CRJ 13:3 - Out in May 

The team is busy at work on the next edition of the Crisis Response Journal... Here's a quick summary of what is being covered, from organisational and reputational resilience, and incident reports and data privacy/security, to urban search and rescue, water resilience and new technology for first response organisations. To subscribe, click here, and remember that all subscribers automatically get access to our entire archive of past content

Reputational crisis: Skeletons in the closet

In February 2018, news broke that Oxfam aid workers had been involved with prostitutes while working for the charity in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. The charity was accused of trying to hide the unsavoury incident to avoid tarnishing its reputation. Richard Pendry examines the consequences



Humanitarian sexual abuse

Three years ago, humanitarian aid worker Megan Nobert was drugged and raped by another humanitarian while on a mission in South Sudan. After going public, Megan launched a project called Report the Abuse (RTA), encouraging other survivors of sexual violence within the community to speak out and break the silence on sex abuse. Anastasia Kyriacou says now is the time for organisations to turn talk into action

Putting girls and women at the centre of humanitarian action

Marcy Hersh brings news of an advocacy effort by Women Deliver, which calls for more effective gender-sensitive humanitarian action for girls and women in emergencies



A new phenomenon in seismic risk?

Following last issue’s analysis of what worked in terms of response to the Iran earthquake of November 2017, and where further development is needed, Mostafa Mohaghegh examines a growing pattern in intensive and extensive combined seismic risk

Ten years on: USAR capacity building since the Wenchuan quake

In the ten years since the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake killed 69,227 people and left 374,643 injured, Chinese Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) capacity has developed and expanded rapidly, write Chen Hong, Wang Wei and Xu Aihui. But there is more work to be done

Air crash response

Darren McQuade reports on multi-agency emergency response and business continuity operations after an aircraft crashed into a shopping centre after taking off from Essendon airport in Melbourne, Australia, killing all five on board

Rollercoaster incident response

In 2015, a rollercoaster incident at Alton Towers in the UK left 16 riders trapped for several hours. Dale Harrison, who was in charge of the complex Fire and Rescue Service response, describes the incident, as well how he and his crews have kept in touch with those who suffered life-changing injuries



Major sporting events: Managing the risks

An integrated approach to safety and security is vital when organising events such as the FIFA World Cup in Russia. But this must not detract from spectator enjoyment of large-scale sporting events – strategic, multiagency safety management is the key, according to Rick Riding

What can we learn from São Paulo’s water crisis?

Several major cities around the world are facing serious water emergencies, with Cape Town being one of the most prominent in recent years. However, in 2015, São Paulo in Brazil also faced severe water shortages; Stela Goldenstein presents lessons learnt and outlines future solutions that are being worked upon

Can technology delay a global water crisis?

Human civilisation has always been critically dependent on water, but the last decade has seen demand for this most precious resource become ever more intense, writes Laurie Reynolds, and this is not only affecting communities, but businesses as well



Water and security

In the time it takes a restaurant guest to choose between still or sparkling water, a child under five will have died from dehydration or disease from dirty water. If last century was the era of oil, then the 21st century will certainly be that of water, according to Matt Minshall

Floating cities – dystopian, utopian or salvation?

Kishawn Kevin Gajadhar explores how realistic and effective the concept of ‘seasteading’ – or self-sustaining floating cities – might be in the face of projected global sea level rises. From a global emergency management perspective, is this an idea worth exploring?

The management of dead bodies in open water

Moving away from some of the more societal and emergency management aspects of all issues involving water, Erik de Soir brings a more practical focus to the theme by examining the retrieval, identification, investigation and family liaison required when a body is discovered in water

Going underground in emergencies

A hospital must be prepared for every situation, particularly in times of war and mass disaster, writes Jay Levinson, as they must continue to provide regular services, while meeting the needs of increased numbers of patients

CBRN and medical preparedness

Steven Chatfield takes a look at the increasing level of CBRN threats and their implications for medical preparedness and response in Europe, calling for industry to work closer with EU member states

Nerve agent released in the UK

Roger Gomm takes a look at the events that unfolded in Salisbury, UK, after Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned by a weapons-grade nerve agent in March 2018

Holding your nerve

Advisory Panel Member Stephen Johnson discusses the handling of the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK, including the response, political challenges and communications

The role of childcare providers in disasters

Recent disasters have highlighted the gaps in preparedness when it comes to children, according to Rita Burke, who announces a new, free video, designed to help childcare providers plan for emergencies



Empowering the victims of explosive violence

Nigel Ellway showcases a new campaign – initiated by the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Explosive Threats together with several charities – that is focusing on caring for and empowering those impacted by explosive violence

The long-term effects of explosive violence

Jennifer Datham highlights the reverberating effects of explosive weapons through this examination of the long-term impact of explosive violence from the civil war in Sri Lanka

Automotive cybersecurity – a time bomb that needs standardisation

As the automotive industry acquires the necessary skills to build secure vehicles that make use of a connection to the Internet, cars are entering a difficult transition period, writes Alex Davies, who says we are years away from a standardised cybersecurity approach



Data protection

Data protection is as much an ethical – even a cultural issue – as it is a regulatory or compliance issue. And therein lies the opportunity for competitive advantage, says Sam Forsberg. But it is not just governments and organisations that have a role to play; individuals must take responsibility for their data as well

Digital security in the Middle East

Kristina Tantsyura provides a detailed analysis of how the information security landscape is changing in the Middle East, with a particular focus on the UAE, as she examines the implications of new technologies, data protection and overall regional development

Countering counterfeiting

Fake airbags, electrical goods, building products and safety equipment, fake toys and medicines – the pernicious effects are manifest throughout the supply chain, from modern slavery in manufacturing, to the deadly effects of unsafe products and funding terrorism. Emily Hough interviews Brian Monks of Underwriters Laboratories, to learn more



Multi-agency response review of Manchester bombing

However much planning and training goes into preparing for a major incident, there are likely to be procedural failures that lead to a significant degradation of service delivery, either because of the impact of the external event or failures in internal management controls, according to David Rubens

When is stress a problem?

In this issue, Charlotte Copeland discusses how workplace stress and psychological trauma affect both individual and organisational resilience



R&D: Lightning-fast forensic video analysis

CRJ reports on BrainChip’s innovative AI-powered video analysis software and hardware, which can rapidly search and identify patterns or faces amid vast amounts of video footage, and promises to be a boon to law enforcement and other agencies

Frontline: Google’s role in crisis response

At the EENA 2018 event in Ljubljana in Slovenia this April, Emily Hough spoke to Yossi Matias, VP of Engineering at Google and Managing Director of Google’s R&D Centre, where he leads efforts in Search, Rescue and Crisis Response