Early Warning System - Case Study Example

Early Warning System Name: University Abstract The literature of early warning systems and forecasting is wide and extensive given the divergence in the discipline. Whereas many countries have become reactive to early warning systems, the systems are imperative to enhance the preparedness’s of decision maker in addressing emergency systems, as witnessed in Australia and US. As such, this study aims at proposing an effective ECWS solutions to Abu Dhabi. The paper further in creating awareness to individuals in order to enable an informed decision making platform. The study will extensively draw literatures from the ECWS for developed countries such as US, Australia, and New Zealand to alert the vulnerable communities of the impending disasters. It is noted that many countries still lag behind in the design and implementations of early warning systems. This is mainly as a result of technical limitations and poor internet connections in the places where the alert messages are conveyed through the web. Findings indicate that a broad range of ECWS are implemented in Australian and US context. The integration of such systems comes with a broad range of the technical and social limitations that suggest the need for the adoption of integrated based system for its design. Contents Abstract 2 1.0 Introduction 4 The Phases of the Early Warning Systems 4 2.0 The Emergency Alert system in US 5 2.1 The Early Warning signs on Earthquakes in US 5 2.2Early Warning Systems in Australia 6 2.3Early Warning Systems in New Zealand 6 2.5 Comparison of Early Warning Signs in US, Australia and New Zealand 7 2.6 Limitations of Early Warning Signs 7 2.7Kinds of Threats Faced by United Arab Emirates yearly 8 2.8 The Best Practices in disaster Management in United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi 8 2.8.1Use of siren system 8 2.8.3The use of television and radio broadcasts 8 2.8.4Use of chatty beetles 9 2.9 Early Warning Signs in United Arab Emirates 9 3.0 Conclusion 9 References 10 1.0 Introduction Countries have been concerned with the huge impacts brought by natural disasters, unfortunately, societies have not integrated such preventive frameworks. On the other hand, catastrophic are increasingly growing by the millions, costing billions of dollars in damages. . The central governments and the local governments need to put in place strategies that are geared towards managing disasters and the emergencies (Jibiki et al 2016). The assumptions that most catastrophes are local has put a lot of responsibilities to the local governments to inform and alert the public on the disasters. The US has synchronized its Emergency Alert Systems to enable adequate responses to natural disasters (Emergency Management Division). The early warning forms an important platform for disaster preparedness in saving lives despite being an enormous and tiresome process which involves designing, implementing and the establishment of the early warning systems (Garai 2017). The process of developing early warning systems calls for the involvement of the most vulnerable group in the local community so that the community gets alerted and informed about the emergencies and the disasters (Huang et al 2016). The lack of awareness on matters of tsunamis has resulted in the loss of lives and property and therefore the need for an early warning system for the disasters (Huang et al 2016). The research will benchmark the ECWS in US, Australia, and New Zealand while drawing the comparisons in warning systems used in this countries. The paper will also discuss the best practices to apply in the United Arab Emirates specifically Abu Dhabi city in the control of natural disasters and emergencies. The Phases of the Early Warning Systems A traditional framework of early warning system was composed of three elements i.e. the measurement of the precursors, the forecasting of the likely events and the communication of a warning or an alert in case the disaster emerged according to de Leon et al (2006 pg. 24). There was a need for an improved four steps process, and the onset of an emergency response activities ones the warning has been issued was added to the process. A diagram of the 3 phase early warning system according to de Leon et al (2006 pg. 24) 2.0 The Emergency Alert system in US This is a national warning system that was established in 1997 and was approved by federal communication commission to replace the emergency broadcast system. This system is designed to enable the president to address the public within 10 minutes and also convey local weather emergencies to the people. The hazards include tornados, floods and severe thunderstorms (Emergency Management Division). This forms an integrated public warning system which a program of the federal emergency management agency. The messages of this system are conveyed through an interconnection of all televisions, phones, laptops and billboard all connected to one frequency. 2.1 The Early Warning signs on Earthquakes in US Eruption of stored energy resulting from a fast sliding rocks fault causes an Earthquake. The composition of an earthquake warning system include; Simulated Softwares, seismographs and communication alarms devised for regional communication on earthquake occurrences (Liang et al 2017). The system highly differs from the earth predictions which is always incapable of offering final event warnings. The earthquake warning systems in US are established to ensure the transit safety whereby the systems can detect the real-time response to an event. Tentatively, it determines the operating responses of trains in the Train Systems in urban centers (Huang et al 2016). The appropriate response will relyon the time of warning, the local conditions and the train’s speed. In the US the earliest deployment of the earthquake pre-detection systems was done in 1990s in California; the Calistoga Fire Stations system can trigger a citywide siren automatically to alert the entire areas residents as postulated by Garai (2017). In US, the earthquake detection systems have been done by the government and private sectors aiming to protect the infrastructure such as the elevators, fire stations, and the gas lines- in addition to software simulations such as ShakeAlert V 2.6.0 In Japan, on other hand, the earthquake early warning systems were to practice in 2006 and its scheme to alert the public was installed in October 2007. The system was partly modeled on the urgent detection and the alarm system of the Japan Railways which then was made to ensure automatic bullet train braking (Jibiki et al 2016). In 2009, the early warning system shakeAlarm was established in the United States in Vancouver Canada which was to provide the protection of a piece of transportation infrastructure which connect the south and north banks of Frazer River. In this case, the gates are v automatically closed in case it senses a unsafe seismic event. The success and reliability of this system have seen that in 2015 several additional installations in Canada and United States of US have been realized with various plans to set up other installations. The divergent earthquake network research projects by the Universities in US mainly aims at creating and maintaining crowdsourced earthquake alert systems that are built on smartphone networks. The smartphones are used to detect the shakings in the ground caused by earthquakes, and they issue warnings as soon as they detect an earthquake. This ensures that the people living in higher distances from the detections points are alerted before the destruction waves reach them. In US, people are allowed to take part in installing the Android application on earthquakes to receive the alerts (Martin & Rice ,2012) The Early Warning Systems in US can be seen as having a combination of scientific, managerial, social and technological components which are integrated into the communication processes (Emergency Management Division). The 1998 tornado carnage in Florida, caused massive destruction and damage of property estimated at a million dollars and killing 42 lives (Erdelj & Natalizio 2016). The loss of lives and destruction of assets prompted the procurement of the tornado early warning systems which were served on the public policy agenda. With respect to the Florida event the early warning signs had not been communicated to the vulnerable public as the tornados in the Florida were not as severe and dangerous as compared to other cities such as Texas. It, therefore, means that the event struck unnoticed hence causing many deaths and tornado-related injuries to the people. In the cases of such events, it is relevant that the citizens are served with such information and early disaster warning the public always grant the disaster the seriousness that it deserves. In the tornado carnage, a large percentage of citizens who were alerted on the event took protective actions by going to shelters. The primary determinants of the citizens taking the protective measures during the tornados depended entirely on whether the citizens had knowledge of the warning signs (Lagmay et al 2017). 2.2Early Warning Systems in Australia Australia is faced by natural calamities such as bushfire, floods, droughts, storms, landslides, earthquakes and tropical cyclones. Whereas some hazards have high potential to occur anywhere in Australia the tropical cyclones occur in known regions confined by topography. The state provides the cross-hazard documentation that guides and advises people or warns people on potential or actual emergencies. The major early warning systems in Australia ranges from traditional methods such as television and radio broadcasts, community sirens and meetings to the modern system such as the use of mobile telephone messages and social media and networking posts such as twitter and Facebook. The emergency alert is the national telephone system which sends voice messages to telephone landline about disasters Golnaghi (2011). The early warning system uses predictions, use of intelligence systems and use of varied communication modes to warn people of impending disasters. 2.3Early Warning Systems in New Zealand The main hazards that New Zealand is prone to include earthquakes, tsunamis and strong winds according to Moore (2008). The main warning system used is the Chatty Beetles an equipment that is connected with satellites and monitors emergencies throughout the country. When it senses the emergency the equipment beeps and only stops when pressed whereby an individual reads the disaster, the location and the intensity. Whereas a number of systems have been put in place, the constructions and integration of ECWS systems are affected by various limitations such as technical infrastructure, operator disability and lack of systems trust to name a few. Thus there is no single system that is well placed in addressing such pertinent issues. Table 2.4 showing summary of warning systems in US, Australia and New Zealand Country Disasters Early Warning systems US Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, Emergency alert system, computers, seismographs and alarms NEWZEALAND Earthquakes, tsunamis, strong winds Chatty Beetles, use of sirens, AUSTRALIA Bushfires, floods, storms, landslides, earthquakes, tropical cyclones Cross-hazard documentations, use of sirens, television and radio broadcasts 2.5 Comparison of Early Warning Signs in US, Australia and New Zealand The most common instruments of warning in New Zealand, United States and Australia is the citizenry of the natural disasters include the siren systems which is primarily used in the US to alert the communities of the impending disasters with the loud blare. The advantage of the siren system is that it can inform the whole community simultaneously. However, the sirens are seen by the local governments as disadvantageous due to their exorbitant costs. Despite the cost, the sirens are important disaster management programs especially in the event of tornados. The sirens are believed to have saved lives during the Florida tornados carnages and therefore advocated for as the most efficient disaster management instruments despite the cost attached to them (Liu et al 2017). The community education is a common strategy employed by both US, Australia and New Zealand in dealing with natural disasters (Golnaghi 2012). Also, capability and essential planning is a criterion that should be used by the governments in addressing natural catastrophes. According to Moore (2008) many deaths caused by the tornados can be as a result of a lack of storm shelters. Therefore, to ameliorate the effects of the disasters, there is a need for the government to provide early warning systems which should be accompanied by personal responsibility and accountability. This can be ensured by helping the citizens to set the individual plans of action during emergency situations as postulated by Alzaghal & Momani (2017). In Australia, the natural disasters mainly include the floods, the tropical cyclones Yasi, and the bushfire that destroys families and property. The use of communication and information technology has been a major strategy in dealing with the natural disasters in Australia. Many scholars have researched and stated that the geographic information system plays a key purpose in informing the communities about the impending disasters. Social networks like Instagram, email and Facebook also plays a crucial role dealing with emergencies and disasters. The radio networks, video, and televisions have been important for processing data and distributing information concerning the catastrophes (Golnaghi, 2012). 2.6 Limitations of Early Warning Signs The major barrier that came with the use of information technology and communication was due to existence of a radio frequency barrier and the local network connectivity. The emergency alert provided by the state and the federal operation on communal telephone system which transmits warnings to the telephone users by the use numbers allocated for a particular area. Despite of the productive performance of the system, it is important to note that the Australian telecommunication association noted the technical links and the human communication process that make the system ineffective. This is in line with the ability to build trust and accept the warning signals (La Daana et al 2016). Another limitation in line with the early warning signal strategies used is that the modern technologies sometimes faces the vulnerable system connectivity. The national observation systems and the national satellites which process data on the affected geographical location can result in delayed information transmission for hours or even a day posing great risk and damages to the vulnerable locations as stated by Peterson et al (2011). The agencies conveying the information mostly rely on the internet and with poor connections, the messages can be delayed. There are technical limitations that accompany the construction and implementation of early warning systems in Australia (Cools et al 2017). They include: inadequate infrastructural development and unpredictable system performance. With the history of disasters recurring many lower income countries such as Bangladesh, Cuba, and cities such Abu Dhabi have already ensured dramatic strides in reducing the death risks as a result of natural disasters by formulating warnings concerning occurrence of storms and floods (Lagmay et al 2017). The government of Cuba has prioritized the development of projects concerning life protection mechanisms. The key project being early warning programs on stormy cyclones and evacuation procedures during disasters. In Bangladesh following the many calities due to the tropical cyclones and storm surge, the government in collaboration with the Crescent societies of Bangladesh have established cyclone preparedness program whose effectiveness was demonstrated by the reduction in the death rate during the 2007 super cyclone Sidr (Cools et al 2016). There was development of emergency response and planning systems in France. This was as a result a huge 1999 storm in winter. Aftermath, this system improved to cover warnings from heat which came post the forceful heat surge in 2003 that resulted in approximately 15,000 deaths in France. As a result of major floods in 2007, the government opted to foster on flood response and warning techniques to avoid a repeat of similar disasters (Alzaghal & Momani, 2017). 2.7Kinds of Threats Faced by United Arab Emirates yearly According to Alzaghal and Momani (2017 pg. 92) the environmental threats caused by exploitation of natural resources and the population growth and natural threats that the UAE is prone to yearly includes; droughts, aridity and the rising sea level, global warming and water scarcity. The natural emergencies encountered includes floods, fogs, earthquakes and tropical cyclones 2.8 The Best Practices in disaster Management in United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi city need to come up with strategies and best practices in fighting emergencies. The systems to be put in place in this city should be convenient considering the risk of emergencies of this regions. The strategies to be put in place includes; 2.8.1Use of siren system The system has been highly used by New Zealand, US and Australia. The system has been used in US to inform the vulnerable local community of the tropical cyclones and earthquakes. The siren system is effective because according to Jais & Hassan (2017) use of sirens during emergencies can save life and property as it can reach many people at the same time. The system best suits Abu Dhabi because of its large population which requires early information concerning the occurrence of disasters. The sirens should be installed in areas prone to hazards such earthquakes and tropical cyclones so as to inform the public of the emergencies. 2.8.2Use of cross hazard documentations. The use of cross hazard documentation has been used by Australia according to Golnaghi (2011). This involves taking note of all the areas prone to hazards and making a record which is then documented by the government. The strategy has helped save lives and property because the public is always aware of the exact points that emergencies are likely to occur. The public is cautioned on the periods that they should not visit these regions.in Australia areas prone to floods and earthquakes are well documented by the government. According to Golnaghi (2011) documenting these areas is a precautionary measure and an effective early warning system on calamities. The system can be effectively adopted by Abu Dhabi due to its easy to reach a large population, many people can read by the specific hazard prone regions and avoid visiting the regions at the specific periods that the hazards are likely to occur. 2.8.3The use of television and radio broadcasts The strategy has been successfully used by Australia. The use of the information systems through radios and televisions is effective to Abu Dhabi due to its large population and connectivity to the local communities that are prone to hazards. This system works best for Abu Dhabi because of the comparatively little financial requirements for installations. In this system the local radios and televisions are connected to a common satellite that can instantly transmit information concerning hazards faster as postulated by Petersen et al (2011­). The system is effective in detecting earthquakes and relaying the information to the public about the place and intensity of the calamity. 2.8.4Use of chatty beetles These system of early warning has been majorly used by New Zealand. In this system, according to Moore (2008) the chatty beetles are connected to a common satellites and gives emergency information as soon as it senses. The information is received through a small screen where the people can be able to read the location of the hazard and the intensity. The system can work well in the city of Abu Dhabi due to its connectivity and large population. The system is advantageous as compared to other systems because it is not easy for people to ignore the alert as the chatty beetle will not cease beeping until when someone reads the information on the screen. 2.9 Early Warning Signs in United Arab Emirates The UAE is faced by various natural hazards which include atmospheric, geological and anthropogenic. As more development activities take root, the people become more prone to these calamities (Collins & Kapucu, 2008). The records of terrorism also present key issues to the region and have affected the stability impacting highly on the global trade, economy, and operations. The region is also vulnerable to large tidal waves and sea storms as a result of the shallow shores. The preparations for imminent disasters have been very slow in this region, and the large scale disaster preparations have only featured as a result of the country's recent establishment (Liu et al 2017). The regions have over years established disaster management legislations and initiatives which are especially crucial in the sector of energy. This makes the preparedness of this energy region very critical. The city of Abu Dhabi seems well prepared than other cities such as Dubai as far as disaster preparedness is concerned (Liu et al 2017). The city enjoys better corporate policy for emergency preparedness and response. The city also has better planning standards for distribution of energy and preparation against hazards, the area has more specialized areas for disaster management and has ensured human development through training and motivation on dealing with disasters (Martins & Rice 2012). 3.0 Conclusion In conclusion, this study has established that despite the continued effort and policy implementation to develop warning systems, there is still a lot to accomplished in terms developing technical systems that can quickly convey the disaster information to the public. The poor connectivity as a result of the remoteness of disaster prone regions has been a major hitch in emergency management in different countries. The early warning signs and system has been critical in saving lives and destruction of property in the event of a natural disaster. This evident in the storm disaster that rocked the city of Florida whereby the siren system helped save lives of many. However, from the study it is important that stakeholders in early warning signs and system continue with efforts to make policies that cover risk management. The policies should be institutionalized into the government plans in order to receive funding from the government. References Alzaghal, M. H., & Momani, N. M. (2017). Emergency volunteering in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: current and future trends. International Journal of Emergency Management, 13(2), 160-168. Cools, J., Innocenti, D., & O’Brien, S. (2016). Lessons from flood early warning systems. Environmental Science & Policy, 58, 117-122. Collins, M. L., & Kapucu, N. (2008). Early warning systems and disaster preparedness and response in local government. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, 17(5), 587-600. de León, J. C. V., Bogardi, J., Dannenmann, S., & Basher, R. (2006). Early warning systems in the context of disaster risk management. Entwicklung and Ländlicher Raum, 2, 23-25. Emergency Management Division. FEMA Information Regarding the EAS. Retrieved from http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopaedia/emergency-alert-system-eas Emergency Management Division. State Emergency Communications Committee. Retrieved from http://mil.wa.gv/emergency-management-division/state-emergency-communicatio-commitee Erdelj, M., & Natalizio, E. (2016, February). UAV-assisted disaster management: Applications and open issues. In Computing, Networking and Communications (ICNC), 2016 International Conference on (pp. 1-5). IEEE Garai, J. (2017). Qualitative analysis of coping strategies of cyclone disaster in coastal area of Bangladesh. Natural Hazards, 85(1), 425-435. Golnaraghi, M. (Ed.). (2012). Institutional partnerships in multi-hazard early warning systems: a compilation of seven national good practices and guiding principles. Springer Science & Business Media. Huang, C., Wu, T., & Renn, O. (2016). A Risk Radar driven by Internet of intelligences serving for emergency management in community. Environmental research, 148, 550-559. Jais, A. M., & Hassan, N. (2017, January). Protection of people and environment from radiation risk through good regulatory practice. In A. A. Mohamed, F. M. Idris, A. H. Husin, & N. A. Hamid (Eds.), AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1799, No. 1, p. 020004). AIP Publishing Jibiki, Y., Kure, S., Kuri, M., & Ono, Y. (2016). Analysis of early warning systems: the case of super-typhoon Haiyan. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 15, 24-28. La Daana, K. K., Singh, D., Lauckner, B., Ebi, K. L., & Chadee, D. D. (2016). Knowledge, attitude and practices of coastal communities in Trinidad and Tobago about tsunamis. Natural Hazards, 81(2), 1349-1372. Lagmay, A. M. F. A., Racoma, B. A., Aracan, K. A., Alconis-Ayco, J., & Saddi, I. L. (2017). Disseminating near-real-time hazards information and flood maps in the Philippines through Web-GIS. Journal of Environmental Sciences. Liang, Y., Jiang, C., Ma, L., Liu, L., Chen, W., & Liu, L. (2017). Government support, social capital and adaptation to urban flooding by residents in the Pearl River Delta area, China. Habitat International, 59, 21-31. Liu, D., Li, Y., Fang, S., & Zhang, Y. (2017). Influencing factors for emergency evacuation capability of rural households to flood hazards in western mountainous regions of Henan province, China. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 21, 187-195. Martin, N., & Rice, J. (2012). Emergency communications and warning systems: determining critical capacities in the Australian context. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, 21(5), 529-540. Moore, L. K. (2008, May). The emergency alert system (EAS) and all-hazard warnings. Congressional Information Service, Library of Congress. Petersen, T., Gledhill, K., Chadwick, M., Gale, N. H., & Ristau, J. (2011). The New Zealand national seismograph network. Seismological Research Letters, 82(1), 9-20. . . Read More

There was a need for an improved four steps process, and the onset of an emergency response activities ones the warning has been issued was added to the process. A diagram of the 3 phase early warning system according to de Leon et al (2006 pg. 24) 2.0 The Emergency Alert system in US This is a national warning system that was established in 1997 and was approved by federal communication commission to replace the emergency broadcast system. This system is designed to enable the president to address the public within 10 minutes and also convey local weather emergencies to the people.

The hazards include tornados, floods and severe thunderstorms (Emergency Management Division). This forms an integrated public warning system which a program of the federal emergency management agency. The messages of this system are conveyed through an interconnection of all televisions, phones, laptops and billboard all connected to one frequency. 2.1 The Early Warning signs on Earthquakes in US Eruption of stored energy resulting from a fast sliding rocks fault causes an Earthquake. The composition of an earthquake warning system include; Simulated Softwares, seismographs and communication alarms devised for regional communication on earthquake occurrences (Liang et al 2017).

The system highly differs from the earth predictions which is always incapable of offering final event warnings. The earthquake warning systems in US are established to ensure the transit safety whereby the systems can detect the real-time response to an event. Tentatively, it determines the operating responses of trains in the Train Systems in urban centers (Huang et al 2016). The appropriate response will relyon the time of warning, the local conditions and the train’s speed. In the US the earliest deployment of the earthquake pre-detection systems was done in 1990s in California; the Calistoga Fire Stations system can trigger a citywide siren automatically to alert the entire areas residents as postulated by Garai (2017).

In US, the earthquake detection systems have been done by the government and private sectors aiming to protect the infrastructure such as the elevators, fire stations, and the gas lines- in addition to software simulations such as ShakeAlert V 2.6.0 In Japan, on other hand, the earthquake early warning systems were to practice in 2006 and its scheme to alert the public was installed in October 2007. The system was partly modeled on the urgent detection and the alarm system of the Japan Railways which then was made to ensure automatic bullet train braking (Jibiki et al 2016).

In 2009, the early warning system shakeAlarm was established in the United States in Vancouver Canada which was to provide the protection of a piece of transportation infrastructure which connect the south and north banks of Frazer River. In this case, the gates are v automatically closed in case it senses a unsafe seismic event. The success and reliability of this system have seen that in 2015 several additional installations in Canada and United States of US have been realized with various plans to set up other installations.

The divergent earthquake network research projects by the Universities in US mainly aims at creating and maintaining crowdsourced earthquake alert systems that are built on smartphone networks. The smartphones are used to detect the shakings in the ground caused by earthquakes, and they issue warnings as soon as they detect an earthquake. This ensures that the people living in higher distances from the detections points are alerted before the destruction waves reach them. In US, people are allowed to take part in installing the Android application on earthquakes to receive the alerts (Martin & Rice ,2012) The Early Warning Systems in US can be seen as having a combination of scientific, managerial, social and technological components which are integrated into the communication processes (Emergency Management Division).

The 1998 tornado carnage in Florida, caused massive destruction and damage of property estimated at a million dollars and killing 42 lives (Erdelj & Natalizio 2016).

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