Scientific Journal of Rescue Relief
Volume:12 Issue: 4, Winter 2020

Information is known as the main source of power over others. In this respect, the use of correct, accurate, and timely information in decision-making, planning, and other related issues can be effective in the outcome of activities and services provided by organizations. In times of crisis and disaster incidence, information plays a key and crucial role and affects various disaster response processes. This study was conducted to investigate the communication and information processes and information analysis in the Iranian Red Crescent Society at the time of disasters in 2019.

This qualitative study with a content analysis design was carried out on 17 experts and managers in the Iranian Red Crescent Society. The necessary data regarding the existing information processes were collected through performing interviews with the participants. The collected data from conducting and implementing the interviews were then coded in MAXQDA software using qualitative analysis method and subjected to analysis.

Based on the findings, the majority of the activities of this organization were carried out by holding meetings to make the necessary arrangements. Measures, such as public education and reports to journalists, media, and social networks were provided in the form of written instructions and protocols. It was revealed that such communication means as media, newspapers, 112 emergency SMS system, and Thuraya satellite network were used for information. The tool utilized in the information process in the Iranian Red Crescent Society was the Disaster Management Information System to record information and the history of crises. This system was located and used in the Control and Coordination Center, and recorded all documents related to the events, including photos, videos, and reports and information of rescuers.

The most significant problems that crisis management is consistently confronting are the delays in realizing the dimensions of a crisis, lack of information needed to make decisions, and commencement of recovery activities. In addition, it is highly important to have accurate information to be able to respond properly. The acquisition, storage, retrieval, and analysis of information can be the most prominent factors in the success of crisis management.

The imposition of quarantine in pandemics brings about negative psychological consequences. Sufficient understanding based on environmental and behavioral sciences leads to the prediction of needs and preparedness. Given the role of housing and the environment on health, awareness of their effects on the COVID-19 pandemic will facilitate future actions and risk management planning.

The present cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted based on a mixed-method approach. In the qualitative section, participants who were selected by non-probability sampling method were interviewed via phone, and data collection continued until data saturation using the snowball method. A number of 27 telephone interviews were conducted and after the content analysis of unorganized data, the questionnaire was developed in three parts, the initial pilot was conducted on 30 participants, and Cronbachchr('39')s alpha was calculated at 0.76. Moreover, 144 online questionnaires were completed in What’sApp virtual groups by purposive and available sampling method, followed by statistical analysis.

As evidenced by the obtained results, in house and interior design scales, surface area; furniture; color; opening and outdoor space as well as living space and in neighborhood scale, density indicators; shared accesses and spaces have positively affected the tolerance of quarantine, reduction of anxiety, and health improvement. Furthermore, stress-reducing places were found to be different in different age groups. In addition, some motivations have generated some new behaviors and needs which are supported by such affordances as openings and windows to open spaces for the provision of natural daylight and ventilation, as well as a specific open space for movement, nature enjoyment, activity, physical activity, and contact with the natural environment.

There was a reciprocal relationship between behavioral orientations and environmental-physical aspects of housing in the current health crisis. The residential environment can influence disease prevention and the promotion of health-related behaviors.

The location of Qazvin and Markazi provinces in high-seismicity regions has increased the probability of earthquake occurrence in these provinces. One of the most serious crises that threaten Qazvin and Markazi provinces is the post-earthquake fire which will be very probable considering the potential hazards. The present study aimed to identify the factors affecting the post-earthquake fire and present some strategies for pre-and post-earthquake preparedness in Qazvin and Markazi provinces.

In this descriptive-analytical study, the maps were produced using the Geographic Information System (GIS), and data collection sources were books, articles, and documents. Three main maps of risk, vulnerability, and crisis were prepared, and the analyses were performed by SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) table. Thereafter, some practical strategies and policies were presented to achieve the intended goals. Strategies were developed for four programs to mitigate risk likelihood and vulnerability, manage fire, and reconstruct, along with development.

As evidenced by the obtained, the dispersion of some man-made factors, such as power transmission lines, gas stations, and high-risk industries, increases the likelihood of post-earthquake fires in both provinces. Furthermore, such geographical factors as scattered vegetation and location in arid climates increase the probability of fire spread. The final map of the crisis demonstrated that fires are more likely to occur in the center of Qazvin province and the north of Markazi province.

Based on the results of the present study, the first step in regional planning and policy-making for the mitigation of fire hazards must be based on crisis maps and in harmony with subsequent hazards and damages. In this regard, to mitigate the risk of post-earthquake in these two provinces, the following measures are suggested:  increasing safety in infrastructure, networks, facilities, industrial estates, and high-risk industries.

The enhancement of nurses’ risk perception plays a significant role in their preparedness during disasters and emergencies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of educational workshops on disaster risk perception in nurses

This randomized controlled field trial study included 62 nurses working at Razi Hospital, Birjand, Iran. The participants were divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group was then requested to participate in a one-day intensive educational workshop based on the current national standards. The workshop content included a combination of lecturing methods, round-table exercises, and film display. The data were collected using the demographic characteristic form and researcher-made questionnaires measuring the nurses’ risk perception during disasters and emergencies. Subsequently, the data were analyzed using independent t-test, repeated measures analysis, and Bonferroni post hoc tests.

The mean total score of risk perception were significantly higher in the intervention group before, immediately, and two months after the workshop session, compared to those in the control group (P˂0.001).

The implementation of nurses’ national preparation program during disasters and emergencies can result in an increase in the nurses’ risk perception during these events. Therefore, regarding the importance of nurses’ preparedness in confrontation with disasters and emergencies, it seems necessary to integrate the National Preparedness Program into the educational programs immediately after recruitment and in the form of in-service courses.

In times of crisis and disasters, the Red Crescent Society is faced with wide and diverse duties and quality of human resources (HRs) in management departments and high organizational levels. One of the most important reasons for the success of HR projects in crises is the sufficient attention paid to the job requirements and the feasibility of implementing each of the crisis management strategies at different levels of the organization. Therefore, this study was conducted to present the current state of HR architecture of the organization based on the HR management system considering the HR architecture model in 2020.

In this study, the Delphi method was used to collect the necessary data. The statistical population of this study (n=15) consisted of academic and organizational experts who had expertise in crisis management and HR management. The samples were selected using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. To conduct the research, a 30-item questionnaire (each item representing a variable) was designed with applying weight restrictions in the model and distributed among the subjects. The reliability of each variable was confirmed using Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient method (α>0.7).

Based on the findings, in the optimal HR management system, the most attention should be paid to recruiting HRs to have the highest performance speed in crisis management. Moreover, to have the least uncertainty in crisis management, HR improvement needs the most attention. It was also found out that the least amount of organizational disorder in crisis management would be experienced by devoting great attention to the maintenance of HR. Finally, to have the most response options in crisis management, recruitment of HR should be taken into consideration mostly

The greatest attention should be paid to recruiting HRs in the optimal HR management system to have the largest number of response options in crisis management. This means that, according to the conceptual model, the emphasis on employing analyst staff would maximize the number of response options in times of crisis incidence. Therefore, to succeed in this field, the organization must reconsider its recruitment policies in a way that leads to the entry of capable employees with the ability to solve problems in the organization. The ability to suggest and review different solutions in problem-solving and make the best decision are largely an inherent characteristic of individuals. The recruitment of capable people in this field would increase the options for dealing with the crisis and improve the efficiency of the decisions and actions. The second and last priorities in this area were respectively related to maintenance and improvement.

Health and healthcare services are of paramount importance in every society and are regarded as the essential needs of people. The present study aimed to assess, describe, and explore the model of human resource development and empowerment adopting a service provision approach in Ilam University of Medical Sciences and Health Services in 2019.

In the current study, theoretical sources were collected using systematic and library studies, and expertschr('39') opinions were collected through open-ended interviews. Thereafter, these sources were analyzed using grounded theory and structural modeling. In this qualitative study, a researcher-made checklist was provided to experts to identify the internal relationship among the components of each variable. The exploratory approach was used in the current study since the focus was on the use of qualitative methods. To identify the dimensions of the model and its associated factors, the indicators were firstly extracted using library studies. The Delphi method was then performed in three steps to monitor the indicators and obtain the final dimensions of the model. The statistical population of the study included all managers and experts of the human resources unit with more than 15 years of work experience in the studied university. MAXQDA software was used to record and manage the codes, and finally, the concept model was designed.

After analyzing the studies and conducting interviews with experts, "employee development and empowerment" was selected as the main category. It encompasses such issues as training and productivity of human resources, development of personnel capabilities, sustainable development of human capital, highlighting the importance of strategic human resource management by the management system, senior managerschr('39') support from human resources, and the independence of human resources unit. The relationship of other classes with the central class can be realized in five ways: causal conditions, control system, motivation, and appropriate counseling lead to the development and empowerment of employees.

Healthcare organizations assume more importance since their human resources are mostly experts in charge of specialized activities. As evidenced by qualitative and library studies, as well as the conducted interviews, the development and empowerment of human resources in Ilam University of Medical Sciences and Health Services is positively correlated with the service provision approach and exerts a significant impact on it.

Nowshahr port city can suffer a lot of damages in case of an earthquake due to its location in seismotectonics of Alborz with high seismic hazard, proximity to the sea, and expansion on isolated sediments. Therefore, the recognition and analysis of the extent of earthquake vulnerability in different areas of this port city can reduce damages and losses. This study was conducted to analyze and evaluate the earthquake risk and vulnerability and identify safe areas in the city of Nowshahr in times of earthquake.

In this study, the earthquake risk of Nowshahr city was analyzed based on the Wisner model and the application of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP). Initially, the effective criteria, sub-criteria, and indicators in the earthquake risk and vulnerability components were collected through a systematic review based on previous research, field survey, and expertschr('39') opinion, and were then screened and weighed by the Delphi method. Finally, the earthquake risk and vulnerability maps were extracted and drawn using a weighted linear combination method and fuzzy index maps related to each component.

According to the findings, about 97.13% (2,810.229 ha), 2.75% (79.567 ha), and 0.12% (3.441 ha) of Nowshahr city were placed in the low, medium, and high-risk category.

Analysis of risk maps showed that the earthquake risk was higher in the central and northwestern parts of Nowshahr city than in the other areas. These areas were densely populated with heavy traffic jams, in which located high-risk facilities, such as gas lines and water and sewer networks, that reminded of the necessity of planning and urgent action regarding the improvement of urban settlements and organization of urban spaces in this region.

The buildings, as the main and most abundant elements in cities, have great importance in two aspects of assessing and mitigating the vulnerability at disaster incidence. On the other hand, the emphasis of post disaster reconstruction engineers on the single-scale building has compounded the importance of building in terms of planning to reduce the damages of disaster incidence.

This quantitative-descriptive study was conducted documentary studies and extraction of priority indicators determining the degree of vulnerability. This research aimed to assess the vulnerability of Qadghoon buildings, one of the historical neighborhoods of Borujerd, Lorestan Province, Iran, which was damaged and reconstructed after the 2007 earthquake, for more than a decade.

The data obtained from the field study of this neighborhood were analyzed after entering into GIS software and weighted by Analytic Hierarchy Process-Delphi. The provided maps were evaluated and the vulnerability score obtained from indicators was weighted by the above method. Finally, the score of vulnerabilities in neighborhoods in the range of 0-5 Likert scale was calculated at 3.5208, which indicated a moderate increase in vulnerability.

After the examination of actions taken in the post-earthquake reconstruction process, reduction of vulnerability evaluation was low. This result indicated the failure of operators to reduce the vulnerability on a scale of buildings, despite the large opportunities and resources. In addition to lessons from the present study, some suggestions were provided to improve the process of reconstruction after possible disasters in the future.