**December 19, 2005 FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project
Activity Report**

\(1\) DISASTERS AS A GROWTH BUSINESS RELATED ARTICLES:

Associated Press. \"Report: State \[Rhode Island\] is Unprepared for
Major Hurricane.\" December 18, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2005/12/18/report_state_is_unprepared_for_major_hurricane?mode=PF]{.underline}](http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2005/12/18/report_state_is_unprepared_for_major_hurricane?mode=PF)

Cuddy, Bob. \" Flirting With Disaster: Can Caltrans Clear Our Roads? -
Agency Says It Has the Experience to Handle Any Emergency But It Is Slow
To Provide Specifics and Downplays Importance of Formal Plans and
Drills.\" San Luis Obispo Tribune, December 16, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13419980.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp]{.underline}](http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13419980.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)

Cuddy, Bob. \"Flirting With Disaster: Erratic Messages Missing Target -
Officials are Frustrated that People Ignore Disaster Information, then
Complain they Weren\'t Informed.\" San Luis Obispo Tribune, December 18,
2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13435359.htm]{.underline}](http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13435359.htm)

Cuddy, Bob. \"Flirting With Disaster: Part 1 of a 4-Part Tribune
Investigation\" Why We Aren\'t Ready for the Worst.\" San Luis Obispo
Tribune, December 11, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13384181.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp]{.underline}](http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13384181.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)
\[Excerpt: \"Among The Tribune\'s findings:

Nursing home survival plans are so skimpy and have such little oversight
that many frail and elderly people could be stranded.

Shut-ins, the disabled an other fragile people would be left to fend for
themselves if they have not signed on to a list to receive help - and
only 1.27 percent of the county\'s disabled has done so.

Methods of getting information to the public before a disaster are so
fragmented that many residents wouldn\'t know what to do if an emergency
strikes.

Residents largely ignore the information that does get out.

A strong public commitment to disaster planning is lacking, evidenced by
thin budgets and a shortage of workers whose sole responsibility is
emergency response.

A shift of focus to terror attacks, even on the isolated Central Coast,
has drawn attention away from preparing for fires and earthquakes - the
most likely large-scale calamities facing San Luis Obispo County.\"\]

Cuddy, Bob. \"Flirting With Disaster: Getting Out of Town Will be
Tough - Disaster Experts Estimate It Could Take as Long As 15
Hours\...\" San Luis Obispo Tribune, December 16, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13419974.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp]{.underline}](http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13419974.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)

Cuddy, Bob. \"Flirting With Disaster - Part 4 of a 4-Part Tribune
Investigation: We\'ve ignoring Risks/A Belief that the Worst Won\'t
Happen Here Undermines the County\'s Ability to Prepare - Local
Officials and Taxpayers Alike Put Disaster Low on the List of Priorities
and Both Staff and Funding Are Spread Thin.\" San Louis Obispo Tribune
(CA), December 18, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13435366.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp]{.underline}](http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13435366.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)
\[Excerpt: \"Indifference and denial by everyone from top local
officials to individual citizens threaten to prevent badly needed
improvements to San Luis Obispo County\'s disaster planning, and could
endanger citizens when a catastrophe occurs\....Disaster budgets, city
by city, are small or nonexistent, or chipped off from larger, unrelated
budgets. Disaster workers hold multiple jobs and are spread thin.
Government agencies are responding at a turtle\'s pace to a problem that
could arrive at full gallop.\"\]

Griffy, Leslie. \"Nursing Homes Left Mostly On Their Own - Oversight is
Split Between State and Local Officials, Giving Neither the Authority
Needed to Ensure the Safety of Residents.\" San Luis Obispo Tribune,
December 11, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13381947.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp]{.underline}](http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13381947.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)

Linn, Sarah. \"Flirting With Disaster: Assistance Would Be Lacking for
Those with Special Needs - Advocates for Disabled Say Authorities
Neglect Them, But Officials Say a Plan is in Place and that People Must
Be Proactive.\" San Luis Obispo Tribune, December 11, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13381944.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp]{.underline}](http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13381944.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)
\[Excerpt: \"Of the 30,000-plus people living with disabilities in this
county, only 1.27 percent are on a \"special needs\" list identifying
them as requiring help in a disaster, The Tribune has found.\"\]

Linn, Sarah. \"Most Money Goes To Terror Training.\" San Luis Obispo
Tribune (CA), December 178, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13435362.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp]{.underline}](http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/13435362.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)
\[Excerpt: \"Blue-suited rescuers move through the drizzle of a November
morning, carrying the victims of a mock chemical terrorist attack at
Camp San Luis Obispo. They\'re taking part in the county\'s largest
drill \-- and practicing a scenario that experience suggests is far less
likely to strike San Luis Obispo County than an earthquake, flood or
catastrophic fire\....just one piece of a local system that neglects
natural disaster planning.\"\]

\(2\) FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT \-- GRADUATE LEVEL COURSE DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT:

December 19, 2005 \-- Communicated with lead course developer, Bob
Freitag, University of Washington on the status of course revisions \--
all of the course development team, save one member who is out of
country, is busily engaged in making modifications to their sessions
based upon comments received during the external review process. Bob
hopes to have a final course by the end of the year, still.

\(3\) INTRODUCTION TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEXTBOOK \-- REVIEW PROCESS:

December 19, 2005 \-- Received another request to review this completed
first draft textbook \-- by three-person team led by Dr. Michael
Lindell, Texas A&M University. Admin. \-- estimating that the book is
almost 700 pages. Received printed copies from Admin Support today and
mailed review copies out. Reviewers have until February 3rd to provide
review comments back to us. This electronic textbook is intended to
support upper division college Introduction to Emergency Management type
courses. It can be accessed electronically at:
[[http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/introtoEM.asp]{.underline}](http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/introtoEM.asp)

\(4\) KATRINA/RITA-RELATED ARTICLES:

Dewan, Shaila, and Janet Roberts. \"Louisiana\'s Deadly Storm Took
Strong as Well as the Helpless.\" New York Times, December 18, 2005.
Accessed at:
[[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/18/national/nationalspecial/18victims.html?hp=&pagewanted=print]{.underline}](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/18/national/nationalspecial/18victims.html?hp=&pagewanted=print)
\[Excerpt: \"Of those who failed to heed evacuation orders, many were
offered a ride or could have driven themselves out of danger - a finding
that contrasts with earlier reports that victims were trapped by a lack
of transportation. Most victims were 65 or older, but of those below
that age, more than a quarter were ill or disabled.\"\]

Lee, Renee C. \"Short Joke Everyone Understood.\" Houston Chronicle,
December 18, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/metropolitan/3533814]{.underline}](http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/metropolitan/3533814)
\[Excerpt: \"MAYOR Bill White {Houston} may not have the best comedic
delivery, but he managed to get hearty applause and laughter Friday from
about 1,000 grass-roots organizers who are working to support Hurricane
Katrina survivors. \'\'I\'m going to start with the shortest joke I can
tell,\" White said. \'\'FEMA.\"\]

New Orleans Times-Picayune. \"Lessons From Survivors\" (Editorial).
December 19, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-2/113497635882770.xml?nola]{.underline}](http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-2/113497635882770.xml?nola)

Pitts, Leonard Jr. \"Shame, Shame: In Crises, Image Isn\'t Everything.\"
Miami Herald, December 16, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/leonard_pitts/13422589.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp]{.underline}](http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/leonard_pitts/13422589.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)

Riccardi, Nicholas, Doug Smith, and David Zucchino. \"Katrina Killed
Across Class Lines \--The well-to-do died along with the poor, an
analysis of data shows. The findings counter common beliefs that
disadvantaged blacks bore the brunt.\" Los Angeles Times, December 18,
2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bodies18dec18,0,4344174,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines]{.underline}](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bodies18dec18,0,4344174,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines)
\[Excerpt: \"New Orleans was the site of most of Katrina\'s fatalities;
the state reported that 76% of storm deaths statewide occurred in the
city. Of the 380 bodies from New Orleans that have been formally
identified, a moderately disproportionate number are white. New
Orleans\' population was 28% white, yet 33% of the identified victims in
the city are white and 67% black. \"The affected population is more
multiracial, multiethnic and multicultural than one might discern from
national media reports,\" said Richard Campanella, a Tulane University
geographer who has studied which parts of the city were hit the worst by
flooding. His research showed that predominantly white districts in the
city were almost as likely to flood as predominantly black ones\.... He
noted that 70% of the identified Katrina victims in New Orleans were
older than 60, frequently lifelong residents who had ridden out other
hurricanes and refused to evacuate.\"\]

Shreveport Times (LA). \"What We Have Learned From Katrina So Far\"
(Editorial). December 18, 2005. Accessed at:
[[http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051218/OPINION03/512170312/1058/OPINION03]{.underline}](http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051218/OPINION03/512170312/1058/OPINION03)

Thomas, Evan. \"Michael Chertoff: \'What The Hell Is Going On?\'\"
Newsweek, December 26, 2005 - January 2, 2006 issue. Accessed at:
[[http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10511927/site/newsweek/]{.underline}](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10511927/site/newsweek/)

\(5\) MULTIHAZARD MITIGATION COUNCIL REPORT ON COST EFFECTIVENESS OF
MITIGATION:

December 19, 2005 \-- Released today was a 19-page MMC Report entitled:
\"Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: An Independent Study to Assess the
Future Savings From Mitigation Activities, Volume 1 - Findings,
Conclusions, and Recommendations.\" (Washington, DC: Multihazard
Mitigation Council, December 19, 2005.) Accessed at:
[[http://www.nibs.org/MMC/mmcactiv5.html]{.underline}](http://www.nibs.org/MMC/mmcactiv5.html)

\[Note \-- From Press Release:

\"Washington, D.C. \-- Each dollar spent on disaster mitigation saves
society an average of four dollars, according to a new study released
today by the Multihazard Mitigation Council of the National Institute of
Building Sciences.

The study examined grants over a 10-year period (1993-2003) aimed at
reducing future damages from earthquake, wind, and flood. It found that
such efforts reduce future losses and are cost effective.

\"For the first time ever, there is now quantifiable evidence that
disaster mitigation works,\" said Brent Woodworth, chair of the
Multihazard Mitigation Council and worldwide manager of IBM\'s Crisis
Response Team. \"For years, there have been anecdotal reports, but this
information gives policymakers the evidence that proves that mitigation
is a worthy investment in our nation\'s safer future.\"

The Congressionally-mandated study was commissioned by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency. According to the study, mitigation results
\"in significant net benefits to society as a whole ─ to individuals, to
states and to communities ─ in terms of future reduced resource losses
and significant savings to the federal treasury in terms of future
increased tax revenues and future reduced hazard-related expenditures.\"

Key findings include:

A dollar spent on mitigation saves society an average of \$4, with
positive benefit-cost ratios for all hazard types studied.

In addition to savings to society, the federal treasury can redirect an
average of \$3.65 for each dollar spent on mitigation as a result of
disaster relief costs and tax losses avoided.

In each of the eight communities studied in depth, FEMA mitigation
grants were a significant part of the community\'s mitigation history
and often led to additional loss reduction activities.

Mitigation is sufficiently cost-effective to warrant federal funding on
an ongoing basis both before disasters and during post-disaster
recovery.\"

\"We\'ve all seen that mitigation helps to save lives and reduce
property damage,\" said David I. Maurstad, FEMA\'s Acting Director of
Mitigation. \"But until the MMC study we haven\'t had independent,
objective, quantitative data analysis to show that building stronger and
safer is also a sound investment.\"

The study involved two interrelated components, (1) a benefit-cost
analysis of a broad sample of FEMA mitigation grants and (2) additional
empirical research on FEMA-funded mitigation activities carried out in
eight selected communities. The community studies examined all FEMA
mitigation grants received by the selected communities for any grants
received between the years of 1988-2003.\"

\(6\) PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, HERSHEY \--
BIOTERRORISM PREPAREDNESS AND DISASTER READINESS ON-LINE GRADUATE
CERTIFICATES:

December 19, 2005 \-- Approved for posting to the EM HiEd Project
website \-- \"The College List\" \-- two new \"write-ups\" of new
programs \-- at Pennsylvania State University, Penn State College of
Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center: (1) An on-line graduate
Certificate in Bioterrorism Preparedness, and (2) an on-line graduate
Certificate in Disaster Readiness. The first will be located in the
Homeland Security section, Masters programs subsection, and the second
will be placed in the \"Public Health, Medical and Related Programs\"
section, Masters Programs subsection, where they should be accessible
shortly. Both are available as stand-alone certificates and each can be
used to apply credit toward the Penn State Master of Homeland Security
in Public Health Preparedness Degree. For additional information, the
point of contact is Dr. Robert Cherry, who can be reached at:
rcherry@psu.edu. One might also go to:
[[http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu]{.underline}](http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/)

\(7\) THOMAS EDISON STATE COLLEGE \-- ADDING EM HI-ED PROJECT COURSES TO
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BACHELOR DEGREE:

December 19, 2005 \-- Talked and emailed with Dr. Judith Krom, Dean,
Heavin School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Thomas Edison State
College, concerning which four of the upper division level courses
developed for the EM HiEd Project I would recommend for inclusion in the
TESC Emergency Management Bachelor Degree Program. In the past, TESC
offered no emergency management courses of its own, granting credit for
training courses taken, life experience, and projects undertaken under
the supervision of a subject matter expert. Now, for the first time in
it\'s emergency management program, it will offer distance learning
versions of four of the EM HiEd Project developed courses. Thus, in the
near future TESC will be looking for adjunct faculty to (1) translate
one or more EM HiEd Project courses into a distance learning format, and
(2) teaching one or more courses. Stay tuned here for notices for
adjunct faculty in the near future. In the meantime, for additional
information, Dr. Krom can be reached at: <jkrom@tesc.edu>

B.Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM

Higher Education Project Manager

Emergency Management Institute

National Emergency Training Center

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department of Homeland Security

16825 S. Seton, N-430

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

\(301\) 447-1262, voice

\(301\) 447-1598, fax

wayne.blanchard@dhs.gov

[[http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu]{.underline}](http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu)

"Please note: Some of the Web sites linked to in this document are not
federal government Web sites, and may not necessarily operate under the
same laws, regulations, and policies as federal Web sites."