ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ N ovem ber 2002 / 723 I N T E R N E T R E S O U R C E S Crisis, disaster, and emergency management Web sites for researchers by Martin P. Courtois and C laire B. Rubin The horrific attacks on the World Trade Cen­ter and Pentagon w ere am ong the m ost devastating terrorist events to o c c u r in the United States. Given the timing, nature, and magnitude o f the attacks, plus the immediate extensive m edia coverage, the topics o f ter­ rorism and emergency management received an unprecedented amount o f attention not only in the United States but worldwide. Aspects o f emergency management and counter-terror- ism plans and activities usually reserved to a small group o f behind-the-scenes operational personnel suddenly became of interest and con­ cern to citizens throughout the nation. Among the results o f those incidents are a) a huge increase in federal attention and fund­ ing for program s and activities dealing with emergency management, counter-temxism, and hom eland security; b ) significant activities at all levels o f government to increase understand­ ing, preparedness, and capability to deal with all types o f disasters; c) an increasing number o f education and training programs dealing with the topics mentioned; and d) a significant increase in W eb sites and other information sources. This article highlights major Web re­ sources that have emerged in these areas. Because these fields encompass a wide ar­ ray o f disciplines, including medicine (physi­ cal and mental health), engineering, sociology, psychology, economics, and business, we have lim ited ou r se le c tio n o f resou rces to a few broad areas. These include starting points, emer­ gency management, homeland security, health and medicine, terrorism, business continuity and recovery plans, and risk assessm ent and management. Nearly all sites listed here pro­ vide links to related sources and can be used to explore more specialized areas o f this multi­ faceted subject. S ta r tin g p o in ts • CBS News D isa ste r L in ks. CBS News Special Events Unit producer Dan Dubno pro­ vides hundreds o f links to primarily news-re- lated sites on the full range o f disaster events, from anthrax to wildfires. No annotations are provided, but links are categorized by specific s u b je c t h e a d in g s . A ccess: http://w w w . cbsnews.com/digitaldan/disaster/disasters. shtml. • D isaster Central. Maintained by em er­ gency management researcher, consultant, and educator Claire B. Rubin, this site provides an exten siv e set o f links to rec en t research re­ ports and other documents on emergency man­ agement, terrorism, hom eland security, state and local government, critical infrastructure, About th e authors M a rtin P. Courtois is Web development/reference librarian atG elm an Library, George Washington University, e- mail: courtois@gwu.edu and Claire B. Rubin is senior research scientist a t the Institute fo r Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management, George Washington University, e-mail: cbrubin@mindspring.com http://www mailto:courtois@gwu.edu mailto:cbrubin@mindspring.com 724 / C&RL News ■ N ovem ber 2002 health and medicine, policy analysis, and risk management. This site is an excellent source for full-text documents online. A ccess: http:// www.disaster-central.com/. • N atu ral H azard s C en ter. From the University of Colorado-Boulder, this site pro­ vides links to a number of valuable research sources. These include full-text articles from newsletters, journals, working papers, and con­ ference papers published by the center. The site also provides access to the “HazLit Data­ base,” an online catalog o f more than 22,000 items in the Center’s library. Access-, http:// www.colorado.edu/hazards. E m e rg e n cy m a n a g e m e n t • F e d e ra l E m e rg e n c y M an agem en t A g en cy (FEMA). FEMA is an independent agency tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from, and mitigating disaster. Their site includes many customer service links and directories of state offices and agencies. Links to hundreds of FEMA publications, many with a community and consumer focus, are provided. A ccess: http://www.fema.gov. • In te rn a tio n a l A ssociation o f E m e r­ g e n c y M anagers (IAEM). IAEM is the pro­ fessional association of city and county emer­ gency management officials. In addition to in­ formation about the association, this site pro­ vides full-text o f association publications, in­ cluding selected issues of their monthly news­ letter. Access to a bulletin board and discus­ sion list is also provided. A ccess: http:// www.iaem.com. • N ation al E m e rg e n c y M an agem en t A ss o c ia tio n (NEMA). NEMA is a profes­ sional association for state-level emergency management officials. The NEMA online li­ brary provides full-text access to more than 300 committee reports, position papers, train­ ing manuals, and implementation plans. A di­ rectory of emergency management contacts by state is also available. A ccess: http://www. nemaweb.oig. • N ation al R e s p o n se T eam (NRT). NRT is part o f the National Response System for emergency response to discharges of oil and releases of chemicals. This site includes full-text access to more than 50 fact sheets and planning guides from NRT committees as well as more than 100 links to preparedness and response sites. A ccess: http://www. nrt.org/. H o m e la n d se c u rity • A n ser Institute fo r H om eland Secu­ rity . The Anser Institute is dedicated to en­ hancing public safety. Their site includes news items, commen­ tary and analy­ sis, full-text ar­ ticles from Jo u r ­ n a l o f H om elan d Security and “Homeland Secu­ rity Newsletter,” links to related full-text docu­ ments, and a weekly e-mail bulletin. A ccess: http://www.homelandsecurity.org/. • B ro o k in g s In s titu tio n . This well- known think tank provides access to numer­ ous reports on economics, foreign policy, and governance. Featured documents include “Pro­ tecting the American Homeland” and “Assess­ ing the Department of Homeland Security.” Many publications are available online at no cost, others are available for purchase. A ccess: http://www.brook.edu/. • D ep artm en t o f H om eland Security. This official White House site provides back­ ground information on the proposed depart­ ment, including legislation, transcripts of speeches and online chats, and details on orga­ nizational structure. Links to other sites on homeland security policies and news are also included. A ccess: http://www.whitehouse. gov/deptofhomeland. • N a t i o n a l H o m e l a n d S e c u r i t y K now ledge B ase. This site provides an ex­ tensive set o f links to U.S. and other govern­ ment agencies as well as international and re­ search organizations. Focus is on various threats to homeland security, including nuclear/radio­ logical, biological, chemical, and explosives, as well as natural disasters. A ccess: http:// www.twotigersonline.com/resources.html. H ealth an d m e d ica l • A gen cy fo r T o x ic S u b stan ces an d D isease R eg istry (ATSDR). This site fea­ tures many news and information sources on toxic substances. Highlights include ToxFAQs (a series of summaries about hazardous sub­ stances), HazDat (the database that provides http://www.disaster-central.com/ http://www.colorado.edu/hazards http://www.fema.gov http://www.iaem.com http://www http://www http://www.homelandsecurity.org/ http://www.brook.edu/ http://www.whitehouse http://www.twotigersonline.com/resources.html C&RL News ■ Novem ber 2002 / 725 information on the release of hazardous sub­ stances from Superfund sites and emergency events), and Minimal Risk Levels for hazard­ ous substances. The “Science Corner” section of this site is a gateway to environmental health information and Web resources. A ccess: http:// atsdrl.atsdr.cdc.gov/cx.html. • B io terro rism A rticles. This site from the American Medical Association is a collec­ tion of more than 100 full-text articles, pri­ marily from JAMA and M orbidity a n d M ortality W eekly R eport‚ on biological weapons agents such as anthrax, smallpox, and others. Articles cover clinical, epidemiological, preparedness, and policy aspects. Access: http://pubs.ama-assn.org/ bioterr.html. • D is a s te r M en tal H ea lth S erv ices. Pub­ lished by the Department o f Veterans Affairs and the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Education, D isaster M en tal H ealth Services is a 170-page guidebook that serves as an introduction to the field of disas­ ter mental health for clinicians and adminis­ trators. The book focuses on response strate­ gies, team formation, and working with the Federal Disaster Response System. Access: http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/depart- ments/socialwork/provider/DMHS ‚htm. • R esp onding F irst to B io te rro rism . The National Academy of Science maintains this Web site for the “first responder" commu­ nity—local police, firefighters, and emergency medical professionals. A key feature is a search­ able database o f links to more than 3,000 Web sites. Links are arranged by broad categories such as equipment, training programs, and pro­ cedures. Access, http://www.nap.edu/shelves/ first/. • U.S. Centers fo r Disease Control and P rev en tio n (CDC). This extensive site in­ cludes health standards and statistics, fact sheets on health information and disease pre­ vention, and health-related news stories. Bro­ chures, software, and other publications are available for download and by order from CDC. Access-, http://www.cdc.gov/. • U.S. Department o f Health & Human Services/Office o f E m erg ency Prep ared ­ ness. This office is responsible for coordinat­ ing federal health, medical, and social services in response to natural disasters, technological disasters, major transportation accidents, and terrorist attacks. Their site includes informa­ tion on the office’s Counter Terrorism Program, the N ational D isaster M edical System (NDMS), and the Metropolitan Medical Re­ sponse System (MMRS). A ccess: http://www. oep.dhhs.gov/. Terrorism • Advice fo r Safeguarding Buildings Against C h em ical o r B iological Attack. From the Indoor Environment Department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, this site provides several pages of specific recom­ mendations on safeguards against attack as well as strategies to employ during attack. Also in­ cluded are links to several other sites on chemi­ cal, biological, and radiological attacks. Access: http ://securebuildings. lbl. gov/. • Annotated Bibliography o f Govern­ m en t D ocum ents Related to th e T h reat o f T erro rism and th e Attacks o f Septem ­ b e r 11, 2 0 0 1 . Prepared by Kevin Motes, a reference librarian at the Oklahoma Depart­ ment of Libraries, this nearly 100-page docu­ ment includes not only printed materials and Web resources on the September 11 attacks, but also covers historical aspects of terrorism. Topics covered include congressional and presi­ dential actions, global terrorism, international politics, national security, U.S. foreign rela­ tions, treaties, and weapons of mass destruc­ tion. A ccess: http://www.odl.state.ok.us/ usinfo/terrorism/911 .htm. • E xecutive Session o n Dom estic P re­ p ared ness (ESDP). Sponsored by the John F. Kennedy School o f Government, Harvard University, and the U.S. Department of Ju s­ tice, much of this site deals with preparedness against and response to terrorist attacks. The site lists more than 40 reports and case studies prepared by ESDP, most of them available full- text. Visit “Related Links” for access to addi­ tional full-text documents. A ccess: http:// ksgnotesl.harvard.edu/BCSIA/ESDP.nsf/ www/Research. • T erro rism R esearch C en ter (TRC). Sponsored in part by InfowarCon 2002, a con­ ference for political, government, and com­ mercial leaders, much of this site is devoted to information about terrorist groups. TRC does include coverage, however, of homeland threats and preparedness and chemical/biologi­ cal terrorism that will be of interest to emer­ gency managers. This site also features an ex­ tensive list of annotated links to additional sources. A ccess: http://www.terrorism.com/. http://pubs.ama-assn.org/ http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/depart- http://www.nap.edu/shelves/ http://www.cdc.gov/ http://www http://www.odl.state.ok.us/ http://www.terrorism.com/ 726 / C&RL News ■ N o v e m b e r 2002 Business c o n tin u ity a n d re c o v e ry plans • C o n tin g e n c y P la n n in g & M a n a g m en t. This site provides full-text articles from current and past issues o f Contingency P lan ­ ning & Management, a m agazine that focuses o n techn olog y , products, services, and m an­ a g e m e n t stra teg ies fo r b u sin e s s co ntin uity. A n o th e r fe a tu re o f th e site is a n e x te n s iv e c o lle c t io n o f “D isru p tion D efe n se s." T h e se are recom m endations for preventing, mitigat­ ing, responding to, and recovering from com ­ m on bu siness disruption threats. Registration is required to use this free site. Access: http:// www.contingencyplanning.com/. • D is a s te r R e s o u rc e Guide. Disaster Resource Guide is an annual compilation o f ar­ ticles contributed by emergency and crisis man­ agem ent professionals. Articles from 1996 to present are available online. Topics covered in the Guide include planning and management, human concerns, information technology and telecom m unications, facility issues, and crisis com m unications and response. This site also provides links to hundreds o f vendors and com ­ panies that provide products and services in the areas o f safety and security, em ergency and crisis m anagem ent, and b u siness continuity. Access: http://www.disaster-resource.com/. • DRI I n te rn a tio n a l (fo rm erly D isaster R ecovery Institute International). A highlight o f this site is the full text o f Professional P rac­ tices f o r Business Continuity Planners, a 50-page guide to standards for developing and im ple­ menting business continuity plans. The site also in clu d e s in fo rm a tio n o n D RII training and certification program s, links to related sites, and a glossary o f terms. Access: http://www. drii.org. • E m e rg e n c y M a n a g em e n t G u ide F o r B u s in es s a n d In d u stry . Prepared by FEMA in co op eration with many business and trade associations, this 60-page guide provides a step- by-step approach on how to create and main­ tain a comprehensive em ergency management program. This guide is useful for companies of all siz e s. Access: http://w w w .fem a.gov/li- brary/bizindex.shtm. e­ • R o t h s t e in A s s o c ia te s I n c . R oth stein Associates is a business continuity and disaster recovery consulting firm and their site provides a num ber o f useful resources, including an e x ­ tensive catalog that lists hundreds o f b o o k s, videos, software, and other materials available for purchase. T he site also includes free access to a c o lle c tio n o f full-text articles, an o n lin e discu ssion forum , cu rrent and past issu es o f the “Business Survival N ew sletter,” and links to industry sites. Access: http://www.rothstein. com/. Risk assessm ent a n d m a n a g e m e n t • R is k a n d I n s u r a n c e M a n a g em e n t S o cie ty (RIM S). This site provides a range o f services for society m em bers, including c o n ­ feren ce announcem ents, jo b listings, a discus­ sion forum, and a catalog o f publications. Ar­ ticles from the society’s magazine Risk Manage­ ment are available online from 1995 to present. Access: http://www.rims.org/. • R isk World. T h e “P u b licatio n s” section o f this site provides links to risk-related data­ b a s e s, journals, abstracts o f p ap ers from re ­ c en t co nferen ces, research reports, and news archives. T he “Topical In d ex” provides an n o­ tated links to sites in areas such as engineering safety and reliability, environm ent and e c o l­ ogy, natural hazards, risk assessment and man­ agement, risks in everyday life, and transporta­ tion. Access: http://www.riskworld.com/. • S o cie ty f o r R isk A nalysis (SRA). This p ro fessional asso ciatio n site provides an e x ­ tensive set o f a nn o tated links to risk-related technical information and data sources. Articles from the s o c ie ty ’s n e w s le tte r a re a v a ila b le online, as well as tables o f content from SRA’s jo u r n a l R isk A n aly sis. A ccess: h ttp :/ / www.sra.org/. • U n d ersta n d in g Y o u r R isk s— Id e n ti­ fy in g H azard s a n d E s tim a tin g L o ss e s. This p u blication from FEMA provides guide­ lines and worksheets for conducting a multi-haz- ard risk assessment. Access: http://www.fema. gov/fima/planning_toc3.shtm. ■ http://www.contingencyplanning.com/ http://www.disaster-resource.com/ http://www http://www.fema.gov/li- http://www.rothstein http://www.rims.org/ http://www.riskworld.com/ http://www.sra.org/ http://www.fema C&RL News ■ N ovem ber 2002 / 727