George A. Youngs

An empirical exploration of selected policy options in organ donation.

This paper presents findings from a mail survey of 414 persons regarding organ transplantation and donation policy issues. Three measures of support for organ donation were measured: donor card commitment, required request of next-of-kin support, and weak presumed consent support. High levels of support exist for organ donor cards and the required request of next-of-kin law. Little support was found for the policy of weak presumed consent.

Explaining implementation behaviour of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)

This paper explains the perceived implementation behaviour of counties in the United States with respect to the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The system represents a massive and historic policy mandate designed to restructure, standardise and thereby unify the efforts of a wide variety of emergency management entities. Specifically, this study examined variables identified in the NIMS and policy literature that might influence the behavioural intentions and actual behaviour of counties. It found that three key factors limit or promote how counties intend to implement NIMS and how they actually implement the system: policy characteristics related to NIMS, implementer views and a measure of local capacity. One additional variable-inter-organisational characteristics-was found to influence only actual behaviour. This studys findings suggest that the purpose underlying NIMS may not be fulfilled and confirm what disaster research has long suggested: the potential for standardisation in emergency management is limited.

Volunteer fire chiefs' perceptions of retention and recruitment challenges in rural fire departments: The case of North Dakota, USA

Abstract Many rural volunteer fire departments in the US are contending with decreasing numbers of volunteers. General social change and changes specific to firefighting have created retention and recruitment challenges for rural fire departments across the nation. The present study examines volunteer fire chiefs’ perceptions of these challenges in a state where there has been a long-term decline in the state’s rural population. The study draws on data collected from a statewide survey of volunteer fire department chiefs in North Dakota. This study found that chiefs did not see turnover as a major problem, but chiefs did report the need for many more volunteer firefighters and much more training to improve their departments. Consistent with national studies, chiefs identified age, time demands, government mandates, and personality conflicts as turnover triggers. In contrast with national studies, chiefs did not report loss of interest as a significant trigger. Finally, the study examines the sizable gap reported by chiefs between the number of active and inactive volunteers on department rosters and suggests how inactive volunteers might be utilized to recruit.

Examining Factors Contributing to the Development of FEMA-Approved Hazard Mitigation Plans

Abstract The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires local governments to complete pre-disaster mitigation plans, approved by FEMA, in order to be eligible for certain types of federal funding. Even with this requirement in place, many local jurisdictions in the U.S. have yet to adopt a FEMA-approved multi-hazard mitigation plan. Consequently, the percentage of a state’s population covered by such plans varies substantially from state to state. This study examined staff resources, financial resources, and disaster experience of local governments by state as factors contributing to the development of FEMA-Approved Hazard Mitigation Plans. Indicators of these measures were gleaned from multiple nationwide data sets and each measure’s relative importance was assessed via multiple regression analysis. Two measures of staff resources failed to affect the likelihood of completing approved hazard mitigation plans, while one measure of financial resources (Pre-Disaster Mitigation planning dollars per capita by state) and one measure of disaster experience (number of Presidential Disaster Declaration incidents per capita by state) had significant effects on the percentage of a state’s population covered by approved plans. Implications for promoting the development of local governments’ hazard mitigation plans are discussed.