Author Archives: recoverydiva

Use of Drones for Emergencies

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Drones to deliver medicine, supplies to Wise Remote Area Medical clinic: During this summer’s Remote Area Medical clinic in Wise, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones, will deliver pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies for the first time in the United States. RAM, an annual free medical clinic that serves more than 1,500 people, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and Flirtey Inc., an Australian startup company specializing in delivery using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), are teaming up to deliver medicine at the event on July 17. Details are here.

Here is a second example of suggested use of drones in disasters.

Court Settlement for AZ Wildfire Two Years Ago

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This settlement is important not only for those affected, but also for the changes likely to come in fighting wildfires in the U. S. See: Arizona Reached Settlement With Kin of 19 who Died Fighting Wildfire

Relatives of some of the 19 firefighters killed in one of the nation’s deadliest wildfires joined state officials here Monday to announce settlements in two legal cases against the Arizona State Forestry Division, the agency responsible for the firefighters on the day they died.

The agreements, disclosed on the eve of the fire’s second anniversary, include more than $600,000 in compensation for the families and an acknowledgment that commanders’ misguided decisions put the elite firefighting crew, the Granite Mountain Hotshots, at great risk.

The Forestry Division has also agreed, as part of the settlement to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by 12 families, to improve training for its incident commanders and firefighters, test better tracking equipment and join a national effort to provide specific lessons about the effects of dry, warmer seasons on the wild lands.

“A Tale of Two Recoveries: Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy”

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From Emergency Management Magazine: A Tale of Two Recoveries: Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy; How the social contexts in Mississippi and New Jersey affected recovery.

The authors provide some useful observations and analysis about the recovery process. Be sure to read the whole article.

See also this commentary by blogger Eric Holdeman on the concept of a “recovery concierge.”

The environment and humanitarian intervention – 2 reports

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A new document on climate, the environment and humanitarian interventions: Topic Guide: Mainstreaming Environment and Climate Change into Humanitarian Action from DFID.

The guide is intended for DFID advisors, but provides a useful compendium of information on humanitarian actions, environment and the climate.

Readers may also be interested in an earlier document in the same series: Mainstreaming Environment into Humanitarian Interventions – A Synopsis of Key Organisations, Literature and Experience.

Thanks to Chas. Kelly for the citations.