Journal of Rescue and Relief
Year:2013 | Volume:5 | Issue:1|Papers Count:11

Background: The number of disasters is increasing in the world which can lead to death, injury and disability in affected people. Although on-time, rapid and effective recovery and rehabilitation services/measures in post disaster phase prevent more injuries and disabilities. However, providing these services will have some difficulties in the scene of disasters. This study aims to review the potential of advanced technologies in disasters recovery and rehabilitation.Methods: Following an expanded English literature review, a database containing the related articles was developed. The core research group classified the appropriate articles and drafted the first version of the results. Using an expert panel methodology, the results were finalized based on the participants view points.Findings: Advanced technology can help responders to manage disaster recovery and rehabilitation phase. Using telerehabilitation, telecommunication, Geo Information Technology and mobile technologies are some examples which could reduce post disaster impacts.Conclusion: Despite wide use of advanced technology in pre-disaster phase, this potential has been considered less in disasters recovery and rehabilitation measures. This study suggests more research in disaster rehabilitation engzneerzng.

Background: Hospitals have an important role in order to maintain and improve health and to function without interruption in emergency situations. Hospital Safety Index is one of the indicators that can help to determine the efficiency of hospitals in disasters situations. This study was done in order to assess the safety of one of the referral hospitals related to Social Security Organization in disasters in Tehran. Methods: In this applied study, a referral hospital in Tehran city was studied based on structural, nonstructural and functional factors by using WHO/PAHO standard checklist.Findings: According to the results, the final Safety Index score placed this hospital into C category of three categories of safety. It means that the lives and safety of occupants of this hospital deemed at risk during disasters.Conclusion: The Hospital Safety Index helps authorities to quickly determine where interventions can improve safety. The safety index is not only a tool for making technical assessments, but it provides a new approach to disaster prevention and mitigation for the health sector. Calculating the safety score allows hospital to establish maintenance and monitoring routines and look at actions to improve safety in the medium term. This quick overview will give decision makers a starting point for establishing priorities and reducing risk and vulnerability in healthcare facilities.

Background: Quality evaluation is essential in higher education but it is more important in Applied-Science & Technology institutes especially for Iran Helal institute. The current study aims to compile factors, criteria, indicators and judgment criteria as requirements of quality evaluation for educational groups in Iran Helal Institute of Applied-Science & Technology.Methods: In current qualitative study, a sample including 20 participants was selected and interviewed by using purposeful and snow-ball sampling. Delphi method was applied in order to determine factors, criteria, indicators and judgment criteria.Findings: After content analysis of interviews with regard to the existing experience and final approval of academic members of Iran Helal Institute, the results were as follows: in input section; 8 factors, 39 criteria and 221 indicators! judgment criteria were compiled. In process section, 1 factor, 3 criteria and 19 indicators! Judgment criteria and in output section, 3 factors, 10 criteria and 40 indicators! Judgment criteria were compiled.Conclusion: According to the results, compiled factors, criteria, indicators and judgment criteria can be used as basic requirements of quality evaluation for all departments at Iran Helal Institute of Applied-Science & Technology.

Background: Red Crescent and Red Cross national societies have duty to offer humanitarian services and support the needy people around the world. Red Crescent society helps the needy by organizing and utilizing the power of people who are willing to participate in the humanitarian purposes. This research studies the effective factors that attract and maintain volunteers, youth and relief groups in Red Crescent society of Bushehr province.Methods: In this descriptive study, all volunteers, young and relief groups in Red Crescent society of Bushehr (7217) were studied. About 391 ones were selected in three groups of volunteers (104), youth (134), and relief (154) by using Korejci & Morgan's formula. By using one-stage cluster sampling, some townships of Bushehr province were selected such as Bushehr, Dashtestan, Dashti, Genaveh, Kangan, and Tangestan. Face validity of the questionnaire was examined by experts. Alpha Cronbach's was r=0.186 and r=0.183 in the first and second questionnaires respectively. The results indicated a high level of internal consistency among the questions.Findings: According to the results, the most important factors on attracting people were such as advertising factors of influential people, street advertising, organizational support, social motivation, communication, media, intrinsic motivation and material encouragement. Also, the important factors in continuous cooperation were such as health and safety, human relations, organizational culture, material & immaterial encouragement and education.Conclusion: Several factors are involved in attracting and keeping volunteers, youth and relief groups in Red Crescent society. Given the age average in the country and the risk of natural and unnatural disasters, authorities is recommended to pay attention to the research findings in order to adopt appropriate polices to attract and maintain all groups in Red Crescent society.

Background: Job satisfaction and organizational commitment are prerequisites of internal and external efficiency of an organization. This research aims to study the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the staff of Ramadan Red Crescent Society in 2011.Methods: In this descriptive-correlation study, staff of Ramadan Red Crescent Society (about 120) was selected and studied by using random sampling and Cochran's formula. Data was gathered by using both questionnaires of organizational commitment (Allen and Meyer) and job satisfaction (Visoki and Krom) (r=0.79 and r=0.93 respectively). For data analysis, it was used of correlation coefficient, one-sample t-test, one way ANOVA and Scheffe test.Findings: The results showed that the rate of job satisfaction was well above average in factors such as nature of work, management and coworkers; also, all of the components were more than average in organizational commitment. Organizational commitment had a significant relationship with all of job satisfaction dimensions (r=0.45). No significant difference was observed between male and female employees in job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Moreover, there was a significant difference in job satisfaction and organizational commitment among groups with different level of academic education.Conclusion: According to the findings, there is a relationship between dimensions of job satisfaction and organizational commitment; and the lowest level of employee satisfaction was related to the opportunities for job promotion and satisfaction with salary. Therefore, human resources management is recommended to promote and enhance the employee job satisfaction, loyalty and devotion to the organization by adopting some measures such as selection of qualified personnel, bestowing timely and appropriate rewards based on accurate assessment of performance; increase in wages and salaries with regard to the staff capabilities and payment systems in other organizations; and providing opportunities for staff promotions.

Background: According to the vulnerability of the country towards natural disasters, it is essential to plan and take actions in order to minimize their effects and consequences. However, the research activities in this field and also the use of ideas and experiences of relief workers, affected people and also people involved in disasters are extremely effective.Methods: In this analytic - descriptive survey, all affected people were studied in the townships of Ahar, Harris and Varzeqan (in East Azerbaijan province). By using stratified and randomly sampling, about 491 people in urban and rural areas of these affected areas were selected and studied based on Cochran formula. According to the census in 2006, the total population was 263,639. (df=95%), (r=0/05) Findings: According to the findings, the performance of relief workers was assessed well in distribution of relief items, medical services and first aid. Also, about half of the people were satisfied with the provision of basic supplies and most people were satisfied with the distribution and access of drinking water. Almost half of the people were satisfied with distribution of relief camps and assessed well the emergency accommodation.Conclusion: The results showed that the performance of Red Crescent society has been very well with regard to the extent of the disasters especially in distribution of the required items and health services. Also, comprehensive plan should be done by Red Crescent society in the field of health services because the satisfaction of the health is about average. Necessary planning and prediction should be done in case of disasters because almost one third of citizens are living in rural areas.

Background: Fluid and safe transportation is one of the necessary infrastructures for improvement of industries, enhancement of welfare level and relief services in each country. However, finding optimal routes for emergency relief services in a busy traffic network has a special significance. In recent years, a great interest for traffic modeling and determination of optimum route has been created in dynamic traffic networks for rescue and relief services due to improvement of intelligent transport systems. Methods: In this library research paper, graphical algorithm has been developed in order to find the shortest accessing time and its corresponding path between a pair of given points in an urban traffic network. This algorithm has been composed of the Floyd- Warshall algorithm to find the shortest accessing time; the  p algorithm to find the shortest path corresponding to the shortest accessing time; and also Davidson traffic function to evaluate necessary time to move from a vertex to next one on a certain path. Then, using field studies and collecting traffic data, the algorithm is implemented on the traffic network.Findings: The described algorithm has been implemented on the traffic network of the downtown part of Shahroud city. Also, the shortest accessing time between each pairs of given points and its corresponding paths have been determined in order to rapid dispatch of relief vehicles.Conclusion: according to the results, it is possible to develop intelligent navigation systems with applying the algorithm. Those systems may be particularly used to organize and dispatch rescue vehicles to accident region.