The Emergency Preparedness Atlas includes six case studies in North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, southern California, Washington, and Utah that each include a series of maps depicting the locations and capacity of nursing homes and hospitals as well as their geographic relationship to a variety of emergency management and bioterrorism preparedness regions, such as HAZMAT response regions, emergency management regions, and Red Cross chapters. The Atlas includes maps for all 50 states with the location of hospitals and nursing homes in each state, and it displays the locations relative to the distribution of the elderly population in the case study states.

“States, local communities and other planners need accurate and reliable information about nursing homes and other facilities that care for some our nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. “This new resource can help stimulate productive discussions among planners to further our nation’s preparation and response efforts.”

Also published with the Atlas is a report, Nursing Homes in Public Health Emergencies, which presents the results of a series of focus groups convened to collect information about disaster- and bioterrorism-related planning activities among nursing homes in the same six states used in the Atlas case study series. The report addresses the roles that nursing homes could play in regional preparedness, for example arranging with hospitals to transfer their less-critically ill or recovering patients to nursing homes.

“Planning resources such as the atlas and accompanying report will help prepare our nation, at all levels of government, to respond to the adverse health effects of public health emergencies and disasters,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response RADM Craig Vanderwagen, MD, USPHS.

Emergency Preparedness Atlas: U.S. Nursing Home and Hospital Facilities and Nursing Homes in Public Health Emergencies were developed for AHRQ under contract with RTI International. Both can be found online at

To order a copy of the Atlas or Nursing Homes in Public Health Emergencies, contact the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse at 800-358-9295 or by sending an E-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.

All India Disaster Mitigation Institute [Jan 12 06 Gujurat India]-- All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India is a community based action research, action planning and action advocacy non-governmental organisation. It works towards bridging the gap between policy, practice, and research related to disaster mitigation, in an effort to link the community to the (inter)national level humanitarian scenario. Promoting adoption and practice of disaster mitigation through: Partnership with the poorest within disaster vulnerable communities; Integrating water, food, habitat and livelihood security; Capacity building of multiple humanitarian stakeholders; Synergy between traditional and modern risk reduction strategies; Capturing and disseminating lessons and innovative ideas; Promoting use of humanitarian standards in disaster response; and Providing timely and targeted relief in a sustainable manner.  www.southasiadisasters.net

ASEAN Experts Group on Disaster Management (AEGDM) ASEAN cooperation on natural and man-made disasters is coordinated by AEGDM which was established in 1976 and meets regularly to discuss and share experiences of the region’s disaster management and mitigation activities.
http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/pdr-sea/newsletter/issue3/pdr-update.html

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center [Jan 12 06 Klong Luang Pathumthani Thailand]-- The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is a non-profit organization supporting the advancement of safer communities and sustainable development, through implementing programs and projects that reduce the impact of disasters upon countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific, by: Developing and enhancing sustainable institutional disaster risk management capacities, frameworks and mechanisms, and supporting the development and implementation of government policies; facilitating the dissemination and exchange of disaster risk management expertise, experience and information; and raising awareness and enhancing disaster risk management knowledge and skills.  www.adpc.net

Center for Disaster Management [Jan 14 06 Boğaziçi University Bebek/Istanbul Turkey]-- CENDIM was established in January 2001 as an interdisciplinary research center for disaster management. The center is in strategic partnership with many national and international organizations to develop disaster, engineering and risk management plans and to facilitate information sharing with governmental, non-governmental and community based organizations. CENDIM also aims to deploy the synergy of multi-disciplinary collaboration by national and international organizations.  www.cendim.boun.edu.tr/index.html

Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CDMHA) [Jan 15 06 Tampa FL]--Each year, billions of dollars are spent in disaster mitigation, response, and rehabilitation in Latin America and the Caribbean. The United States has traditionally provided a significant share of these resources, from official as well as private sources. The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and USSOUTHCOM head up the official U.S. efforts in this region. Most private and international donors also coordinate with, and often depend upon, U.S. rapid response and logical support. The Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CDMHA) was founded in 1998 as a partnership between the University of South Florida and Tulane University. Offices of the CDMHA are located in Tampa, Fl, within the College of Public Health, within the University of South Florida campus, as well as at the Payson Center for International Development of Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, and Washington, DC. The mission of the CDMHA is to facilitate collaborative education, training, research and information and communication services between disaster response and humanitarian assistance agencies (e.g. the military, NGOs, PVOs) primarily throughout the western hemisphere. cdmha.org/index.html

Center of Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance [Jan 12 06 Tripler Army Medical Center Hawaii]--COE is a federally funded project given a mandate by the US Congress to improve the coordination and integration of the world's response to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and peace operations. COE was established in response to experiences of the US military which indicated that the dramatic change in world politics and subsequent asymmetric warfare meant new challenges to the cold war institutions that had been in place for more than fifty years, and that adaptation to the increase in civilian response to humanitarian crises was required. COE is not operational in the traditional sense, of delivering relief supplies or supplying personnel services. There are many agencies and organizations involved in providing relief but what they often lack is a way to coordinate with military components that may be in the same area performing different activities. Oftentimes the delivery of aid and military activities clash which may hamper the effectiveness of the other. Instead, COE helps those active in the provision of relief or security, in the case of the military, to coordinate better, to learn about the role of the other actors in the humanitarian field so that they may perform their own roles better. Therefore, the work of COE is behind the scenes, helping the responding organizations to do their own jobs better through education, training, research and information management activities, many in a multinational, multidisciplinary setting. www.coe-dmha.org/index.htm

Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters [Jan 13 06 Brussels Belgium]--The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) was established in 1973 as a non-profit institution, with international status under the Belgian Law. It is located within the School of Public Health of the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) in Brussels. CRED became a World health Organisation Collaborating Centre in 1980 and has expanded its support of the WHO Global Programme for Emergency Preparedness and Response. Since then, it has increased its international network substantially. It has collaborative status with the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-DHA), and also works in collaboration with the European Union Humanitarian Office (ECHO), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA-USAID) as well as with non-governmental agencies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Croissant (ICRCRC, Switzerland). During the 90's, the Centre has actively promoted the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) within its activities.  www.cred.be/ 

Centre for Disaster Studies at James Cook University [Jan 14 06 Queensland Australia]--The Centre for Disaster Studies is a multi disciplinary research unit presently housed in the School of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography of James Cook University. The Centre has acted as the university's face to the public and the professionals in the Emergency Management and Meteorology fields, city councils and other researchers since its establishment in 1979. The Centre for Disaster Studies was formally established a few years after James Cook University opened. The catalysts for the development of a research centre dedicated to study of the impact of disaster were two major cyclones; Althea which devastated Townsville in 1971 and Tracy in which destroyed Darwin in 1974. These events generated strong research interest in cyclones and natural hazards. The Centre receives an annual grant from the Queensland Department of Emergency Services to continue its function as Queensland's only Disaster research unit. Presently Associate Professor David King (Director) provides direction for the Centre through his leadership and guidance of our multidisciplinary research team. www.tesag.jcu.edu.au/CDS/index.htm 

Coordinating Council for Disaster Management (CCGC), Mozambique CCGC is the government body responsible for policy decisions relating to disasters. The prime minister chairs the CCGC and his deputy is the minister of foreign affairs.

Disaster Management Bureau (DMB), Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MDMR), Bangladesh
MDMR is the principal government body, overseeing the disaster management activities in the country. Disaster Management Bureau and Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation work directly under the Ministry. Bangladesh has established various disaster management committees at different levels from National Disaster Management Council (NDMC), headed by the Honorable Prime Minister, to the field level committee such as District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC), headed by Deputy Commissioner (DC). Under the supervision of MDMR, there are a number of disaster response units. source : ADPC http://www.bdmb.org

Disaster Management Center (DMC), University of Wisconsin, USA The center’s goal is to help improve the emergency management performance of non-governmental organizations, local and national governments, and international organizations, through a comprehensive professional development program in disaster management. Distance learning is the principal approach for this international program. http://dmc.engr.wisc.edu/about/edlinks.html

Disaster Management Facility (DMF), World Bank, Washington D.C., USA DMF aims to reduce human suffering and economic losses caused by natural and technological disasters. Making sure that disaster prevention and mitigation are integral parts of development requires action, the DMF takes action by providing technical support to World Bank operations, promoting capacity-building, and establishing partnerships with the international and scientific community working on disaster issues. http://www.worldbank.org/dmf/mission.htm

Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA), South Africa DMISA is an organization where everyone involved in disaster management can relate to others with similar interests, and creates opportunities for the improvement of disaster management in Southern Africa. http://www.cmc.gov.za/pht/DMISA.htm

Disaster Management Technical Council (CTGC), Mozambique
The CTGC provides technical back-up to the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

Disaster Management Unit, (DMU), Standing Office of the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC), Vietnam The Vietnam Disaster Management Unit (DMU) is the mechanism chosen by the Government of Vietnam and UNDP to join together over 1000 years of Vietnamese flood protection culture with twenty-first century western technology to better protect the entire population of Vietnam against the annual natural disasters that ravage the country. http://www.undp.org.vn/dmu/index.html

Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), Zambia In 1998, the government of Zambia established the DMMU as part of the vice president’s office to coordinate disaster related activities. The DMMU is supported by a technical committee, which includes the ministry of agriculture’s office of early warning, the ministry of agriculture, food and fisheries, the central statistical office, and key line ministries such as health, finance and economic development.

Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies [Mar 5 06]--The Disasters Roundtable's mission is to facilitate and enhance communication and the exchange of ideas among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers in order to identify urgent and important issues related to the understanding and mitigation of natural, technological, and other disasters. The Disasters Roundtable convenes three annual workshops in Washington, DC. Workshops are free and open to the public. Roundtable Workshop 16: Community Disaster Resilience is scheduled for March 20, 2006. Workshop presenters and attendees will discuss such issues as the nature of community disaster resilience, what can further and inhibit it, and how community disaster resilience can be measured to determine the degree to which it is realized. The focus of the workshop will be on the local level, where the greatest impact of disasters is felt, as shown by Hurricane Katrina. The workshop will build on the 12th workshop in the series, "Creating a Disaster Resilient America: Grand Challenges in Science and Technology," which focused on the national level. Please Register by Friday, March 10, 2006

Gujarat State Disaster Management Authorities (GSDMA), India The Government of Gujarat established the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority in February, 2001 to co-ordinate the comprehensive earthquake recovery program. The GSDMA is registered as a society with a vision to go beyond reconstruction and make Gujarat economically vibrant, agriculturally and industrially competitive with improved standards of living and with a capacity to mitigate and manage future disasters. http://www.gsdma.org

High Powered Committee (HPC) on Disaster Management Plans, Government of India
HPC has been constituted to review existing arrangements for preparedness and mitigation of natural and man made disasters including industrial, nuclear, biological and chemical disasters; recommend measures for strengthening organizational structures, and recommend a comprehensive model plan for management of these disasters at National, State and District Level. http://www.ndmindia.nic.in/committee/hpcomm.html

Hungarian National Directorate General for Disaster Management (HNDGDM), Budapest
From January, 2000 an integrated organization, the National Directorate for Disaster Management, Ministry of Interior has been established in Hungary as the central organ of the integral national disaster management. It was established on the basis of the legal predecessors, that is, the Civil Protection and the Fire Service. The system of protection against disasters is divided into three levels: international, national, the level of municipalities.

Instituto Nacional de Gestao de Calamidades (INGC), Mozambique (National Disaster Management Institute)
It manages day-to-day matters relating to disasters is the responsibility of the National Disaster Management Institute. This is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), New Delhi, India
SEEDS, a non-profit voluntary organization, is a collective endeavour of young professionals drawn from development related fields. It originated as an informal group of like-minded people, getting together for the purpose of creative research projects of academic interest. The group was later formalized in early 1994 and has been active in the field ever since. It is involved in research activities in community development, disaster management, environmental planning, transport planning, and urban and regional planning. Activities are carried out on behalf of government, semi-government and international development agencies. Independent programs on vital issues are also taken up. http://www.gdrc.org/uem/seeds.html

International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) [Jan 15 06 Geneva Switzerland]-- INSARAG is an inter-governmental network under the United Nations umbrella, which deals with urban search and rescue (USAR) and related disaster response issues. Its purpose is to provide a platform for information exchange, to define standards for international USAR assistance and to develop methodology for international cooperation and coordination in earthquake response. INSARAG includes earthquake-prone countries as well as traditional providers of international assistance. INSARAG was established in 1991, following initiatives of the international search and rescue teams who operated in the 1988 Armenia earthquake. The Field Coordination Support Section (FCSS) located within the Emergency Services Branch (ESB) of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva functions as the INSARAG Secretariat.

ochaonline.un.org/webpage.asp?MenuID=2894&Page=549

Institute for Crisis, Disaster & Risk Management at The George Washington University [Jan 14 06 Washington DC]--The goal of The Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management is to improve the disaster, emergency, and crisis management plans, actions and decisions of government, corporate, and not-for-profit organizations by transforming theory into practice. The Institute's objectives are to create and teach courses in crisis, disaster, and risk management; conduct research, and create knowledge through its research activities; and disseminate knowledge through education al programs, professional forums, and workshops. The Institute faculty and staff work to facilitate exchanges of crisis management information, knowledge, and best practices among all sectors. The Institute is engaged in both domestic and international endeavors. www.gwu.edu/~icdrm/ 

International Institute for Disaster Risk Management [Jan 12 06 Makati City Philippines]-- The International Institute for Disaster Risk Management (IDRM) philosophy is to promote international standards and world best practices in risk management through continued mutual sharing towards professional excellence in developing countries. IDRM works on principles of continuous learning, organizational and individual professional development. IDRM specialists and partners are committed to appropriate, user-friendly, innovative and cost-effective solutions for the promotion of community safety, self-reliance and sustainability. Established in 1998 at the request of the Philippine Government, IDRM International is a uniquely self-reliant, not-for-profit organization. IDRM effectively transfers knowledge and expertise to its development partners by working with people to help build their capacities and confidence in implementing sustainable Risk Management programs and projects in their communities. www.idrmhome.org/index.html 

NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center [Jan 15 06 Brussels Belgium]--The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), created in 1998 as the focal point for coordinating disaster relief efforts of the 46 Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) nations in case of natural or technological disasters within the EAPC geographical area, will: inform the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and through him the EAPC as well as the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee (SCEPC) about disasters in EAPC countries and requests for international assistance; to coordinate the response to disasters within the EAPC area upon request of the stricken country; promote EAPC countries participation in the non-standing Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Unit (EADRU); act as an information-sharing tool for EAPC nations on disaster assistance. All those tasks are performed in close cooperation with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA). To ensure this cooperation, a UN-OCHA Liaison Officer is permanently based in the EADRCC. www.nato.int/eadrcc/home.htm

National Center for Disaster Management (NCDM), New Delhi, India
NCDM has been established by the Government of India and located in the Indian Institute of Public Administration with the objectives of providing training programs for senior and middle level administrative government officials which sensitize them for disaster mitigation; coordinating the research activities in different aspects of disaster management at national level.

National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), Phnom Penh, Cambodia
In 1995, as a result of the country’s experience with regularly occurring disasters, the Royal Government of Cambodia established NCDM. Its responsibilities are defined in terms of, not only providing timely and effective emergency relief to the victims of disasters, but also developing preventive measures to reduce loss of lives and property. This is accomplished by applying scientific and technical knowledge to mitigate disasters.

National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Pretoria, South Africa
Its mission is to improve knowledge, awareness and understanding of disasters, and to coordinate and facilitate access to information and resources in order to promote and support comprehensive, integrated and effective disaster management in South Africa. http://sandmc.pwv.gov.za

ProVention Consortium (Disaster Management Facility, World Bank)
ProVention Consortium (hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva) The ProVention Consortium, launched by the World Bank in 2000 and currently hosted by the International Federation, is a global partnership dedicated to increasing the safety of vulnerable communities and to reducing the impacts of disasters in developing countries, still disproportionately affected by disasters. A broad membership, ProVention includes international financial institutions and donor governments, international development and humanitarian organisations, leading academic institutions, private sector actors and civil society organisations. The goal of the Consortium is to reduce the risk and impacts of disasters on the poor through forging partnerships between different disciplines and sectors, supporting policy reform, developing innovative approaches to the practice of disaster risk management and sharing knowledge and resources. http://www.proventionconsortium.org

Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) in Disaster Management, Bangkok, Thailand
Within the framework of the Advisory Council, an ADPC Consultative Committee on Regional Cooperation in Disaster Management has been established. The Committee comprises members of the ADPC Board of Trustees/Advisory Council who are working in key Government positions in the National Disaster Management systems of countries of the Asian region. The role of RCC is to provide an informal consultative mechanism for development of action strategies for disaster reduction in the region and promotion of cooperative programs on a regional and sub-regional basis; so as to guide ADPC’s work.
 

United Nations Center for Regional Development/Disaster Management Planning Hyogo Office (UNCRD/DMPHO), Japan UNCRD/DMPHO was established in Kobe in 1999 after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995. While applying the lessons learned from the experience of the earthquake of 1995, the Hyogo office has formulated integrated projects for sustainable development through disaster management. The office has three basic research programmes; design of community-based projects for disaster management planning, school earthquake safety project, and disaster management capacity building programmes to introduce best practices case studies on disaster management in developing countries. http://www.hyogo.uncrd.or.jp

Office of Civil Defence (OCD) and the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), Philippines
The OCD is the executive arm of the NDCC. Its primary mission is to coordinate, on the national level, the activities and functions of various agencies and instrumentality of the National Government, private institutions and civic organizations devoted to public welfare so that the facilities and resources of the entire nation may be utilized to the maximum extent for the protection and preservation of the civilians. http://www.ndcc.gov.ph/

UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction [Jan 13 06 Geneva Switzerland]--The ISDR aims at building disaster resilient communities by promoting increased awareness of the importance of disaster reduction as an integral component of sustainable development, with the goal of reducing human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters. Recognising that natural hazards can threaten any one of us, the ISDR builds on partnerships and takes a global approach to disaster reduction, seeking to involve every individual and every community towards the goals of reducing the loss of lives, the socio-economic setbacks and the environmental damages caused by natural hazards. In order to achieve these goals, the ISDR promotes four objectives as tools towards reaching disaster reduction for all: Increase public awareness to understand risk, vulnerability and disaster reduction globally; Obtain commitment from public authorities to implement disaster reduction policies and actions; Stimulate interdisciplinary and intersectoral partnerships, including the expansion of risk reduction networks; and Improve scientific knowledge about disaster reduction. www.unisdr.org/

University of Wisconsin Disaster Management Center [Jan 14 06 Madison WI USA]-- Serving the learning needs of disaster/emergency management professionals in the developing world since 1982, the University of Wisconsin–Disaster Management Center (UW–DMC) has worked closely with experts recognized for their field experience to develop disaster management training activities with a practical emphasis. The center's goal is to help improve the emergency management performance of non-governmental organizations, local and national governments, and international organizations, through a comprehensive professional development program in disaster management. Distance learning (leaving this Web site) is the principal approach for this international program. dmc.engr.wisc.edu/