Forest Fires :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the year 2000, fire fighters battled raging infernos as some of the worst wildfires in 50 years rampaged across a dozen states. Not only were these fires the worst in half a century, but they may be the worst ever recorded.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a single week in mid August, 86 major wildfires were raging in a dozen states from Arizona and California up to Colorado and Wyoming to Montana, Oregon and South Dakota. Five million acres of land burned, more then double the annual average for the past decade. A controlled fire six miles southwest of Los Alamos that was implemented as a fire prevention measure would not stop. First consuming dry grass, then ponderosa pines, then gobbling up hundreds of homes and buildings, the fire spread through Los Alamos, the home of the atom bomb. Some 20,000 people had to be evacuated and luckily the fires never came close to a building that held drums of transuranium mixed waste and a metric ton of plutonium. Noxious fumes wafted from the lead paint, rubber and plastics in burning cars and buildings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due to the destructive wildfires, interest in fuel management to reduce fire control costs and damages has been renewed. Although several tools, such as prescribed burning and salvage timber sales can address these problems, the extent of the problem and the cost of needed treatments are generally unknown. There are few documented estimates of the decline in control costs or damages associated with fuel treatments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The roles and responsibilities of the Federal and State governments in fire protection may be subject to further debate. Laws state that a permit must be required to start a fire outside.

Knowing Your Audience and Communication Release Essay

On August 5, 2010, The Chilean Copper mine collapse with 33 workers confined in a 2,257 feet hole, which was the size of a mini studio apartment (msnbc.com news services, 2010). Their families, friends, and co-workers were worried frantically about their safety, and not being able to reach the miners left everyone at unease. The Rescuers and the Chilean Copper president’s came together to find a resolution as to the cause of this situation and how to rescue their employees. Families and co-workers of these miners have questions that wanted immediate answers, and it is the companies responsibly to provide answers. The company should have a plan of emergency action for these types of incident and be implemented in training programs when hired or promoted. There should be reputable spokesperson on hand to communicate with families, co-workers, and the media. The first action to take place is to immediately control the situation, and prevent any rumors from uprising through the wo rkplace or the media. Have somebody Reputable from the company to hold a face to face verbal meeting explaining what emergency incident just occurred and what the companies’ plan of action is going to be. It is important to present only facts to this meeting so that there are no assumptions as to what is really taking place. Be honest, open, clear and concise in these meeting so the audience can listen and decode the message the spokesperson is conveying. The spokesperson should be able to answer all questions presented to the room, as long as the spokesperson has evidence to back it up. Otherwise, being honest and saying, â€Å"we are looking into that,† is the best option for this type of situation. If the company has a morning and evening shift, then having the meeting write when both shifts are about to cross would be an effective way to control any rumors, explain the situation, and answer any questions. This will save time so the company can delegate the situation currently on hand. The second action is to have another reputable spokesperson to notify the minors’ families of the incident. The first step to communicating to the miners loved ones is by phone and then a face-to-face verbal communication should take place. It is important to be sympathetic and compassionate when relaying this type of information to the families. Calling each miners emergency contact would be the start but should not provide too much information over the phone, but just ask the family or friend to come down to the job site immediately. Providing information over the phone can create media attention rapidly and cause panic to the person. Hold a meeting as soon as the miner’s family and friends have arrived and provide information that the company has facts on. Do not delude the people in thinking, the situation is worse or better than what the facts actually say, but be honest and clear about the situation. It is a good idea to have a mediator around if the company decides to have a verbally conversation that is one on one with a family member, and this will prevent any rumors as well. Inform the employees and families that it is in the best interest for the company and the families of the miners to avoid answering questions to the media. When speaking to the media without knowing all the facts or going based on what you heard without fully researching the situation can lead to panic and discomfort for the families and loved ones. For instance, in the situation the media publicly announced on August 26, 2010 that it would take the rescuer’s four months to rescue the miners. However, According to msnbc.com news services (2010), Health Minister Jaime Manalich said, â€Å"they would not be rescued before the Fiestas Patrai’s,† and Fiestas Patrai’s is Chile’s Independence Day celebration, held on September 18. That is only forty-four days, and a big differ ence from 120 days. Preventing the media from misleading reports can be achieved by avoiding the media. The company should offer counseling to the families and co-workers to help deal with this situation, and provide any assistance to make this incident go smoother for them. After the company has all the facts and knows what they are facing then have a reputable spokesperson address the media, family, friends, and co-workers with all the facts at hand. This will help all parties understand what they are in for and to start dealing with the situation at hand. Keeping the all parties informed throughout the rescue process though meetings or the media is important. Having somebody from the company to go to the miners loved ones face to face or calling them to ensure that they are well, is a great way to provide answer to the individual parties. This situation affects everyone, families, friends, co-workers, and global. It is never easy to try to control and sustain a crisis like this but avoiding rumors, which are usually just opinions from others around, can help everybody. The miners loved ones just have one care in the world, that is getting them out safe and healthy, and that is all that should matter, but sometimes the media likes to turn embellish the truth. The important thing in this type of situation is too continual to provide information to all parties so they are properly informed. It is better to hear from the people who are actually in the rescue process rather than an outside source. This will provide all parties some ease to their pain even if it is not good information; at least they understand the situation. Reference msnbc.com news services. (2010). Drill breaks through to trapped Chilean miners. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39558833/ns/world_news-americas/t/drill-breaks-through-trapped-chilean-miners/

Wars of Alexander the Great Battle of Gaugamela

The Battle of Gaugamela was fought on October 1, 331 BC, during the Wars of Alexander the Great (335-323 BC). Armies and Commanders Macedonians Alexander the GreatApprox. 47,000 men Persians Darius IIIApprox. 53,000-100,000 men Background Having beaten the Persians at Issus in 333 BC, Alexander the Great moved to secure his hold on Syria, the Mediterranean coast, and Egypt. Having completed these efforts, he again looked east with the goal of toppling Darius IIIs Persian Empire. Marching into Syria, Alexander crossed the Euphrates and Tigris without opposition in 331. Desperate to halt the Macedonian advance, Darius scoured his empire for resources and men. Gathering them near Arbela, he chose a wide plain for the battlefield  Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚  as he felt that it would facilitate the use of his chariots and elephants, as well as allow his greater numbers to bear. Alexanders Plan Advancing to within four miles of the Persian position, Alexander made camp and met with his commanders. In the course of the talks, Parmenion suggested that the army launch a night attack on the Persians as Darius host outnumbered them. This was dismissed by Alexander as the plan of an ordinary general. He instead outlined an attack for the next day. His decision proved correct, as Darius had anticipated a nighttime assault and kept his men awake through the night in anticipation. Moving out the next morning, Alexander arrived on the field and deployed his infantry into two phalanxes, one in front of the other. Setting the Stage On the right of the front phalanx was Alexanders Companion cavalry, along with additional light infantry. To the left, Parmenion led additional cavalry and light infantry. Supporting the front lines were cavalry and light infantry units, which were echeloned back at 45-degree angles. In the coming fight, Parmenion was to lead the left in a holding action while Alexander led the right in striking a battle-winning blow. Across the field, Darius deployed the bulk of his infantry in a long line, with his cavalry to the front. In the center, he surrounded himself with his best cavalry along with the famed Immortals. Having chosen the ground to facilitate the use of his scythed chariots, he ordered these units placed at the front of the army. Command of the left flank was given to Bessus, while the right was assigned to Mazaeus. Due to the size of the Persian army, Alexander anticipated that Darius would be able to flank his men as they advanced. To counter this, orders were issued that the second Macedonian line should counter any flanking units as the situation dictated. The Battle of Gaugamela With his men in place, Alexander ordered an advance on the Persian line with his men moving obliquely to the right as they marched forward. As the Macedonians neared the enemy, he began extending his right with the goal of drawing the Persian cavalry in that direction and creating a gap between them and Darius center. With the enemy bearing down, Darius attacked with his chariots. These raced forward but were defeated by Macedonian javelins, archers, and new infantry tactics designed to lessen their impact. The Persian elephants also had little effect, as the massive animals moved to avoid the enemy spears. As the lead phalanx engaged the Persian infantry, Alexander focused his attention on the far right. Here, he began pulling men from his rearguard to continue the fight on the flank, while he disengaged his Companions and gathered other units to strike Darius position. Advancing with his men and forming a wedge, Alexander angled left toward the flank of Darius center. Supported by peltasts (light infantry with slings and bows) which kept the Persian cavalry at bay, Alexanders cavalry rode down on the Persian line as a gap opened between Darius and Bessus men. Striking through the gap, the Macedonians shattered Darius royal guard and adjacent formations. With the troops in the immediate area retreating, Darius fled the field and was followed by the bulk of his army. Cut off on the Persian left, Bessus began withdrawing with his men. With Darius fleeing before him, Alexander was prevented from pursuing due to desperate messages for aid from Parmenion. Under heavy pressure from Mazaeus, Parmenions right had become separated from the rest of the Macedonian army. Exploiting this gap, Persian cavalry units passed through the Macedonian line. Fortunately for Parmenion, these forces elected to continue on to loot the Macedonian camp rather than attack his rear. While Alexander circled back to aid the Macedonian left, Parmenion turned the tide and succeeded in driving back Mazaeus men who fled the field. He also was able to direct troops to clear the Persian cavalry from the rear. Aftermath of Gaugamela As with most battles from this period, casualties for Gaugamela are not known with any certainty  Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚  though sources indicate that Macedonian losses may have been around 4,000, while Persian losses may have been as high as 47,000. In the wake of the fighting, Alexander pursued Darius while Parmenion rounded up the riches of the Persian baggage train. Darius succeeded in escaping to Ecbatana and Alexander turned south, capturing Babylon, Susa, and the Persian capital of Persepolis. Within a year, the Persians turned on Darius. Conspirators led by Bessus killed him. With Darius death, Alexander considered himself the rightful ruler of the Persian Empire and began campaigning to eliminate the threat posed by Bessus. Source Porter, Barry. Battle of Gaugamela: Alexander Versus Darius. HistoryNet, 2019.