “zone of risk” that extends beyond the delusional love object and can lead to the injury of others in addition to the attempted or accomplished homicide of a celebrity or presidential target. Most people can resist the temptation to intrude on a celebrity’s privacy—celebrity stalkers do not. This chapter explores celebrity status, as seen by the public and in the mind of the would-be assailant, as a unique factor in stalking cases that raises issues of clinical relevance and unique typologies. Special attention is given to the behaviors and motivations of individuals who have stalked the presidents of the United States. Many celebrities become targets of stalkers who relentlessly pursue and frighten them and who, in some cases, threaten violence. Though each case of celebrity stalking is unique and complex, such incidents frequently involve delusional obsessions concerning the contrived relationship between the stalker and victim. Stalking is not confined solely to well-known figures, of course. However, it is the very nature of celebrity—the status and the visibility—that attracts the benign (if voyeuristic) attention of an adoring public and the ominous interest of the stalker. Obsessional following of celebrities is not a new phenomenon in the United States.

scholarly journals Post-Truth: Hegemony on Social Media and Implications for Sustainability Communication

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Jaques ◽  
Mine Islar ◽  
Gavin Lord
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Marxian Theory ◽  
The Public ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
The One ◽  
Science In Society

Contrary to what practice suggests, social media platforms may not be an appropriate forum for communicating with civil society about sustainability issues such as climate change. Misinformation campaigns are distorting the line between fact and falsity on social media platforms, and there has been a profound shift in the way that social media users consume and interact with information. These conditions have been popularly labeled as the post-truth era. Drawing from Neo-Marxian theory, we argue that post-truth can be explained as a new iteration of ideological struggle under capitalist hegemony. We substantiate this claim through a mixed methods investigation synthesizing corpus-assisted lexical analysis and critical discourse analysis to evaluate 900 user-generated comments taken from three articles on socioenvironmental topics published on Facebook by news organizations in the United States. The results showed that the nature of this struggle is tied explicitly to the role of science in society, where the legitimacy of science is caught in a tug-of-war of values between elitism on the one hand and a rejection of the establishment on the other. It follows that presenting truthful information in place of false information is an insufficient means of coping with post-truth. We conclude by problematizing the notion that Facebook is an adequate forum for public dialogue and advocate for a change in strategy from those wishing to communicate scientific information in the public sphere.

Notes and News

1917 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-56
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public School ◽  
Food Habits ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Public ◽  
United States Food ◽  
States Food ◽  
The One

In planning its campaign the Food Conservation Bureau of the United States Food Administration has realized the importance of the public school as a medium for the dissemination of the ideas which are “to modify the food habits of the one hundred million of our people.”

Perspectives for Planning Approaches in Promoting Underground Built Heritage - COST Action Underground4value

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Smaniotto Costa ◽  
Tatiana Ruchinskaya ◽  
Konstantinos Lalenis
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Cost Action ◽  
The Public ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
Educational Paradigm ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Planning Approaches

<p>The COST Action 18110 Underground4value (http://underground4value.eu) aims to advance knowledge on how to guarantee continuity of use and significance of underground historic fabric. It is collecting information, experiences and knowhow to base the development of research and training. The Action focusses on underground regeneration, revitalisation of the public realm and skills development for people concerned with underground heritage.</p><p>This contribution centres the attention of the Working Group on Planning Approaches. It also looks at the role of local authorities, as enablers and facilitators, in coordination, use  and management of underground built heritage. In this framework underground built heritage is considered as a social resource with integrated programmes of physical, economic and social measures, backed by strategic stakeholder dialogue.</p><p>On the one hand, this contribution discusses the structure and goals of the WG, as it pays attention to the necessary complementarities between functional approaches – at the level of regions and city – and social and cultural approaches involving citizens’ engagement and empowerment – at the local level. This WG aims to provide a reflection on sustainable approaches to preserve the underground built heritage and, at the same time, to unfold the case by case approach for potential use of underground space. On the other hand, to achieve its objectives the WG on Planning Approaches is setting together potentials and constraints in the efforts to make better use of underground heritage. This contribution, therefore, sheds lights on the preliminary results of the WG. It is centred on the learned lessons, challenges and barriers - from a planning science perspective - that experts met in their efforts to tackle Underground Built Heritage. Achieving this goal makes the call for an educational paradigm shift - as the Action is not only interested in compiling the results, rather on experiences that can be analysed and learned. This requires a dynamic understanding of knowledge, abilities and skills, towards creating more effective coalitions of ‘actors’ within localities, by developing structures, which encourage long term collaborative relationships. Enabled by the gained knowledge, the WG will define the best tailored ways to forward this knowledge for planners and decision-makers.</p>

The History (and Future) of Tornado Warning Dissemination in the United States

2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 567-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy A. Coleman ◽  
Kevin R. Knupp ◽  
James Spann ◽  
J. B. Elliott ◽  
Brian E. Peters
Keyword(s):  
Warning System ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
The United States ◽  
Digital Television ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
The Public ◽  
Tornado Warnings ◽  
Tornado Warning ◽  
Radio Broadcast ◽  
The U.S

Since the successful tornado forecast at Tinker AFB in 1948 paved the way for the issuance of tornado warnings, the science of tornado detection and forecasting has advanced greatly. However, tornado warnings must be disseminated to the public to be of any use. The Texas tornado warning conferences in 1953 began to develop the framework for a modern tornado warning system and included radar detection of tornadoes, a spotter network, and improved communications between the U.S. Weather Bureau, spotters, and public officials, allowing more timely warnings and dissemination of those warnings to the public. Commercial radio and television are a main source of warnings for many, and the delivery methods on TV have changed much since 1960. NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) was launched after the 1974 Super Outbreak of tornadoes, with the most important feature being the tone alert that allowed receivers to alert people even when the radio broadcast was turned off. Today, NWR reaches most of the U.S. population, and Specific Area Message Encoding technology has improved its warning precision. Outdoor warning sirens, originally designed for use in enemy attack, were made available for use during tornado warnings around 1970. “Storm based” warnings, adopted by the National Weather Service in 2007, replaced countybased warnings and greatly reduce the warning area. As communications advances continue, tornado warnings will eventually be delivered to precise locations, using GPS and other location technology, through cellular telephones, outdoor sirens, e-mails, and digital television, in addition to NWR.

scholarly journals The benefits and challenges of implementing impact-based severe weather warning systems: Perspectives of weather, flood, and emergency management personnel

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Potter ◽  
Sara Harrison ◽  
Peter Kreft
Keyword(s):  
False Alarms ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Interagency Coordination ◽  
Antecedent Conditions ◽  
Management Personnel ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Weather Forecasters ◽  
Communication Challenges ◽  
Impact Data

AbstractWarnings about impending hazards help to minimise the impacts and reduce the risk through encouraging an appropriate and timely behavioural response. Many hydrometeorological agencies are moving towards impact-based forecast and warning (IBFW) systems, as encouraged by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Yet little research has been conducted on such systems from the perspectives of agencies who are or would be involved in their implementation. We investigated the challenges and benefits of IBFW systems as perceived by participants from agencies internationally and within New Zealand. Interviews and workshops were held with meteorologists and weather forecasters, flood forecasters and hydrologists, and emergency managers.We found that the benefits of implementing IBFW systems included a perceived increase in the understanding of the potential impacts by the public, added awareness of antecedent conditions by forecasters, a possible reduction in ‘false alarms’, and increased interagency communication. Challenges identified by the participants included whether the system should be designed for individuals or society, a lack of impact data, verification of warnings based on impacts, a conflict with roles and responsibilities, the potential for conflicting messages, and the increased burden on agencies providing information to forecasters with a perception of little benefit in return.We argue that IBFWs could be designed for individual members of the public, with an increased focus on understanding vulnerability and capacities; and that more impact data needs to be collected and stored to inform future warnings. Increased interagency coordination would assist with rapid decision-making and the success of IBFWs.

Community Lifeline Framework for Leveraging Stabilization in Response and Recovery to Major Hurricanes

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-9
Author(s):  
Judy Kruger
Keyword(s):  
Transmission Lines ◽  
Critical Infrastructure ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
The Us ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
The Impact

The United States (US) and Caribbean regions remain vulnerable to the impact of severe tropical storms, hurricanes, and typhoons. In 2017, a series of hurricanes posed threats to residents living in inland and coastal communities as well as on islands isolated from the US mainland. Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria caused catastrophic infrastructure damage, resulting in a loss of electrical power and communications due to damaged or downed utility poles, cell towers, and transmission lines. Critical services were inoperable for many months. Emergency managers are public officials who are accountable to both political leaders and the citizens. During disaster events, emergency managers must prioritize areas of effort, manage personnel, and communicate with stakeholders to address critical infrastructure interdependences. Essential lifeline services (eg, energy and communications) were inoperable for many months, which led to increased attention from policy-makers, media, and the public.

Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic: When Public Health and Tornado Threats Converge

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig D. Croskery ◽  
Kathleen Sherman-Morris ◽  
Michael E. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Careful Planning ◽  
Public Places ◽  
The Public ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Public Health Officials

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in unprecedented challenges that dramatically affected the way of life in the United States and globally in 2020. The pandemic also made the process of protecting individuals from tornadoes more challenging, especially when their personal residence lacks suitable shelter, particularly for residents of mobile homes. The necessity of having to shelter with other families – either in a public shelter or at another residence – in order to protect themselves from a tornado threat conflicted with the advice of public health officials who recommended avoiding public places and limiting contact with the public to minimize the spread of COVID-19. There was also a perception that protecting against one threat could amplify the other threat. A survey was undertaken with the public to determine the general viewpoint to see if that was indeed the case.The results found that it was possible to attenuate both threats provided that careful planning and actions were undertaken. Understanding how emergency managers should react and plan for such dual threats is important to minimize the spread of COVID-19 while also maintaining the safety of the public. As there was no precedence for tornado protection scenarios amidst a pandemic, both short-term and long-term recommendations were suggested which may also be useful in future pandemic situations.

A Management Controversy at Point Reyes

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Alice Watt ◽  
David Lowenthal
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Local Foods ◽  
The Public ◽  
Point Reyes National Seashore ◽  
Point Reyes ◽  
Oyster Farm ◽  
Farm Operators ◽  
Parks Management ◽  
The One ◽  
Management Priorities

This introductory chapter presents the case study of the Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS), which was embroiled in a controversy in 2012. The issue was not the usual industry-versus-nature debate: on the one hand, national environmental organizations sought official designation of a marine wilderness; on the other, oyster farm operators and local foods advocates insisted that their historic operation was doing no harm and should be allowed to continue. This case example reveals a great deal about parks management in the United States. As the chapter shows, such controversies highlight much larger questions about what parks are for, what they are meant to protect and provide to the public, and how to make choices between competing uses or management priorities for park resources.

Accountability Practices and Their Importance for the Management of Public Sector Entities

2020 ◽  
pp. 151-168
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Ribeiro da Silva Rib Couto ◽  
Augusta da Conceição Santos Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
New Type ◽  
The One ◽  
Accountability Practices ◽  
The Way

New public management reflects a paradigm and orientation shift regarding the cornerstone of management in the public sector. With this new type of management, emphasis was given to accountability in order to, on the one hand, instill the need to render accounts when talking about the way decisions are taken (responsibility) and the way public resources are used (clarity) and, on the other hand, the citizens having the possibility of getting information which will allow them to make the public officials responsible. Considering the importance of accountability, this chapter was an attempt to carry out a bibliographic review, as a way of getting to know the different approaches to the concept, as well as getting to know the mechanisms that have been created in order to give explanations whether for the performance or accomplishment of a responsibility and if this is inherent to the responsibilities of the public officials.

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