Avagene Moore: Welcome to the EIIP Virtual Library! ... Avagene Moore: We are pleased to introduce the authors of the paper to be presented today --- Jennifer Wilson and Arthur Oyola-Yemaiel. ... Avagene Moore: Jennifer Wilson is a doctoral candidate in Comparative Sociology at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Her areas of research interest include the professionalization of emergency management, vulnerability, gender and disaster, and emergent organization after disaster. ... Avagene Moore: Arthur Oyola-Yemaiel is a doctoral candidate in Comparative Sociology at Florida International University. His research focuses on development and conservation of nature, with implications for sovereignty and security issues, conflict and its resolution, and vulnerability and social change. ... Avagene Moore: Jennifer and Arthur are working from one computer today to present their paper .... Avagene Moore: 'Emergent Coordinative Groups and women's Response Roles in the Central Florida Tornado Disaster, February 23, 1998.' ... Avagene Moore: Please see background material on Jennifer and Arthur plus a link to their paper, Quick Response Report #110, at http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/990203.htm . ... Avagene Moore: Note that the URL above and any URLS Jennifer uses are live links. You can view the information by clicking on the link and it will load in your browser window behind the chat screen. ... Avagene Moore: After Jennifer completes her formal presentation of QR #110, I will give brief instructions for submitting questions or comments in an orderly manner. ... Avagene Moore: Jennifer and Arthur, thank you for being with us today. I turn the floor to you, Jennifer. Jennifer Wilson: Thank you Avagene. ... Jennifer Wilson: Storms that swept across Central Florida in the early morning hours of February 23, 1998, spawned the deadliest round of tornadoes on record in Florida. Ninety percent of Florida's tornadoes have winds under 72 miles per hour. ... Jennifer Wilson: However, according to the National Weather Service, due to the effects of El Niņo atmospheric disturbances, the several tornadoes that struck Florida on February 23, contained wind speeds ranging from 210 mph to 260 mph.... Jennifer Wilson: According to the National Weather Service, only two other times has Florida been hit by tornadoes with wind speeds of more than 206 miles per hour in 1958 and 1966. Both were El Niņo years, and both times the storms hit Central Florida.... Jennifer Wilson: http://www.Colorado.EDU/hazards/qr/qr110/qr110.html#appendixa Jennifer Wilson: Tornadoes touched down in Brevard, Dixie, Manatee, Nassau, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia Counties. Forty-two people were killed and more than 250 were injured throughout the Central Florida area.... Jennifer Wilson: Osceola County experienced the worst impact of these series of tornadoes. Twenty-five people were killed and 148 were injured in this county.... Jennifer Wilson: Osceola County Office of Emergency Management estimated that the county sustained more than $37 million in damage to 150 homes, 200 mobile homes, 15 RVs, a strip mall and about 30 businesses.... Jennifer Wilson: Some damage was inflicted upon an additional 225 homes, 60 apartments and 25 mobile homes.... http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/appendixda.html Jennifer Wilson: http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/appendixdd.html Jennifer Wilson: We visited Osceola County, Florida, on four different occasions in order to study this community's coordinated response to the tornado disaster.... Jennifer Wilson: We interviewed emergency management organization personnel, government and non-profit disaster relief organization personnel and citizen/victims.... Jennifer Wilson: There is significant evidence that in times of disaster groups of affected people who do not have their needs met through pre-existing social (organizational) means will organize among themselves in some fashion to satisfy these requirements.... Jennifer Wilson: Emergent or ad hoc organizations then arise which form outside the structure of the official disaster relief network and are aimed to link with the "insiders" in order to acquire a fair share of the means for recovery. Although new organizations, these groups often draw upon existing networks for labor and resources.... Jennifer Wilson: We also know that today, women are becoming incorporated into the official disaster relief network. Due in part to professionalization, women are more often found in official emergency management positions at the federal, state and local level.... Jennifer Wilson: Women also continue to enter other emergency response organizations such as the police and fire departments in greater numbers. These conditions together with the fact that women have traditionally participated in human service agencies such as the American Red Cross and others, ... Jennifer Wilson: make their presence more prevalent in the emergency operations center (EOC) as representatives of important functional areas. Women's greater participation from across fields in the EOC, may provide less reason for outside ad hoc organizations to form. Thus, women's needs may primarily be met through existing organizations.... Jennifer Wilson: In order to explore further the complex issues of women and emergent organization in disaster, our intent was to examine a disaster-affected community's emergent, ad hoc groups which formed to broker or coordinate between service, non-governmental and governmental organizations ... Jennifer Wilson: and, in so doing, meet certain recovery needs of the population that otherwise would not be met. Specifically, we looked for women's roles in these emergent organizations. ... Jennifer Wilson: However, we found no evidence of formation of emergent, coordinative groups in Osceola County, Florida following the February tornado disaster. The response was handled using pre- established organizational channels... Jennifer Wilson: Conditions for the formation of coordinative groups were not present. Thus, the opportunity for women to participate in these groups was nonexistent.... Jennifer Wilson: Why were their no emergent groups?... Jennifer Wilson: The Osceola County emergency operations center (EOC) Operations Manager stated: "Initially it was overwhelming. The sheer volume of...needs was tremendous...This county has never experienced anything like this...Were we prepared? No, we weren't." ... Jennifer Wilson: However, all indications from other respondents were that the official response was immediate and thorough. Victim respondents whom we talked with were highly satisfied.... Jennifer Wilson: Furthermore, the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross respondents believed that the response went extremely well despite the lack of preparation.... Jennifer Wilson: Although this county has rarely experienced a disaster of the same proportion as the tornadoes, there were some very innovative techniques utilized during the response. ... Jennifer Wilson: For example, the Osceola County Office of Emergency Management established a storeroom for citizens whose homes were destroyed to store their possessions until they could find replacement housing. ... Jennifer Wilson: In addition, the OEM established two warehouses: one for incoming donations and one for outgoing donations. Osceola OEM was aware that the county would receive large amounts of unusable donations that could then be forwarded to other agencies that would be glad to have them. ... Jennifer Wilson: The OEM Operations Manager said that "at one point we had nearly twenty semi's coming in and twenty semi's going out each day" with donations received and then subsequently forwarded. ... Jennifer Wilson: Another unique or unusual response by Osceola County OEM was the coordination of volunteers. ... Jennifer Wilson: The OEM arranged to have photo identification badges made for each volunteer. This was accomplished through the development of a database which kept track of volunteers' names, what skills and/or equipment they were able to provide, and their assignments. ... Jennifer Wilson: The database also tracked the volunteer needs within the community. The OEM also covered volunteers with accident insurance and workman's compensation insurance during their volunteer work. ... Jennifer Wilson: According to the Operations Manager of Osceola County OEM, there were close to 3000 volunteers who did 19,000 hours of work in the county in response to the tornado disaster. ... Jennifer Wilson: In all, respondents had very few complaints concerning the response to the tornadoes. Rather, the respondents to whom we spoke praised the coordinated efforts among the community's organizations. ... Jennifer Wilson: Indeed, according to our respondents there was a high amount of coordination among existing agencies or organizations. For example, "town meetings" by city-county coordination were instituted immediately after the event (the next day) in order to facilitate communication among all the players. ... Jennifer Wilson: Respondents reported that there were only minor communication problems that were resolved quickly. This may be due to the fact that the EOC was expressly utilized for coordination purposes among the players. ... Jennifer Wilson: Because most of the Osceola County departments and offices were involved in the response in some way coordination was further facilitated. These departments include the human resources department, the parks and recreation department, the road and bridge department, ... Jennifer Wilson: the collections office, the solid waste department, the billing office, and others. These offices provided labor, equipment, and communication to the response effort. ... Jennifer Wilson: Another reason for the quick and thorough response, is the fact that several of the key response agencies had members of their regional or state offices come into the county in order to facilitate the response. ... Jennifer Wilson: Florida state Department of Emergency Management had a representative come in "almost immediately" after the tornadoes to work with Osceola County OEM in instituting the state-designed response plan. ... Jennifer Wilson: This same procedure occurred at the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army which both had members of their regional disaster response teams arrive within twelve to thirty-six hours of the tornado disaster. ... Jennifer Wilson: These teams' expertise in disaster response and their assistance in Osceola County was evident in the coordinated and swift response of these organizations for sheltering and donations (American Red Cross) and feeding (Salvation Army). ... Jennifer Wilson: There was substantial evidence that the responders were concerned with making recovery from the disaster as easy as possible for individual victims in the community. ... Jennifer Wilson: One way in which this was accomplished was that the Disaster Relief Center contained representatives from the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Small Business Administration, some state agencies such as the Insurance Department, and United Methodist Disaster Relief all in the same building. ... Jennifer Wilson: This is significant because in many communities this does not always take place due to lack of space and willingness to work so closely together. ... Jennifer Wilson: In addition, the local bus system, LYNX, established separate routes to transport tornado victims to the DRC. ... Jennifer Wilson: Furthermore, most of the local social service agencies decided to set up a disaster relief fund for the donations they received. Every agency was then able to draw from this fund to practice their individual disaster relief work, i.e., mental health, food bank, etc. ... Jennifer Wilson: This procedure was taken in order to balance out the amount of disaster relief donations received by individual agencies since some received large amounts of funds and some received little or no donations. This is a significant component of the coordinative effort as non-profit agencies often have difficulty obtaining adequate operating funds. ... Jennifer Wilson: Where were the women? ... Jennifer Wilson: A few women were key participants within their existing organizational positions. For example, the director of the county personnel office was key in organizing the county's volunteer program. ... Jennifer Wilson: A horticultural agent of the Department of Agriculture designed a computer database program to keep track of the volunteers. Kissimmee's assistant city manager was essential in facilitating the working relationship between city workers and the Osceola County Office of Emergency Management's response plans. ... Jennifer Wilson: In addition, the director of the local American Red Cross played an integral part in shelter provision. One of the co- directors of the local Salvation Army was crucial in providing feeding to both victims and rescuers. ... Jennifer Wilson: And, finally, the sheriff's department EOC representative served to link her department's response efforts with the OEM. ... Jennifer Wilson: In total, six women were prominent in the community tornado response in Osceola County, Florida. ... Jennifer Wilson: Although the total number of important female responders is small, only half of those women (three) occupied traditional female working roles in their official positions. ... Jennifer Wilson: Three were in social services but the remaining three occupied "less-traditional" female working roles: a police officer, a horticulture agent, and an assistant city manager (public official). ... Jennifer Wilson: Even though these women regularly occupied "less- traditional" working roles, two of them fulfilled more traditional female roles during the disaster response. One woman was responsible for coordinating volunteer workers and the second handled phone communication at the EOC. ... Jennifer Wilson: The third woman took on a much more substantial "non-traditional" working role during the disaster response as the mediator between city workers and the county OEM response process. ... Jennifer Wilson: Thus, we can argue that women were vital in the response process within the pre-existing organizational structure. ... Jennifer Wilson: In conclusion ... Jennifer Wilson: In this relatively small community, the coordinative effort of local agencies was supported and assisted by the convergence of outside experts. ... Jennifer Wilson: The tornado, although severe and devastating for some, was localized and did not have a catastrophic effect of large magnitude in which the entire social structure/institutional fabric ceased to operate. ... Jennifer Wilson: In contrast, a disaster of the scope of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, caused devastation so widespread that the social- organizational structure of everyday life was virtually dismantled. ... Jennifer Wilson: In Osceola County, the tornado left clusters of localized heavy damage, but the majority of the community was left intact and able to concentrate relief efforts on the damaged areas. ... Jennifer Wilson: This resilient community was able to respond effectively, solving the problems at hand that otherwise could have created unmet needs for sectors of the population. In doing so, unmet needs never arose. ... Jennifer Wilson: Among the reasons that no emergent coordinative groups formed in Osceola County is that already existing organizations adapted to meet the basic needs of the affected community. ... Jennifer Wilson: In short, the exchange relationship was conducted both within existing organizations and between these organizations so that the outside or ad hoc groups were not needed. ... Jennifer Wilson: This may have been accomplished in part because women, racial minorities, and cultural ethnic/religious ethnic minorities, are often integral parts of the disaster relief network. ... Jennifer Wilson: More diverse emergency response organizations represented in the EOC are more likely to be sensitive to the needs and concerns of all members of the affected community. ... Jennifer Wilson: Now back to you, Ava. Avagene Moore: Thank you, Jennifer and Arthur ... Avagene Moore: For Q&A: If you wish to ask a question, please submit a question mark (?) to the chat screen; you may compose your question or comment but please do not send until you are recognized. We will take questions in order of requests to speak. This will allow us to conduct Q&A in an orderly fashion. ... Avagene Moore: First question of Jennifer and/or Arthur, please. Amy Sebring: ? Avagene Moore: Amy Amy Sebring: It sounds like of some of the things Osceola OEM... Amy Sebring: did in response were highly adaptive to the situation ... Amy Sebring: do you think the participation of women in the EOC ... Amy Sebring: had a positive impact on adaptivity? Jennifer Wilson: Yes we think so... Jennifer Wilson: For example, ... Jennifer Wilson: the volunteer database was the idea of the woman who ended up running it... Jennifer Wilson: and the social service agencies which joined ... Jennifer Wilson: together in the donations fund were operated by women. Avagene Moore: ? I have a question, please .... Avagene Moore: Jennifer and Arthur, have you done any comparison re: women's emergent roles in other disaster studies? Is the preparedness status of states and local jurisdictions such as seen in Florida the key driver for emergent roles? Jennifer Wilson: In answer to the first question... Avagene Moore: Perhaps I should have added lack of preparedness. Jennifer Wilson: not yet... Jennifer Wilson: Yes it seems to be so... Jennifer Wilson: Emergent organizations arise when response and/or recovery processes... Jose Musse: ? Jennifer Wilson: do not meet the needs of the victims. Avagene Moore: Jose, your question, please. Jose Musse: Know you experience same in other countries or state (role emergent woman)? Jennifer Wilson: We believe that this is the case throughout the world... Amy Sebring: ? Jennifer Wilson: in many cases women and men participate in emergent groups... Jennifer Wilson: Emergent organizations are not restricted by gender.... Jennifer Wilson: What most likely happens is that women take the leading roles... Jennifer Wilson: because they are most active in the recovery of their households... Jennifer Wilson: as well as often being active in neighborhood organizations such as churches, etc. Avagene Moore: Amy, please. Amy Sebring: I noticed you had a TIEMS paper concerning women in emergency management. Can you tell us a little about the thrust of that paper? and is it available on Internet somewhere? Jennifer Wilson: It is not available on line... Jennifer Wilson: but it is forthcoming... Jennifer Wilson: in the March 1999 issue of International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. Jennifer Wilson: It will be substantially improved and expanded. Avagene Moore: Other questions of Jennifer and Arthur? Russell Coile: ? Avagene Moore: Russell. Russell Coile: I suggest that you take a look at the role of women in (California, for example... Russell Coile: in Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams and Community Collaborative Groups... Russell Coile: such as Card and Cadre - see FEMA compendium of Exemplary Practices, II 1997 and III 1998 Russell Coile: end Amy Sebring: ? Jennifer Wilson: Yes, we are familiar with this. Avagene Moore: Amy. Amy Sebring: Do you and Arthur hope to do some follow up studies together? Jennifer Wilson: Yes,... Jennifer Wilson: we are planning to expand the study on the Central Florida tornadoes... Jennifer Wilson: into mitigation and preparedness issues,... Jennifer Wilson: specifically advance warnings and public outreach. Avagene Moore: If I might comment .... Jennifer Wilson: We also would like to expand into comparative analysis... Jennifer Wilson: of other tornadoes around the nation... Jennifer Wilson: their response and recovery and the role of emergent organizations. Avagene Moore: the thing that strikes me about this discussion ... Avagene Moore: is that this is such a great impetus for better preparedness everywhere, not just in Florida or California. Avagene Moore: I cite those states because they seem to be leaders. Avagene Moore: Other questions or comments? BurtWallrich: ?. Lindsey Burke: ? Avagene Moore: Burt. BurtWallrich: Los Angeles County puts control of disaster operations in a Recovery Coordination Center, which is part of the Chief Admin. Officer's office, and which is headed by a woman... Jennifer Wilson: The issue of vulnerability is one of the most important research issues.... BurtWallrich: As soon as the response phase of a disaster is over, she is in charge of county recovery efforts. This means she also has a major role in planning and mitigation efforts. Jennifer Wilson: For us this is the basis for understanding the nature of social disasters... Jennifer Wilson: whether they are natural or technological.... Jennifer Wilson: and will allow us to become better prepared to cope with them. Avagene Moore: Lindsey, you are next, please. Rick Tobin: ? Lindsey Burke: Well this is more of a response...do you have any advice for new women emergency managers...I will be finishing my degree here in a year and a half... Jennifer Wilson: To Burt, very interesting. Lindsey Burke: and would like any advice you may have. Jennifer Wilson: Great!... Jennifer Wilson: Very encouraging to hear this. You know that you may not meet many other women... Jennifer Wilson: in your field... Lindsey Burke: Yes, that I am aware of. Jennifer Wilson: But with so many new degree programs, etc.... Jennifer Wilson: there will likely be more represented in the field soon.... Jennifer Wilson: I would be interested to hear over time how your career develops and what your experiences are. Avagene Moore: Rick, your question or comment, please. Rick Tobin: Please excuse my coming in late. I wanted to ask Jennifer if she had ever read, "When the Canary Stops Singing"? It is about women changing the face of business but it is very relevant to women's perspectives in emergency management. Lindsey Burke: Thank you....and I will keep EIIP updated. Jennifer Wilson: We are not familiar with this book. Can you give us a reference for it? Avagene Moore: While waiting for Rick's response / reference, we are about out of time today ..... Amy Sebring: Jennifer, can you put up your email address for follow up? Rick Tobin: Pat Barrentine is the author, by Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1993 Jennifer Wilson: For Jose, we did not mention that there are cases of many emergent groups arising in Mexico City after the earthquake of 1985--women were the primary founders and participants. This also happened in Peru after an avalanche in 1970. Avagene Moore: Thanks, Rick. Jose Musse: Comments Avagene Moore: Reminder: see background material on Jennifer and Arthur plus a link to their paper, Quick Response Report #110, at http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/990203.htm . ... Avagene Moore: Yes, Jose. Jose Musse: Woman in Peru, have role emergent very important, Leader Terrorist are Woman, are very hard and very cruel. Who fighting a terrorist better are woman in Agency Police, Intelligence Avagene Moore: Jennifer and Arthur, we appreciate you being with us today and for sharing your paper with us. To the audience, thank you for your attention and participation also. ... babsims: A great presentation! Avagene Moore: Amy, would you please tell us about the coming week's events in the Virtual Forum? Amy Sebring: Thank you Ava. Tomorrow evening, 8: 00 PM EST, Mutual Aid Session ... Amy Sebring: Feb 9 Tuesday 1: 00 PM EST: The Lake County (IN) LEPC, EIIP Partner, will be featured in the Round Table; Bill Timmer, LEPC Chair and Highland (IN) Fire Chief, ... Jose Musse: Amy Sebring: and Dean Larson, Ph.D. CSP CEM, Department Manager, Safety and Industrial Hygiene, U.S. Steel - Gary Works, will lead the discussion. Rick Tobin: I've read some of the paper.....brilliant work. Amy Sebring: Feb 10 Wednesday 12: 00 Noon EST: What is the Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management? John R. Harrald, Ph.D., Director of the Institute at George Washington University will tell us about the institute's teaching and research roles in the Virtual Classroom. Amy Sebring: Ok, Ava. Avagene Moore: Thank you, Amy. It is time to close the Virtual Library. We will return to the Virtual Forum room for a few moments. If Jennifer and Arthur have a few more minutes to spend with us, we can express our gratitude to them one-on-one there. ... Avagene Moore: Please move to the Virtual Forum room now. Thank you all! Jennifer Wilson: Thank you for having us. We enjoyed it.... Avagene Moore: Jennifer and Arthur, if you can hang on a little longer with us.