Journal of Rescue and Relief
Year:2014 | Volume:6 | Issue:1|Papers Count:10

Background: Conversion of runoff into flood can cause irreparable damage to urban water gathering channels. A 20-fold increased of Urmia, new constructions development on the urban areas over the past five decades particularly on hills constructions and vegetation loss enormously and replacing with asphalt made this area prone to flooding and rainfall runoff especially during heavy rains at rainy seasons.According to the morphological specification, Urmia and its surroundings (about 200 Km2) were divided into different zones and investigated the torrents and vulnerable regions. Due to evaluation of more than 4000 data collected from Urmia Regional Water and Metrological Organization, about 27 million m3 rain and snow come to city annually. Primary evaluation shows that about 5 million m3 annually in spring seasons flow through the city.Methods: In this study, zones prone to runoff in Urmia city, margin and residential areas have been identified. The flood-prone areas were determined by using TOPSIS method and obtaining data from Meteorology Organization of West Azerbaijan during heavy rain for a five-year return period by combining existing data.Findings: According to this project, 17 separate regions are distinguished with respect to different morphological features. The studies showed that region No.12 (about 757000 m2) with the ultimate point to ideal situation was the most flood-prone regions due to the cause and flow runoff and urban flooding; in a heavy spring rain about to 192 m3/min rainfall occurs, given the affecting coefficients much of it became runoff. Region No.17 with about 1763000 m2, the closet point to ideal situation, was the most secure one on which heavy rain more than 275 m3 was coming down.Conclusion: Weighting to the effective parameters involved in runoff showed that the connecting angle between natural draining systems and urban water gathering channels on the one hand, and the indicator of the length of channels and significant difference in height on the other hand had the maximum and minimum weight (effect) on the vulnerable criterion respectively. Accordingly, the regions 4, 12, 15 and 16 with about 3.4 Km2 are the most vulnerable zones but on the other hand, the regions 17, 1, 2 and 3 are located on the low risk vulnerable zones. For this purpose, constructing the water gathering channels in urban areas, especially in the 4-6 and 8-16 regions is necessary to reduce the damages and hazards in these regions and also unpleasant sights in the heavy rains.

Background: Earthquake seriously threatens urban environments of Iran especially Tehran. Earthquake causes widespread damage, destruction and many casualties and injuries. The basic need of people affected by earthquake is to provide rescue and relief services in the least possible time. Thus, to speed up relief, the most optimal route should be considered based on safety. Therefore, it is necessary to consider a series of parameters regarding their importance to evaluate safety of road networks and to determine the most optimal route at the phase before an earthquake. The analytic multi-factor approach has been paying attention to identify and evaluate effective safety parameters for selecting optimal urban rescue and relief routes after earthquake. This study is conducted as a pilot study at quarter of 13 Aban in Tehran city.Methods: In this case study, some effective parameters were determined and examined for roads network safety and their relationship; also the effect of each parameter was analyzed in selection of the optimal route at the district 20 of Tehran, quarter of 13 Aban. In addition, analysis hierarchy process (AHP) as the basic model and GIS software were used.Findings: Some parameters are the most important in determining and optimizing rescue and relief routes and each has different significance level including dangerous usages, population density, vulnerability and heavy damages to buildings, transportation constructions. In addition, the effect of some factors cannot be ignored such as streets slope and distance from the fault and canals.Conclusion: According to this study, determination and optimization of rescue and relief routes can provide maximum relief services in the least possible time. The main parameters influencing the determination of safe road networks are such as population density, vulnerability and heavy damages to buildings, transportation constructions and dangerous usages.

Background: Iran is a disaster prone country in the world and earthquakes are the most destructive among natural disasters. Thus, a comprehensive plan is necessary in order to guide measures before, during and after earthquake due to the importance of disaster management. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the role of rapid assessment methods in managing of Azerbaijan earthquake in 2012.Methods: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, data were collected by health experts of Azerbaijan province (24 ones). After earthquake occurrence, the disaster management working groups held sessions and rapid assessment teams organized and dispatch to the affected area. Rapid assessment was determined in epidemiologic and demographic situation, health conditions, and emergency needs.Findings: Rapid assessment was done for the affected area by earthquake included Ahar, Heris and Varzeqan. Looking at health, epidemiologic and demographic situation, Heris and Ahar were considered as the highest and lowest needy areas respectively due to their deterioration of health status, high population, severe financial losses and casualties and are needed for more rescue and relief activities. In the following, the amounts and types of relief activities were determined and provided for each region based on rapid assessment results.Conclusion: The rapid assessment technique plays a crucial role through appropriate management of activities in the phase of disaster and post-disaster response; also, it provides a clear picture of disaster consequences and the needs of affected people. This technique could be a suitable model since it was implemented in an acceptable manner in Azerbaijan earthquake.

Background: Organizational socialization considers as an important factor for new employees to adapt themselves to the organization. The major problems of the executive organizations are lack of sense of belonging to the organization and lack of sufficient accuracy on tasks. This paper aims to examine and promote the relationship between socialization and organizational commitment in both employees of Volunteers Organization and Youth Organization of Red Crescent society.Methods: In this study, a total of 134 employees (from 225 people) employed in Volunteers Organization and Youth Organization were selected and studied by random stratified sampling according to Morgan. The data for this study was collected by Jones organizational socialization questionnaire and organizational commitment questionnaire developed by Allen and Meyer. Reliability of organizational socialization questionnaire was 0/69 through Cronbach's alpha and then was obtained 0.82 by deleting some items. Cronbach's alpha was 0/78 for organizational commitment questionnaire. Three experts were used in order to investigate the validity of the questionnaire using sample t-test. The relationship between variables was assessed by Pearson correlation and linear regression.Findings: The results of the study indicated that there was not any relationship between socialization and organizational commitment. There was a significant positive relation between continuous commitment and socialization with a correlation coefficient of 0.209 (Sig=0.016). Coefficient of determination was also equal to 0.156; indicated that the independent variable of socialization explain 15/6% of changes in the dependent variables of the continued commitment.Conclusion: According to the results, there was no relationship between socialization and organizational commitment. There was a weak relationship between socialization and continuous commitment. In addition, there was no relationship between socialization and affective commitment.

Background: Prehospital emergency is an important part of the health care system. The prerequisite for providing appropriate services in this sector is existence of the necessary equipment, particularly equipped ambulances that plays an important role in saving the patients’ life who need emergency measures. Given the high incidence of traffic accidents and other emergencies, this study was concluded to investigate current status of medical equipment of prehospital EMS ambulances in Rasht and compare with Iranian standards.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical and functional study, 13 active ambulances of emergency medical services were studied in Rasht in 2013. Data were collected and studied due to the checklist of standard medical examination card of ambulances type B MOH (Ministry of Health) and the checklist of 4374 of relief vehicles and equipment of Iranian National Standards Organization. Researchers completed the checklists with reference to emergency medical centers in Rasht and observation of medical equipment and ambulances. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics appropriate.Findings: Overall, average medical equipment of EMS ambulances in Rasht was 66.5% and 64.8% respectively that had a significant difference with standards (p<0.05) according to standards of MOH & Iran Standard National organization. In addition, the average equipment regarding both standards was as follows:In the medical and diagnosis groups:80% and 82.4%; equipment of respiration/ventilation: 97%; injection/drugs: 73% and 58.4%; equipment of treatment-critical management: 65.3% and 55.7%; nursing care/ bandage 58.3% and 53.8% that have significant differences with Iran defined standards in all cases (p<0.05). According to the results and both standards, about 84% of ambulances had all equipment related to the airway/ventilation management.Conclusion: According to the results, the best condition of medical equipment of EMS ambulances was related to equipment of airway/ventilation management. There was a significant deficiency in other equipment groups. The deficiencies of medical equipment of ambulances will reduce the efficiency of all the pre-hospital emergency medical services; therefore, it seems essential to reduce deficiencies and to achieve the national standards.

Background: Altruism is a high social value and moral & social duty, so its weakness will lead to the social discipline disorders. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the study of how and why these actions occur in the society. By recognizing altruistic actions and the effective factors on its appearance, we can identify other cultural and social components and recognize moral and socio-cultural situations in the society. This research aims to identify the impact of different components of social capital on altruism in social relations in order to facilitate more altruistic aspects of development conditions as much as is necessary.Methods: In this document search study, by using secondary analysis, data was collected and analyzed from Iran University of Medical Sciences, World Health Organization, Tehran Municipality and Jihad University in form of "assessment tools and justice response in urban health" in all parishes of Tehran city on August-September 2008. About 20,670 citizens (over 18 years old) were selected and studied in this study.Findings: According to the results, people with high social capital are more altruistic than others. The results of regression due to social capital components such as social trust, formal partnership, informal partnership, social relationship, values and sense of belonging show that among social capital components only social trust, sense of belonging and informal partnership have a meaningful and positive effect on altruism.Regarding all independent variables, the components such as social trust, sense of belonging, informal partnership and education have meaningful and positive effects on altruism.Conclusion: The results show that social capital and its components have a significant effect on altruistic actions. Therefore, with strengthening social capital, some measures should be taken in order to develop a comprehensive and balanced personality and social system and to promote the level of society and personality system, ethical practices and more specifically altruistic actions increase.

Background: One of the important concerns in urban spaces is to plan and design the appropriate spaces and locations for services. Fire stations are one of these services that are responsible for security. Identifying and prioritizing urban areas are necessary to build fire stations in the city and to improve service delivery.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical and applied research, urban areas of Khorramdarreh is prioritized to build fire stations by using VIKOR and TOPSIS models, some criteria such as access to communication networks, covered population, residential, commercial, industrial units, area coverage, educational, administrative, cultural, and transportation.Findings: In Khorramdarreh city situation, population, and proposed prioritization determined that the results of VIKOR model had higher value than TOPSIS model and is more consistent with the objective realities of city. In the situation of physical and population of Khorramdarreh, and proposed prioritize determined that the results of the model has higher value than VIKOR and TOPSIS model is more consistent with the objective realities of Khorramdarreh.Conclusion: Considering the results of both models, district 3 in Khorramdarreh had the maximum and district 2 in VIKOR model and district 5 in TOPSIS model had the minimum requirement for fire stations respectively.

Introduction: Just as human beings cannot live without culture, organizations are meaningless without a comprehensive and compiled culture. In fact, culture is the spirit of the organization. Organization survives on the condition of having a strong and exhaustive organizational culture. Therefore, this research aims to study the impact of organizational culture components on job satisfaction among firefighting staff for Tehran’s district 4.Methods: In this applied research, as concerning research objective, and correlation-descriptive as concerns method of gathering data. All employees working for Tehran firefighting organization district 4 were studied in 2012. About 200 employees were selected as a sample group using Cochran formula based on stratified random sampling. Face validity and content reliability were confirmed in a reasonable level. Hypotheses were tested using one-sample t-test and route analysis.Findings: According to the results, the dominant culture in an organization is above average. Job satisfaction was gained average score in promotion aspect and low average in salary and benefits. In addition, the correlation coefficient between organizational culture components (change management, goals’ alignment, attention to clients, coordination in working teams, power coordination) and job satisfaction was r=0.629, r=0.565, r=0.430, r=0.487, r=0568 respectively. Thus, the maximum impact is associated with the impact of change management on job satisfaction, and the minimum impact is related to the impact of clients’ attention on job satisfaction.Conclusion: Since a direct and positive relationship was observed between independent and dependent variables; and independent variables were effective on job satisfaction. Employees will give great job satisfaction if more attention be paid to the components of organizational culture. Hence, it is necessary for managers of organizations to assure that individuals have these characteristics before assigning them to organizational positions through participation in educational workshops and on the job training courses. However, they may take appropriate measures in order to improve employees’ job satisfaction.