Disaster Preparedness

INTRODUCTION: Iran has always been prone to natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, which are followed by heavy financial and bodily harms. In this regard, it is crucial to have disaster management in the schools of Iran to protect the significant number of young people studying in schools. Therefore, school principals must be constantly prepared for disasters and develop disaster management plans. METHODS: The present study aimed to identify and prioritize the factors that affect the natural disaster preparedness of schools using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method. Moreover, another objective of this research was to rank the elementary schools in District 6 of Mashhad regarding their disaster preparedness with the fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS). In this research, first, the criteria and sub-criteria for disaster preparedness were obtained using the Delphi method and according to the opinions of experts. Afterward, the collected criteria and sub-criteria were ranked using the FAHP method. The statistical population of this research consisted of experts, including principals and experts in the studied schools (schools in District 6 of Mashhad) who were familiar with disaster management issues. In total, 10 experts were selected as the sample using the purposive sampling method. FINDINGS: Based on the results, the most important disaster preparedness factors in schools were building retrofit, adherence to basic standards, and committee formation, in that order. CONCLUSION: Finally, the elementary schools of District 6 of Mashhad were ranked in terms of disaster preparedness using the obtained model and the FTOPSIS. This ranking can help the managers in making decisions to prioritize the conduction of building retrofit of the schools in the studied area.

Introduction: Disaster preparedness is one of the most important components of reducing vulnerability, which is poorly considered in Tehran, Iran. Several factors and personality traits are involved in this negligence. This study aimed to investigate the procrastination trait and its relationship with disaster preparedness levels in Tehran, Iran. Method: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted between 2018 and 2021 using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this study was citizens in Tehran, Iran. A sample size of 419 cases was included in this study. Standard tests have also been utilized to investigate the variables. Findings: Based on the obtained results, according to the coefficients reported in the model, it can be observed that procrastination has no significant effect on disaster preparedness Conclusion: Procrastination and experiences gained affect people's preparedness for disaster. According to the results, the preparedness of the people of Tehran for accidents is very low.