The Zeebrugge ferry disaster

On Friday 6 March, 1987, at approximately 19:30 the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry boat capsized just outside the Belgian harbour of Zeebrugge. Almost 200 people died as the ship sank very quickly. This article examines the emergency operations that followed the disaster from the perspective of information and communication dynamics. Five specific aspects are thus analyzed in greater detail and elements of an alternative scenario are suggested for each of them: the initial alert and the subsequent mobilization of the emergency services; the informationhandling performance of the crisis center; interorganizational communication between disasterrelief agencies; external communication to survivors, families and next of kin; the management of the mass media. It is concluded that, when examining the crisis management operations more closely, the alleged success of Belgian disaster relief operations at Zeebrugge appears in many respects something of a myth.The paper is commented on by John P. Heck, Head of Civil Defense at the Dutch Ministry of the Interior.     

全球重大灾难对中国城市防灾减灾的警示

文章简介了近年我国若干城市安全减灾应急工作及系统的快速发展，阐述了我国国家、省市及社会安全减灾应急现状，SARS及印度洋特大地震海啸灾害对其的促进和警示教训；进而纵论国际安全减灾应急体系近年概况，美、俄、日、法等国近年建立部级政府机构由来；最后指出我国这一领域的问题并提出我国安全减灾应急体系建设的体制、机制、法制；经费及国际合作等相应建议。     

Natural disaster potential and counterdisaster planning in Australia

Counterdisaster planning for mass fatalities begins with an analysis of the types of disasters likely in a given area and the vulnerability of the area to those disasters. Mass-fatality disasters can be classified as man-made or natural. A historical list of the major man-made disasters in Australia is provided. Potential natural, disasters in Australia, such as bush fires, floods, cyclones, and earthquakes, are discussed. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology provides warnings in many of these situations. Counterdisaster planning in Australia is primarily a state responsibility. The Natural Disasters Organisation of the Federal Department of Defence operates an Australian Counter-Disaster College.     

火灾模拟有限元软件综述

近年来随着计算机技术的普及和计算速度的不断提高,有限元分析在工程设计中得到了越来越广泛的重视,已经成为解决复杂的工程分析计算问题的有效途径,其中FDS、ANSYS、FLUENT、PHOENICS、CFAST等软件被广泛应用于火灾模拟研究和工程应用中,本文通过对上述软件的功能、特点和应用等方面的详细介绍,纵观当今国际上CAE软件的发展情况,得出火灾模拟有限元分析软件未来将与CAD软件的无缝集成,具有更为强大的网格处理能力,由求解线性问题发展到求解非线性问题和由单一结构场求解发展到耦合场问题的求解.尤其是FDS场模拟火灾软件和cFAsT区域模拟软件亟需与CAD软件的无缝集成,这样才能更加有利于工程应用人员对火灾场景模型的建立.     

Toxicologic findings in the USS Iowa disaster.

The toxicologic results from the 47 victims of the explosion on the USS Iowa are presented. Good correlation between carboxyhemoglobin saturations and cause of death was found. There were no correlations between blood cyanide concentrations and causes of death. Volatile analysis suggested postmortem ethanol production rather than antemortem ethanol ingestion. No drugs except nicotine were detected in any of the victims.     

International disaster identification report. Investigative and dental aspects

This meeting, held in October 1980 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, was a very serious effort to begin international cooperation in a much needed area: disaster investigation and identification. Under the leadership of Col. Arie van den Bos of the Royal Police of the Netherlands, the work was accomplished with representatives and observers from many major countries represented. Efforts were made to solve the enigma of international cooperation. A plane crash of an airline of a major country in a distant country can be properly investigated only with the cooperation of the carrier and the country in which the tragedy occurred. The International Academy of Legal Medicine and Social Medicine devoted a 3-day program to the study of this problem during their last international meeting in Lyon, France, and it will be discussed further in Vienna in 1982 under the leadership of Prof. Wilhelm Holczabek. The experience of Norwegian investigators is mentioned as an example of the type of problems encountered with foreign nationals involved in a crash in the country, or a disaster involving a ship or a oil platform where foreign nationals are working, or in a tragedy such as the propylene explosion in Tarragona, Spain, which resulted in more than 200 tourists from many countries dying in the fire, many bodies burned beyond recognition.     

The Lockerbie disaster and other aircraft breakups in midair

This is a review of the experiences and activities of various specialty groups that constituted the organization developed to investigate the Lockerbie air disaster. Circumstances surrounding other aircraft midair breakup crashes are also discussed.     

志愿者赈灾救助立法思考

我国蓬勃发展的志愿者服务事业在强烈呼唤着志愿者服务立法的完善。本文作者首先阐述了志愿者服务立法的历史渊源,继而分析我国当前志愿者服务立法现状及存在问题,主要包括：志愿者立法级别低;对志愿者的权利保障规定还不够完善;缺乏与突发事件有关的志愿者立法等。因此,为进一步促进志愿者服务事业的发展,建议建立全国范围内的志愿者统一立法,并在统一立法中要建立志愿者奖励机制,加强对志愿者权益的保障,实行志愿者分类管理,完善NGO登记管理制度,加强与国际志愿者的合作,同时还要加强与突发事件有关的志愿者立法。