Wednesday 11 October 2006

1415 1745

Visit: The Fire School in Montelibretti
Supported by the European Training & Simulation Association

1500 1700

Workshop : Back to basics – What is Emergency Planning?
Malcolm Dubber

1800 1930

Conference Reception (by invitation only)

Thursday 12 October 2006

0900

Session 1
Keynote Session
Simon Langdon

1030

Break

1100

Session 2A
Impact on people during a disaster – it's getting personal
Rosanna Briggs

Session 2B
International Coordination
Simon Langdon

1230

Lunch

1400

Session 3A
Analysis of Command
Emily Hough

Session 3B
Corporate Response
Simon Langdon

1530

Break

1600

Session 4A
Failure to learn
David Alexander

Session 4B
Civil and Military Co-operation in the new era
Stephen Cooper

1930

IDER 2006 Dinner
Hostaria Antica Roma restaurant
Following a reception in the courtyard, there will be a three course Italian dinner with wine, beer and soft drinks. Join the speakers, exhibitors and other delegates from around the globe and share experiences, common concerns and network in a relaxed and informal environment. Spouses and colleagues are welcome.
Price per person: €70 / £47 (book in advance – register online)

Friday 13 October 2006

0900

Session 5A
Cooperation and Accountability
Craig Nemitz

Session 5B
Organisation of Major Events
Fabrizio Colcerasa

1030

Break

1100

Session 6A
The impact on business and services of a pandemic
Eve Coles

Session 6B
The media - riding the dragon
Emily Hough

1230

Lunch

1400

Session 7A
Response to the Helsingborg HAZMAT incident – a Case Study
Magnus Qvant

Session 7B
Can technology defeat terrorist inspired disasters?
Brett Lovegrove

1530

Session 8
Do we know the next disaster?
Simon Langdon

Film Preview: Heading for the “Perfect Storm”

1630

IDER 2006 closes

Wednesday 11 October 2006

1415 - 1745

Visit: The Fire School in Montelibretti
This visit will allow IDER 2006 delegates to view one of Italy's main Fire Service training facilities and exchange ideas on training philiosophy and practice with other IDER delegates, members of Europe's training & simulation association and Italian firemen and women.
Buses depart from I.S.A. at 1415 hrs and return to I.S.A. for 1745 hrs in time for the Conference Reception.
Supported by European Training & Simulation Association

1500 - 1700

Workshop: Back to basics – What is Emergency Planning?
Workshop Chairman: Malcolm Dubber, Safety Management Systems, Serco Assurance, UK
Is there a difference between Emergency Plans, Emergency Response Plans, Emergency Management and Business Continuity Planning? The workshop will draw out these issues from examples from around the world. Revisiting the principles of Emergency Planning and Response and how these differ around the world will be an enlightening experience for those established in the subject and will aid others new to this ever-growing field to develop their approach. Examples will enable commonality to be identified and more importantly differences to be addressed. The sharing of information will shape the international community to prepare their respective emergency and crisis plans which will deliver an effective response to all types of disasters given the diverse geographical, political, ethnic and cultural differences.

1800 - 1930

Conference Reception
IDER 2006 Registered Delegates only
Delegates are invited to the IDER 2006 Conference Reception, which will be in I.S.A. The Reception is for delegates to meet speakers, the committee, exhibitor representatives and other delegates, and is an excellent opportunity to start to get to know fellow disaster and emergency response professionals from around the world - and enjoy some Italian hospitality!
Hosted by the Italian Ministry of the Interior

Thursday 12 October 2006

0900 - 1030

Session 1
Keynote Session
Session Chairman: Simon Langdon, IDER 2006 Conference Chairman
The response to major disaster follows a discernable pattern. Once disaster strikes it is important to understand the impact to people, infrastructure and the economy in all its many facets. Priorities need to be identified and an action plan for response and recovery developed and implemented. This process, whilst similar in format at any level, is nowhere more important when responding to major disasters than at a national or international level. The opening session of IDER will include keynote presentations from major international organisations that will outline the key issues that are faced when responding to major disaster at the highest level.

Welcome Michele Di Grezia, Director, Istituto Superiore Antincendi

Ettore Rosato, Undersecretary, Ministero dell'Interno, Rome
Mr Rosato is the undersecretary in the Ministry of the Interior responsible for the Italian Fire Service and will make a short speech of welcome.

Anna Maria D'Ascenzo, Ufficio del Capo Dipartimento, Dipartimento dei Vigili del Fuoco, del Soccorso Pubblico e della Difesa Civile, Ministero dell'Interno, Rome
Mrs D'Ascenzo is the new Head of Department for the Italian Fire Service.

Giorgio Mazzini, Head of the National Fire Brigade

Fabio Pirotta, Policy Officer, European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, Civil Protection Unit
The presentation will deal with the current framework of civil protection at a European level, known as the Community mechanism for civil protection. It will dwell upon the interaction between the European Commission and Member States in their response to emergencies worldwide. Drawing upon examples from some recent interventions for which the mechanism was activated, the presentation will also highlight the challenges that lie ahead for civil protection at a European level.

1030

Break

1100 - 1230

Session 2A
Impact on people during a disaster – it's getting personal
Session Chairman: Rosanna Briggs, Deputy County Emergency Planning Officer, Essex County Council, UK
So often the response agencies and the media will direct their attention on the immediate issues of the disaster, however, it is clear from past disasters that more work needs to be conducted to establish what the feelings of those people who have been affected. This session will explore how we can do this, as well as looking at the demands placed on the response agencies and those affected in the disaster by the media.

I will see you later?
Ian Cameron, BBC Nations and the Regions, Media Centre, London, and Rosanna Briggs, Deputy County Emergency Planning Officer, Essex County Council
As we leave our homes to carry out our daily lives, we don’t know when and how we could be affected by a disaster, the bombings in Madrid and London, the events in the USA on the 11th September are examples of this. Essex County Council is working in conjunction with the BBC and UK government departments to produce an awareness film about the human aspects of a disaster. This film will be launched at IDER 2006 and will look at the demands placed on the response agencies, those affected by the disaster and the media.

Engaging our Communities in Civil Protection
Michael Head, Head of Public Relations, Cumbria Police
This presentation will draw from recent research on what is being done to engage communities in providing personal strategies for coping in a disaster. It will also look at the advantages of changing people’s attitudes by encouraging them to take personal responsibility of themselves. His presentation will use his recent research in Australia as a case study and will refer to examples from other countries.
Michael Head was a language teacher in Cumbria and in 1984 had an attachment to BBC Radio Cumbria where he prepared and presented an education magazine programme, produced a youth programme and contributed to the news output. On his return to education he continued doing work for BBC Radio Cumbria. In 1989 Michael was appointed to the post of Press Officer for Cumbria Constabulary, the first civilian employee to fill the role, and developed media liaison in the county over the intervening years. Michael has worked with local agencies to draw up plans for dealing with emergencies, particularly with Sellafield. This has resulted in an IT network which supports county emergency response. In 2005 he won the GSL Award for excellence in operational response for the way the constabulary had dealt with the Carlisle floods.

Working with Children in the understanding of disasters
Katrina James, Head Teacher, Broomgrove Junior School, Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
Teaching children about the response and demands of a disaster at an early age may well help to influence their thinking and attitudes when they become adults. In any disaster, children can and will be affected in different ways, this presentation will illustrate how the first stages of discussing major disasters with young children can help their understanding about the many issues that arise and reduce the possible long term effects on them.

1100 - 1230

Session 2B
International Coordination
Session Chairman: Simon Langdon, Principal Consultant, Siemens Insight Consulting, UK
Disasters when they strike are often geographic in nature. In other words they tend to occur in a defined or specific location from where the impact will spread. Often the impact may be all consuming affecting whole areas, infrastructure and businesses and reaching across national and international borders. The response to such major disasters may require massive resources only possible through international cooperation and coordination. This session will include speakers from major organisations describing the key aspects of international coordination and highlighting the unique challenges that they face.

Planning for industrial accidents
Cristiano Piacente, Global Environment International and Regional Conventions, Ministry of Environment, Italy
The Italian Ministry of the Environment works closely with UNECE. The UNECE provides the secretariat on an international agreement, which includes 35 European countries, concerning planning for prevention and response for industrial accidents. Cristiano Piacente will speak on the importance of international cooperation.

The relationship between NGOs and governments
John Holland, Operations Director, RAPID UK, UK
This presentation will address how RAPID UK, as a NGO, plans and responds to disasters at very short notice (ie they are on the ground within 24 hours on the disaster occurring).

Agostino Miozzo, General Director for International Relations at the Italian Department for Civil Protection - details to follow

1230

Lunch

1400 - 1530

Session 3A
Analysis of Command
Session Chairman: Emily Hough, Editor, Crisis Response Journal, UK
This session will seek to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of various command structures, including America's National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Gold-Silver-Bronze system. Drawing upon recent major emergencies and disasters such as the Buncefield depot oil explosion and Hurricane Katrina, this session will also examine how command decisions are directed and supported at a the national strategic level, and look at ways of overcoming barriers to integrated emergency response.

How did the National Incident Command System perform during Hurricane Katrina?
Dr Arnold M Howitt, Executive Director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA
The US, which committed to a National Incident Command System (NIMS) in 2002 as the template for all emergency disciplines and agencies, nonetheless had decidedly suboptimal results in the response to Hurricane Katrina. Has NIMS fallen badly short overall as a template for emergency response? Are there missing elements? Or has the implementation process been flawed?

Gold, Silver and Bronze Command at the Buncefield oil terminal fire
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Parr, Hertfordshire Constabulary, UK
In the UK, the Gold, Silver and Bronze command structure is used by the emergency services to try to make sense of the potential chaos of a major incident through defining what happens at the strategic, tactical and operational levels of the emergency response. This presentation will look at the multitude of command issues that arose during the Buncefield oil terminal fire in December 2005 and will elaborate on some of the lessons learned.

Management of major flood events - Strategic command issues arising from multiple simultaneous major incidents
Paul Hayden, Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive, Hereford and Worcester Fire Service
This presentation will consider the command impact of simultaneous multiple level 4 incidents resulting from major flooding events. Incidents such as flooding in the UK, Holland and Belgium in 1953 and Hurricane Katrina raise numerous questions about the ways that incidents of this scale are directed and supported at the national strategic level.

Integrated emergency management - Putting theory into practice
SDO Mark James, Civil Contingencies, Essex Fire and Rescue, UK
The overall response to any major incident will invariably require the involvement of a diverse number of agencies and departments within organisations. Integrated emergency management seeks to ensure that they all have a better appreciation of each others' roles and embrace each others' incident management methods, priorities, language and resource limitations. This presentation will examine whether this is an achievable outcome and will explore how barriers to integration can be overcome so that the overall response to a major incident is greater than the sum of its individual parts.

1400 - 1530

Session 3B
Corporate Response
Session Chairman: Simon Langdon, Principal Consultant, Siemens Insight Consulting, UK
When disaster strikes the prime requirements are often relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. This was never more evident than following the devastating Tsunami in December 2003. Many multi-nationals and other companies responded with offers of practical assistance including the basic resources such as food, medicine, transport and engineering and communications equipment. A growing awareness of corporate responsibility and demand by the public and workforce make these resources more readily available. This session looks at how the immense resources and good will provided by multi-nationals and other business can best be harnessed to improve the international response to disaster and how affected governments can resource food, water, medicines, shelter, transport and communications, for example, from multi-national companies that have the resources, and willingness, to respond quickly.

TNT working with the World Food Programme on the Emergency Response Initiative
Getjan Lammers, Emergency Response Manager, TNT Express Worldwide Networks, The Netherlands
TNT is committed to provide knowledge, skills and resources to help the World Food Programme (WFP) tackle a great logistics challenge: fighting world hunger. One of the cornerstones of the partnership has been the Emergency Response Initiative, which has seen TNT assisting WFP and other relief organisations respond to crises in Pakistan, Latin America, Sudan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Haiti and Iran, among others. TNT will be sharing its experiences and insights on the benefits and practicalness of public-private sector cooperation in the area of emergency response.

Ericsson Response - a corporate responsibility
Dag Nielsen, Director, Ericsson Response, Ericsson AB, Sweden
Dag Nielsen will describe Ericsson's disaster preparedness and response programme and the company' experience from working with international humanitarian organizations and local NGOs in various disaster response operations. He will address how commercial companies can we improve their assistance.

The importance of the corporate response to disasters and how much some multi-nationals do now
Raj Rana, Independent Consultant and Researcher, Switzerland

PANEL DISCUSSION - The session speakers and delegates will discuss this topic and the proposed Multinationals Disaster Response Group.

1530

Break

1600 - 1730

Session 4A
Failure to learn
Session Chairman: Dr David Alexander, Professor of Disaster Management, University of Florence, Italy
Henry Ford is alleged to have said, “The only thing you can learn from history is that you cannot learn from history.” On the other hand, Bismark is alleged to have said, “Only fools learn from their own experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others.” Using case studies, this session will illustrate that, whilst lessons may have been identified following a crisis or a disaster, they are invariably not learned. The session will go on to suggest some ways in which Bismark’s advice can more readily be followed.

Beslan and why lessons were not learnt from the Moscow Theatre Siege
Lina Kolesnikova, Consultant, Organisation for Security & Cooperation in Europe, Belgium
The Beslan tragedy shocked everyone, not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Many questions were asked about Russia's preparedness in such cases. Analysts looked back to the Moscow Theatre siege with amazement as to how little had been learnt from this event. Two similar events had occurred in 1995 and 1996. This presentation will show that the same lessons were identified on each occasion but were clearly not learnt and it will suggest some ways that this can be rectified.

Anniversaries of some Italian disasters and what we have learned from such events
Dr David Alexander PhD, Professor of Disaster Management, University of Florence, Italy
In 2006 it is 10 years since the Versilia floods in Tuscany, 30 years since the Seveso dioxin release and the Friuli earthquakes and 40 years since the Florence floods. In each case lessons have been learned and incorporated and others have yet to be absorbed.

The challenges of managing complex emergencies
Marg Verbeek, President of the International Association of Emergency Managers and Manager, Emergency Measures, Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Canada
Marg Verbeek is responsible for the formulation, co-ordination of a comprehensive Emergency Management program at the Regional level, as well is the Business Continuity Officer and 9-1-1 Administrator for Waterloo in Canada. Her presentation addresses the need for leadership, communication and building strategic alliances; forces driving the need for Business Continuity; the role and challenges facing Emergency Managers and, as an illustration, shows how the municipality managed when dealing with the Ice Storm '98 and its "blackout"/outage.

1600 - 1730

Session 4B
Civil and Military Co-operation in the new era
Session Chairman: Colonel Stephen Cooper, PATO, HQ Land Command, UK
The integration of the military into humanitarian operations and of civil agencies in post conflict resolution is almost routine business. However, tensions exist and the use of the military in humanitarian resolution is a paradox that leaves many uncomfortable and which requires close co-operation between civil and military authorities if it is to be integrated effectively. This session will consider the challenges present, the lessons arising and the best practice emanating from civil military co-operation.

The role of CIMIC and the military dimension
Air Vice-Marshal Andy Walton, UK Deputy Commander Joint Operations, Operation Support, Permanent Joint HQ, Northwood, UK
AVM Walton will discuss the role of the NATO CIMIC Group North (established in 2003) and its function, and the NATO perspective of responding to disasters using the Pakistan earthquake and deployment of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force as a case study. The presentation will address contemporary and future operating environments and Command & Control.

A US Coastguard perspective on Hurricane Katrina and civil military co-operation
Commander Steven Craig, US Coast Guard Reserve and Emergency Response Planning Coordinator, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, USA
After being recalled to active duty for 3 years with the U.S. Coast Guard and thus being released October 1, 2005, Reserve Commander Steven Craig was then sent to assist with Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts in New Orleans. Volunteering five times to work in the damaged areas, Commander Craig was detailed to a variety of duties, ranging from continuity of operations, unit reconstitution, and emergency preparedness to the more recent operation involving evacuation planning for the Gulf coast citizens. Working two months in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and serving as the senior Officer as well as the Deputy Incident Commander, his group researched and assisted evacuation plan development for the Gulf Coast area. Utilizing lessons learned from Katrina, he suggests how military resources can be best used in the event of similar disasters and how they may be used for the upcoming hurricane season. Commander Craig is assigned as a Coast Guard reservist to the Thirteenth Coast Guard District office in Seattle where he works on emergency contingency planning issues along with collateral duty as the Coast Guard Emergency Preparedess Liaison Officer with the State of Washington. He has over 30 years Coast Guard experience with 17 in contingency planning.

A DFID perspective on humanitarian relief and the role of the military in disaster management and humanitarian assistance.
Katy Attfied, Senior Civil Military Adviser, Department for International Development (DFID), UK
DFID is the part of UK Government that manages aid and works to get rid of extreme poverty. DFID is engaged in a wide range of countries including Afghanistan and has considerable experience in the area of relief and civil military co-operation. This presentation will offer a DFID perspective on humanitarian relief and the irradication of poverty, and a view on the role of the military in disaster management and humanitarian assistance.

1930

IDER 2006 Dinner
Hostaria Antica Roma restaurant
Following a reception in the courtyard, there will be a three course Italian dinner with wine, beer and soft drinks. Join the speakers, exhibitors and other delegates from around the globe and share experiences, common concerns and network in a relaxed and informal environment. Spouses and colleagues are welcome.
Price per person: €70 / £47 (book in advance – register online)

Friday 13 October 2006

0900 - 1030

Session 5A
Cooperation and Accountability
How do organisations, corporations and donors work together to ensure the job gets done during a disaster?
Session Chairman: Craig Nemitz, Disaster Services Manager, America's Second Harvest, USA
When disaster strikes the need for funds, friends and support are greatly needed to help the victims overcome their plight. Pre-planning is crucial, but then how are those that provide financial support ensured their money is spent wisely – and how can volunteers know their time and talents will be best used. This session will discuss the value of collaboration and cooperation pre and post event, plus explore how oversight is needed and appreciated with respect to financial donations, and volunteer support. A forum where voluntary organizations can assemble to prevent duplication of services and share duties alongside governmental agencies has proven itself to be a successful venue to keep all the players on task and help set standards of excellence. Public trust in voluntary organizations and governmental agencies has its limitations with regard to the stewardship of resources entrusted to them. The panelists each have expertise and experience in a variety of disciplines that will explore the various facets of these topics.

Ande Miller, Executive Director, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD), Washington DC, USA
Ande Miller was appointed the Executive Director for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster on 15th September 2003. Prior to joining National VOAD, Ande was the Executive Assistant to Jennifer Dunlap, the President and founder of Development Resources, Inc. Joining National VOAD was a return to the disaster response and relief arena that Ande had been part of for most of her professional career. Over a twenty year disaster career she served on disaster relief operations throughout the United States including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, aviation incidents and the Murrah Building bombing in Oklahoma City.

Michael Brown, former Director of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Washington DC, USA
Nominated by President George W. Bush to several Homeland Security positions, Michael D. Brown was twice confirmed by the United States Senate. President Bush nominated Michael Brown as the first Under Secretary in the Department of Homeland Security. That nomination was preceded by his unique experience as the President’s appointee to lead a White House Transition Planning Office team for the newly created Department, making him the only Presidential nominee to work in a legacy agency (FEMA), on the transition team to the new department, and as one of the four senior leaders of the new department. Prior to his nomination as Under Secretary, President Bush appointed him as General Counsel to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks, the President nominated Michael Brown as the Deputy Director of FEMA.

John Rabin, Program Manager for Lessons Learned Information Sharing, Washington DC, USA
John Rabin is the Program Director of Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS.gov), the Department of Homeland Security’s national network of lessons learned and best practices for emergency response professionals and homeland security officials. Prior to joining the LLIS.gov Team, John Rabin served nine years as a naval officer with tours of duty onboard USS Avenger (MCM-1) and the National Security Agency.

Adam Briddell, Investigative Advisor - U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, Washington DC, USA
Adam Briddell joined the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in January 2005. In his capacity as Investigative Advisor, Adam handles issues related to the American Red Cross, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness. Prior to joining the Committee, he served as Manager of Biotechnology Education at the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that works to develop export markets for U.S. barley, corn, grain sorghum and related products. Adam Briddell was responsible for working with international regulators and international media outlets to disseminate science-based information on the benefits and risks of agricultural biotechnology.

0900 - 1030

Session 5B
Organisation of Major Events
Session Chairman: Fabrizio Colcerasa, Deputy Head of Department for Civil Protection, Central Directorate for Emergency and Technical Rescue, Fire Department, Ministry of the Interior, Rome, Italy
Special events require a great planning, preparation and organization work as well as the coordination of the different players involved. In particular, security and safety activities are very important and so are, more in general, the civil protection aspects linked to the presence of a large number of people. Not least, the organization and management of services, which are usually addressed to a very lower number of users. The session will especially deal with the organizing experiences concerning 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games and Pope John Paul II’s funeral, held in Rome in Spring 2005. A presentation by a third speaker from England will illustrate the planning work concerning the future Olympic Games which will be held in London, in 2012.

XX Winter Olympic Games (Turin 2006)
Ennio Aquilino, Head of Division, Central Directorate for Emergency and Technical Rescue, Fire Department, Italy
For the XX Winter Olympic Games, which took place in Turin from 10 to 26 April 2006, a planning work was carried out by the Italian National Fire Brigade aimed at ensuring proper resources in case of hazard situations. This presentation will deal with the elaborate and detailed plan of urgent technical rescue set up in order to meet the several needs linked with: the presence of a large number of people, athletes and operators working for the competitions, the difficult weather and environmental conditions as well as the consequent heavy road traffic, also considering the increase in the transport of dangerous substances.

The funeral of Pope John Paul II
Patrizia Cologgi, Director of the Extra-departmental Office for the Civil Protection, Municipality of Rome, Italy
On 2 April 2005 Pope John Paul II died. This led to a massive pilgrimage which brought three million believers to Rome - all at a few days notice. The Civil Protection of the Municipality of Rome immediately set up the Municipal Operational Centre (C.O.C.) for the coordination of all municipal organisational activities. The management of the event included: information and assistance to the public (employment of volunteers; distributions of bottles of water), reception facilities (areas equipped with maxi-screens); cleaning of sites and reorganisation of the traffic (pedestrianisation of the area surrounding St Peter’s and temporary parking areas)

Planning of 2012 London Olympic Games

1030

Break

1100 - 1230

Session 6A
The impact on business and services of a pandemic
Session Chairman: Eve Coles, Senior Lecturer in Risk and Emergency Management, Coventry University, UK
The world holds its breath to see if a human form of bird flu might emerge from the H5N1 virus. What might be the impact on business continuity in the emergency, education and commercial sectors with the loss of staff, suppliers and public confidence? This session will explore these areas of concern and the issues relating to continuity planning in these sectors.

The impact of pandemic flu on provision in the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service
Eve Coles, Senior Lecturer in Risk and Emergency Management, Coventry University, UK
This paper will examine the issues presented by pandemic flu for the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service and their statutory duty. It will detail the steps being taken to cope with such situations and critically examine plans that have been drawn up to mitigate the issues identified and ask if these will really be able to cope with the worst case scenario.

Managing disruption form a flu pandemic in the Education Sector
Wayne Harrop, Senior Lecturer in Business Continuity Management, Coventry Center for Disaster Management, Coventry University, UK
‘To close or not to close’ What is the right answer for the education sector? The paper will examine the issues relating to closures and its impact on students’ development, on the community and what risk reduction methods might be appropriate in Schools and Colleges.

Impact on the commercial sector
Faruque A Sayed, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Nobelparken, Denmark (tbc)
How would the commercial sector operate and maintain profitable business activity during a pandemic? There would be a loss of staff and key personnel and a necessity to prioritise tasks and activities. This presentation will address these and other issues so as to keep commerce going during a pandemic.

1100 - 1230

Session 6B
The media - riding the dragon
Session Chairman: Emily Hough, Editor, Crisis Response Journal, UK
This session aims to examine the effects of the media on the working practices of emergency responders, planners, governments and private enterprises during times of crisis. It will do this by analysing media handling at large scale events and by exploring the implications of citizen journalism and blogs, their effects on transparency and whether the media helps to determine or change tactics during an emergency response. The session will aim to distil experience from high profile commercial, humanitarian and journalistic sectors into practical lessons for emergency responders.

Crisis communication at major sporting events
Rob Faulkner, Head of Media Services, UEFA (Union des Associacions Europeénnes de Football)
Rob Faulkner, who is Head of Media Services for UEFA, Europe's footballing ruling body, will discuss media handling and crisis planning for large sporting events. He will be distilling his vast experience in several high profile commercial sectors into practical lessons for emergency responders.

The changing media landscape
Tim Large, Deputy Editor, AlertNet, Reuters Foundation
How does the rise of citizen journalism and 24/7 news change the way the media handles fast-moving crises? And when dealing with the media, how can you get it right - and very wrong? Tim Large shares insights based on his experiences with the world's biggest news agency and its popular humanitarian news website.

Media developments at Chernobyl
Volodymyr Beznoshchenko, Head of Office for Information, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine
On April 26, 1986, reactor 4 at Chernobyl exploded during testing of the plant's turbine generator system. Countless radioactive particles were sent into the atmosphere, eventually settling all over the world. This was the worst nuclear disaster since records began and, for 20 years, the name Chernobyl has become synonymous with catastrophe. When the accident happened, USSR authorities aggravated the situation by completely neglecting the mass media from the very beginning, and covering up real information. What was the impact of this attitude? How has the situation changed over the years? This session examines these questions. At present, information and rumours about Chernobyl abound in the world's media; these are often quite negative or just plain untrue. What is certain, however, is that information often inspires fear. The speaker will outline how his department continuously develops new strategies to deal with the media, to spike rumours and explain the truth about current works on the site and the future construction of the New Safe Confinement for the ruined reactor.

1230

Lunch

1400 - 1530

Session 7A
Response to the Helsingborg HAZMAT incident – a Case Study
Session Chairman: Magnus Qvant, Marketing Manager, Swedish Rescue Service Agency, Sweden
Early in the morning of 4th February 2005 there was a severe release of sulphuric acid in Helsingborg, a town in Sweden with 120,000 inhabitants, when a cistern containing 20,000 tons of acid collapsed and most of it flowed into the harbour. A tremendous gas cloud drifted away from the accident area and threatened to drift into the city area. The accident occurred at KEMIRA, a company that is regulated by the Seveso directives. There was a 2km cordon of the area and 7,000 were not allowed to leave their homes for several hours. The cooperation between the company, the fire brigade and the municipality to control the incident is considered an excellent Case Study. This session will contain presentations given by the fire brigade, the company and from the municipality on the preparations taken for these kind of catastrophes and what happened during the incident and since.

The response of a city to a major emergency
Eva-Marie Abrahamsson, former Fire Chief Officer, Municipality of Helsingborg
An instant outlet of 16,000 tons sulphuric acid, 8 employees of the company missing and a great threat from the undermining of a second tank filled with the same amount of acid! The key factors of success were co-operation with different organisations, authorities and of course Kemira Kemi’s well trained rescue services – and cooperation with media.

Information aspects around a sulphuric acid accident in Sweden
Martin Arkel, Information Officer, City of Helsingborg
The accident posed a great challenge to deliver fast and correct information from the rescue service to the public and media. A crisis information team from the municipality of Helsingborg helped the rescue service with information efforts. The presentation focuses on lessons learned from the information activities during the critical phase of the accident, such as channels, messages and outcome. Martin Arkel served as manager of the municipality’s crisis information team during the accident.

Gran Wennlid, Safety and Risk Manager, Kemira Service Partner AB, Helsingborg, Sweden

1400 - 1530

Session 7B
Is the contribution that technology brings fully appreciated when preventing disasters such as terrorist events?
Session Chairman: Brett Lovegrove, Head of Counter Terrorism, City of London Police, UK
A vast array of technology available today is designed to detect, prevent and investigate man-made and natural disasters. Many countries are constrained in introducing some types technology. This could be the result of a strong civil libertarian lobby or the limited funding available. Equally, society may believe that such disasters could not happen to them. How is the balance achieved between the implementation of technology and the needs of society? What is needed to promote a positive shift towards the effective delivery of appropriate technology?

The Role of Technology in the Initial Response to Disasters
Stuart Ibbotson, Head of Engineering, Metropolitan Police, UK
‘The big lesson for us is to invest in your staff, rely on them; invest in technology but do not rely on it’. So said Tim O’Toole, Managing Director of London Underground, in his interview with the London Assembly cross-party committee reviewing the events of 7/7. So why not rely on technology? Why is it deemed to be less reliable than people? If the latter is true, what can we do about it? Drawing on some of the lessons of 7/7, Stuart will contend that the problem is not one of preparedness, but one of resilience, capacity and, most of all, flexibility and adaptability. So while we might never quite have technology that’s as resourceful and adaptable as the human mind or as determined as the human spirit, if we start to think about technical solutions from this perspective they stand a better chance of being reliable in the event of disaster.

The Value of Technology in Combating Terrorism and Mitigating the Consequences of Disasters
Wayne Harrop, Senior Lecturer in Business Continuity Management, Coventry Center for Disaster Management, Coventry University, UK
Technological solutions and products play an important role in preventing and minimising the consequences of, terrorism, security breaches, disasters and acts of malevolence against commercial entities. Why do organisations become “at risk”? And how can they integrate the use of technologies into mainstream processes to manage and mitigate threats aimed directly at their key worksites, staff and assets? How can they leverage technology to gain more cost effective solutions? What are the hidden dangers of over reliance on technology? - Wayne Harrop formerly a security consultant, VIP executive protection and currently a Business Continuity specialist will explore how organisations can be better prepared.

The Critical Role of GIS Technology for Disaster Management
Russ Johnson, ESRI, USA
The capability technology provides for preparedness, prevention, and response to emergency events disasters, terrorist attacks, etc) is under-utilized and not fully understood or appreciated. The prevention of natural disasters is not always possible. The reduction of the effects and consequences of natural disasters is possible and technology can contribute significantly. Technologies available today can provide a highly detailed geographic representation of areas susceptible to natural disasters, values at risk, and potential damage. Disasters can be modelled, affects can be estimated and vulnerabilities identified. Mitigation actions can be determined and prioritised (hardening of facilities, evacuation routes and centres, emergency supply and logistical support requirements, etc.). This discussion will outline how technology can address many of the issues of emergency response prevention and homeland security along with examples of best practices.

1530 - 1630

Session 8
Do we know the next disaster?
Simon Langdon, IDER 2006 Conference Chairman and Michael Brown, former Director of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Washington DC, USA
There is a tangible feeling of unease in the international community, which although perhaps ‘fanned’ by the media is based on real concerns about security and the threat of terrorism, the increasing evidence of global warming and the impact of climate change and fears about the environment and so-called sustainable development. Where will it all end? Do we know where we are going and can we know what may be the next disaster? This final session of IDER will challenge predictions. The challenges will also draw on the many lessons learned from the subjects covered during the conference and finish with a highly interactive and thought provoking conclusion. Or will it?!

Film Preview: Heading for the “Perfect Storm”
David Lane, Fire and Marine Safety Consultant and Film Producer, formerly a UK Senior Fire Officer is a Partner at Lane, Jefferies & Associates, a highly experienced specialist fire and marine safety consultancy working worldwide in all fire and marine related matters including training resource provision.
This film charts the experiences of a team of UK fire officers, led by Chief Fire Officer Paul Hayden of Hereford & Worcestershire Fire & Rescue Service, as they research what climate change has in store: floods, hurricanes, severe storms. Their endeavours are being documented to showcase to the world just what these emergency responders are doing to protect their communities at tactical and strategic levels. The film shares their expertise and experiences with co-workers within the emergency planning, rescue and fire fighting community. The short “preview” film to be shown at IDER is on the preparations in the Carolinas, and Federally, focussing on helio aquatic rescue techniques, swift water rescue, power boat operations in swift water, in country (USA) emergency services - special operations, equipment for swift water deployments, strategic and logistics questions – and the vital questions raised so far.