International conference on emergency preparedness (InterCEPt)

Overview

Hosted by the Aston Centre for Research into Safety and Security (CRISIS), the International Conference on Emergency Preparedness (InterCEPt) aims to facilitate the exchange of academic research, innovations and best operational practices in the management of emergency preparedness. InterCEPt provides a unique opportunity for academics, practitioners and policy makers to share lessons, plans, approaches and methods to prepare governments for when disaster strikes, as well as to identify promising new approaches to prepare the public to respond to major incidents.

The theme of this year’s conference is mass evacuation i.e. the displacement of thousands/millions of people in response to a major catastrophic incident. Mass evacuation presents some unusual challenges for emergency preparedness, for example, the coordination, transportation and sheltering of thousands of people. The conference will deal will all the aspects related to mass evacuation, from mitigation to preparedness, response and recovery.

Format of the conference

The conference will contain oral presentations and workshops from a global research and practitioner base as well as invited speakers and plenary sessions from leading figures. Master-classes by Emergency Managers from different countries will be on offer during the conference. All abstracts will be double-blind refereed. Final versions of all presented papers will be posted on the conference website. Selected papers will be published in an edited book in the Springer Environmental Series. Journal special issues are under discussion.

Streams

The conference will contain streams related to emergency preparedness and mass evacuation, from the use of models for planning operations to government preparedness to preparing the public. Topics include (but are not limited to):

Computer models for emergency preparedness
-Simulation modelling
-Decision-making modelling
-Operational Research modelling
-Network modelling
-GIS-based aids for decision making
-Preparing the public for emergencies
-Warning message design and dissemination
-Designing awareness campaigns
-Preparedness exercises
-Assessing the effectiveness of public preparedness
-Policy making for emergency preparedness
-Decision-making and planning
-Implementing evacuation plans
-Organisational structures
-Measuring the preparedness of governments
-Shelter management
-Shelter location
-Shelter operations and preparedness
-Transport management
-Traffic modelling
-Resource allocation
-GIS-based aids for evacuation preparedness

Submission guidelines

We invite you to submit a 500 words abstract (in English) as an email attachment by 12th March 2010 to Pavel Albores at intercept@aston.ac.uk Please indicate the stream in which your presentation would best fit. In submitting an abstract you confirm your intention to attend the conference should your abstract be accepted. The conference website is: http://www.astoncrisis.com/crisiscms/InterCEPt

Keynote speakers

William H. Starbuck (confirmed)

William Starbuck is professor in residence at the Lundquist College of Business of the University of Oregon and professor emeritus at New York University. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in industrial administration at Carnegie Institute of Technology, after receiving an A.B. in physics at Harvard. He has also been awarded honorary doctorates by universities in Stockholm, Paris, and Aix-en-Provence. Earlier, he held faculty positions in economics, sociology, or management at Purdue University, the Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and New York University, as well as visiting positions in universities and business schools in England, France, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. As well, he was a senior research fellow at the International Institute of Management in Berlin. He has been the editor of Administrative Science Quarterly; he chaired the screening committee for senior Fulbright awards in business management; he directed the doctoral program in business administration at New York University, and he was the President of the Academy of Management. He has been elected a fellow of the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the British Academy of Management, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Simon Lewis (confirmed)

Simon Lewis is Chief Superintendent of Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), New Scotland Yard. Simon Joined the MPS in 1979. He was Silver Commander for Trooping the Colour in 2006, 2007 and 2008; and spent a period of time as Silver for the London Bombings on 7th and 8th July 2005. He was also Silver Commander for the consequence management strand following the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. Simon is the Chair of the London Emergency Services Liaison Panel and chair of the London Mass Evacuation Task and Finish Group. He is responsible for MPS Emergency Preparedness. This includes business continuity, emergency planning, crisis management and cross business group coordination in times of emergency and in pre-planning. It includes the MPS link with the London Resilience Team and London Resilience Partnership.

Important dates

Proposals for conference tracks, workshops, tutorials by 30th January 2010
Submit abstract by 12th March 2010
Decision for acceptance by 1st April 2010
Submit full papers by 4th June 2010
Early registration deadline by 4th June 2010


Contacts

Conference Chair: Dr. Pavel Albores, The Aston CRISIS Centre.

Scientific Chair: Prof. Duncan Shaw, The Aston CRISIS Centre

Local Co-ordinators: Jill Forrest and Maria Podsiadly intercept@aston.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0)121 204 3249