Overcoming trauma - CRJ interview with David Smith
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The document marks the tenth anniversary of the Crisis Response Journal (CRJ), celebrating its evolution in sharing information on crisis response and resilience amid ongoing global threats, including climate change and terrorism. It reflects on past incidents, the advancements in technology for emergency planning, and the importance of communication among diverse stakeholders. The issue contains various features discussing topics like smart cities, disaster medicine, and personal stories of resilience from individuals like David Smith, who transformed his life post-deployment through service.
Overcoming trauma - CRJ interview with David Smith
- 1. ¡ The international resource for resilience, response and security planning print • online • digital Now in its tenth year Read Crisis Response Journal in print, on iPad, Android or online Individual, institutional (including unlimited digital downloads), digital only and student rates available Subscribe now: Contact us on +44 (0)20816691690 or email: subs@fire.org.uk CRISIS | RESPONSE V O L : 10 | I S S U E : 1 | SEPTEMBER 2014 CRISIS | RESPONSE VOL:10 | ISSUE:1 | SEPTEMBER 2014 WWW.CRISIS-RESPONSE.COM J O U R N A L CRJ IS TEN YEARS OLD A decade of exploring crisis response lifelines PLUS India building collapse Search Rescue in Iran Queensland climate adaptation Terrorism in Pakistan Bioweapons bacterial resistance Training Syria’s rescuers Interview: Sir David King Smart, resilient cities Future technology Tenth anniversary edition | India building collapse | Climate change in Australia | Smart, resilient cities feature | Future technology feature | Syria’s rescuers SSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR 22222222000000001111111144444444 JJJJ OOOO UUUU RRRR NNNN AAAA LLLL RESILIENCE Visionary crisis leadership EVOLUTION Future disaster medicine SENTIENCE Cities empowering people
- 2. CRISIS | RESPONSE WE ARE ENTERING our tenth volume of CRJ, which was launched a decade ago. The nature of the publication means celebration is inappropriate; too many incidents have occurred over this time, too many lives lost. But it is, nonetheless, a gratifying milestone. Our founding ethos still holds true: to bridge any institutional, organisational and national gaps, to share information, enhance partnership working and improve communication. It has been good to see how dialogue between various disciplines and organisations has evolved, as shown by the increasing diversity of actors and stakeholders who have become involved in the conversation through our pages. Despite this, in many ways the world feels no safer. The Hydra of wicked problems sometimes appears invincible, the same incidents repeating themselves, locked in a dispiritingly familiar cycle. Each time we absorb the horror of a disaster or terrorist attack, a bigger, more destructive one seems to surpass it. The risk landscape has shifted in a decade: climate change has been added to the list of threats, exacerbating existing hazards. But the response, resilience and emergency planning community has developed accordingly in terms of leadership acuity, interagency co-operation, mutual assistance and business continuity. And it is fascinating to observe the proliferation of emerging technology – ten years ago we hadn’t heard of Twitter, YouTube, the Internet of Things, smart cities… Of course, these bring their own vulnerabilities and can be exploited to cause harm, but their potential for improving safety and resilience should not be overlooked. So is with gratitude that we thank our sponsors, many of whom helped to launch CRJ ten years ago. Thanks also to our Editorial Advisory Panel – those who have been with us since the start and those who joined us along the way – and to the writers who have generously shared their thoughts, knowledge and experience. And an immense thank you to our subscribers. To paraphrase Camus, most people are good rather than bad; it is usually ignorance that causes harm, despite good intentions. And this is why sharing experience and information is so vital: you are all working to eradicate ignorance and make the world a safer place. It is a privilege to observe and report on this. Emily Hough comment contents Cover story: CRJ’s Tenth anniversary Main artwork: Neil Webb Inset images: Eureka Entertainment | Shutterstock A look at Johannesburg.................................46 Is Johannesburg a world-class African city? Yes, and no, according to Hilary Phillips A living laboratory.........................................50 The campus of Lille University in Northern France has been turned into an experiment to demonstrate smart city concepts, write Isam Shahrour and his team Future technology Empowering people ......................................52 The day when cities become smarter than their citizens are approaching, according to Robert Ouellette Spatial services ............................................55 Dr Hervé Borrion says spatialised social networks might protect people and provide help in emergencies Evolution of disaster medicine ......................56 There is an increased imperative to develop and implement novel technologies to help medical professionals in disaster situations. Here’s a glimpse of the future Emerging technologies .................................61 J P Vielleux describes real-time innovations in disasters Human-agent collectives ..............................62 David Jones describes a project that looks at forming symbiotic relationships between increasingly independent computer systems and user communities Unleashing the power of UAVs ......................64 Glenn Smith joins the debate, exploring the positive potential of drones in emergency situations Earth observation ......................................... 66 The potential contribution of space-based information to disaster risk management is not being fully exploited, say Antje Hecheltjen and Anne Pustina In depth Business excellence and new technology .....68 Mike Hall says it is time to embrace the business benefi ts that emerging technology can bring USAR in an active war zone ..........................70 James Le Mesurier looks at how community responders in Syria are being trained in urban search and rescue Beyond the resilience apex ...........................72 Brett Lovegrove refl ects on how leaders need to think more differently today than ever before when approaching business resilience and continuity Facing biological risk ....................................74 Nicolae Steiner looks at the twin threats of biological attacks and of increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and the prospect of an interaction between the two Civil protection in Georgia ............................76 The Republic of Georgia is the fi rst country to be profi led by this new series on the International Civil Defence Organisation and its members Regulars Events ...........................................................78 EU response to Balkan floods .......................80 Looking back: Bhopal ....................................81 Frontline ........................................................82 Rescue in conditions of war p70 Bhopal 30 years on p81 @SyriaCivilDef Keryn van der Walt | National Sea Rescue Institute Crisis Response Journal 10:1 3 September 2014 | vol:10 | issue:1 Editor in Chief Emily Hough emily@crisis-response.com Sales Manager Sacha Cunningham sacha@crisis-response.com Design and Production Tim Baggaley www.graphicviolence.co.uk Subscriptions and administration Emma Wayt emma.wayt@crisis-response.com Director Colin Simpson colin.simpson@crisis-response.com Director Peter Stephenson peter.stephenson@crisis-response.com Subscriptions Crisis Response Journal is published quarterly; it is available by subscription in hard copy, digital format and online. Association discounts, institutional and multiple rates are available; visit our website or contact us for more details Tel: +44 (0) 208 1661690 subs@fi re.org.uk Back issues Existing subscribers: £25 (US$45; €36) per issue Non subscribers: £40 (US$72; €58) per issue Tel: +44 (0) 208 1661690 backissues@fi re.org.uk Published by FireNet International Ltd POB 6269, Thatcham, RG19 9JX United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 208 1661690 mail@fi re.org.uk www.crisis-response.com www.fi re.org.uk COPYRIGHT FireNet International Ltd 2014 Articles published in Crisis Response Journal may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the Editor in Chief Printed in England by Buxton Press ISSN 1745-8633 Resources, links, pictures, videos and much more are available for subscribers in our digital and online editions www.crisis-response.com join the CRJ LinkedIn group follow us on twitter @editorialcrj News ...............................................................4 News extra ......................................................8 Comment ......................................................10 Tony Moore takes a comprehensive look at the incidents that occurred in the year of CRJ’s launch – 2004 Analysis Compulsive un-safety ...................................16 Satish Kumar Dogra examines why safety limits are being stretched in India ‘Green’ rescue kit ..........................................19 One of our sponsoring partners, Holmatro, introduces its latest rescue tools Climate change and the Fire Service ............20 Shan Raffel describes a co-ordinated approach to manage the effects of climate change on emergency response provision in Queensland, Australia Resilience peer review .................................22 Helen Braithwaite leads us through a journey of discovery into the world of resilience partnership peer review NGOs Search and rescue in Iran .............................24 Emily Hough speaks to Behrouz Moghaddasi, Head of Iranian SAR, about how he has helped to establish volunteer teams across the country Volunteer searchers ......................................26 Rachel Good and Andy Marshall take a closer look at the work of the Staffordshire Search and Rescue team in the UK New team helps after disasters ....................28 Alois Hirschmugl describes a new European team formed to help citizens when they are stranded in large-scale emergencies abroad Exercise Angel Thunder ................................30 In May 2014, Rescue Global took part in Exercise Angel Thunder, the world’s largest interagency search and rescue exercise, writes David Jones Terrorism security Gender-based violence .................................32 Lina Kolesnikova reports on an increasing trend whereby some militant organisations are using gender-based violence as a terrorist tactic Mapping out terrorism in Pakistan ................34 Pakistan is home to many more terrorist organisations than the Taliban, says Luavut Zahid Chemical potential ........................................38 The perceived threat from terrorists using chemical weapons had declined in recent years. Dave Sloggett questions whether that is still the case Smart, resilient cities Propelling us into the future ..........................40 Emily Hough speaks to Sir David King to fi nd out more about the Future Cities Catapult initiative in the UK Building city resilience ..................................45 Applications closed for the next candidate cities in the 100 Resilient Cities Challenge in September 2014, writes Emily Hough. Which cities will make it onto the list? Search Rescue in Iran p24 Earth observation p66 ISAR NASA CRJ’s Sponsoring Partners are leading specialists in the crisis, security and emergency response disciplines 2
- 3. David joined the Marine Corps infantry at 18 years old, in June of 2003: “I was assigned to Alpha Company 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, where I deployed twice for Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was involved in some of the heaviest fi ghting of the war during the Battle of Najaf in 2004.” His time in Iraq hurt a lot more than he ever realised: “Going to war is like dropping a plate on the ground and then trying to put the pieces back together. It’s diffi cult work to return to a normal life.” David was honourably discharged in 2007, enrolled in college and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in May of 2013. “While a student at Cal, I was president of the Cal Veterans club and Peer Mentor and Spokesman for Wounded Warrior Project. “After losing friends to suicide as a result of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I devoted my life to helping others and working to turn my own life around. I also lobbied members of Congress in DC and held meetings in the White House on important issues such as education, employment and mental health. In April, 2012, I was selected to mountain bike for three days with former President George W Bush for the Wounded Warriors 100k ride,” he says. Philippines After Typhoon Haiyan, David was called by Team Rubicon, a veteran disaster response organisation, to lead a team of logistics experts into the Philippines in November 2013. “Our mission was to set up a critical supply line for our 15 search and rescue members already on the ground, plus another 18 doctors we were supporting from Mammoth Medical Missions,” he explains. The team was also tasked with keeping supply lines open for food, water, rescue, medical, and construction equipment. “This was an incredible experience because we had to fi nd a way to operate amid a total loss of infrastructure,” explains David. Immediately after returning home from the Philippines, he left for an 11-month missions trip to 11 countries, where he is helping to lead construction, aid, sanitation, agricultural, teaching and other projects in rural areas. “Life has been anything but normal, but I would not change a single thing,” he comments. “Some days we are digging water lines in a rural African village, other days we are doing agricultural projects in India or teaching English and computer skills to children in Cambodia. There is absolutely nothing normal or average about my current work life and I absolutely love that. “After Iraq I completely gave up on everything and was really depressed and angry,” he says, emphasising how this trip is a good way to help put the pieces of his soul back together. On his return, David hopes to pursue an MBA and help others to create programmes that better serve veterans. “I hope that someone fi nds my story inspiring,” he comments. “I went from staring down the barrel of a shotgun while standing in my college apartment because I just didn’t care anymore, to living a life full of love, adventure, and service. “I would tell anyone to travel the world more. Get outside of your comfort zone. Do things that make your heart race. Set incredible goals. Free yourself by serving others. “There is always someone near you who needs your help. Reach out to them and you will be amazed at how much your life can impact others. And when you are struggling, don’t be afraid to ask others for help. I fought alone for a long time when I shouldn’t have. “Seek the help you need and you will respect yourself for it.” CRJ ■ www.teamrubiconusa.org ■ www.woundedwarriorproject.org 82 Resources, links, pictures, videos and much more are available for subscribers in our digital and online editions www.crisis-response.com frontline Overcoming trauma Returning from two military deployments in Iraq, David Smith lost friends to suicide as a result of PTSD and came close to taking his own life. He tells Emily Hough how voluntary work at home and overseas helped others, and himself “There is always someone near you who needs your help... and when you are struggling, don’t be afraid to ask others for help,” says David Smith author photo