IAEM Oceania

The Academic Recognition Award recognizes an academic leader or institution that has made a significant contribution to the formal education of students pursuing a career in emergency management or through research and development of paradigms or standards that have helped shape the broader field of emergency and disaster management. The 2008 recipient of the IAEM Academic Recognition Award is Professor Jim Cole for his significant contributions to the formal education of students pursuing careers in emergency management. After nearly twenty years of teaching at Victoria University in Wellington, Professor Cole was appointed to his present position as Professor of Geology in the Department of Geological Sciences, University of Canterbury, where he serves as Director of the Natural Hazards Research Centre. IAEM also recognized Professor Cole for his outstanding research career, which includes programs that discovered new volcanic centers and have significantly increased our understanding of what triggers super-eruptions from highly active volcanic centers in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, and around the world.

Our congratulations go to Jim on his significant contributions to natural hazards research!

The Joint Centre for Disaster Research at Massey University has released their programme for the Emergency Management Summer Institute being held in Wellington, New Zealand in March 2009. For more information, download the flyer (pdf).

The Palmerston North City Council is looking for an enthusiastic and motivated person with a positive attitude to take on this exciting role. The ideal candidate would be a people person with strong communication, leadership, planning and organizational skills.

Dear Colleagues,

In an email on the 25th February 2008 I called for nominations for the position of Australian National Representative, IAEM Oceania Region closing at COB Friday 7th March 2008.

At close of business today, Only one valid nomination was received by the secretary, Oceania Region who was the appointed returning officer for this position.

Therefore the Oceania Region executive by unanimous decision hereby appoint Mr Scott Milne ESM, MIAEM as the Australian National Representative for the next two years.

To: All IAEM Oceania Region Members
From: Secretary - Oceania Region

Subject: Use of "MIAEM" Post Nominal's by IAEM Oceania Region Members.

Dear Colleagues,

The Oceania Region President in an email on the 21st May 2007 authorised members of the Oceania Region of the IAEM to use the post nominal "MIAEM".

Please be advised, in order to maintain the integrity of the post nominal usage and to promote the Oceania Region, the following protocols must be followed.

1) The post nominal is to be "MIAEM" with no full stops or commas between the letters.

To: All IAEM Oceania Members
From: Secretary, IAEM Oceania

Subject: Prerequisite Membership for National Representative Positions.

Dear Colleagues,

As you have been advised, IAEM Oceania is currently seeking an Australian and New Zealand Representatives, much confusion has arisen as to required membership status in order to be nominated to these important positions.

The IAEM Board of Directors on Mar. 14 approved the creation of IAEM Oceania as the 15th IAEM region. The new president of IAEM Oceania is Tony Pearce, the Director General of the Emergency Management Australia, and the Vice President is Kristin Hoskin from New Zealand. IAEM Oceania currently has more than 120 members and is growing. IAEM enthusiastically welcomes this new region to our IAEM “family.”

A recent workshop held in New Zealand has resulted in a call to establish an earthquake and volcano forecasting centre.

The aim is to make more effective use of New Zealand earthquake and volcano research to improve the understanding of natural hazards. He said most of the ingredients already existed in New Zealand to make progress in earthquake forecasting. However, a centre combining a talented pool of researchers in New Zealand would provide a mechanism for more international collaboration which would lead to even greater progress.The establishment of a New Zealand centre for studying "time-varying" earthquake and volcanic hazards would allow New Zealand scientists to work with the international earthquake research community more effectively. It would also mirror similar centres in other countries.

More information is available from the GNS Science press release.

Scientists say a lahar caused by Ruapehu's Crater Lake spilling its banks could reach a size three times the size of the disastrous wave in the 1953 Tangiwai disaster. The chance of a lahar occurring within the next eight weeks is placed at somewhere between 30 per cent and 40 per cent so the risks are high. But while it could happen any day, Department of Conservation scientist Harry Keys says there is a better chance it will come next summer. In the worst-case scenario, the lahar could be up to three times bigger than that of 1953, although the more likely one is that it will be about the same size or a little larger.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released a new guide to provide assist in planning for a pandemic.

CDC released new guidance on community planning strategies that state and local community decision-makers, as well as individuals, need to consider based on the severity of an influenza pandemic. These strategies are important because the best protection against pandemic influenza -- a vaccine -- is not likely to be available at the outset of a pandemic. Community strategies that delay or reduce the impact of a pandemic (also called non-pharmaceutical interventions) may help reduce the spread of disease until a vaccine that is well-matched to the virus is available.

The media release is available here. The planning document is available from pandemicflu.gov.