From the show this morning (sorry I missed it...computer troubles)...what can we do when there is a disaster (short, medium, and long term)?

My ideas:

Serve a relay point for people ... someone is okay ... find out if someone is okay, etc
Transmit news
launch websites lightening fast for coordination efforts ... let media and authorities know that we can do it and do it fast.

med-long term ... well just building and maintaining a network can help get things done when the public has lost interest.

I think this becomes a "just in time" service. We build a website quickly about the new disaster in Hyderabad, get our friends in the city to respond whether they're okay, and then build the mechanisms to bring relief, attention, and sustained coverage.

I wonder what the protocol would be. For instance, let's reconsider what happened in NYC. What SHOULD we do in what order? How about someone take a stab at it?

My guess (no better than yours): track down all the people we know in a community and see that they're okay. Ask THEM to report on the local situation. Provide resources as necessary.

Thoughts?

I think the "hubs" are a great idea... If we had all the major city centers covered each grasshopper hub officer could get info from the group page and mobilize his/her local "troops" though all the other touch-points... the hub officer could then act as the conduit for relaying information back to the group and/or requesting specific assistance...

The biggest limiter is that these systems are only as good as the number of people who use them.

For example, my father's office is near the site of yesterday's NYC blast, so I spent some time trying to get through to him to check in (he's fine). Getting him to Twitter his status is not part of his thinking. Hell, it didn't even cross his mind to turn his cellphone on so that I could call him to make sure he's OK.

on thing that would be really helpful is to be as inclusive as possible of all known facts when something happens. I live in Manhattan, and the first twitter I saw about the explosion was "Oh Crap! Explosion at Grand Central" I panicked a little and then went to CNN immediately and found out that it wasn't any kind of attack or anything. Sure, we have only 140 characters in Twitter, but I think it's important not to make a general statement that might freak people out when they don't need to be freaked.

I like the idea of building out a site with regional hubs. I live an earthquake zone ... I'd like to know that if one hits I can send a message somewhere that I'm okay and people well be able to relay it to family and friends.

Yes for a disaster we should have a reporting protocal ... something to transmit important info so that people don't panic (or do panic if needed).

Yes, the earthquake disaster prep measures are good ones, although I'm not as confident of the infrastructure during man-made disasters. (Landline and cellphone activity was almost nonexistent for a while in Philadelphia on Sept11, 2001, and getting onto CNN was almost impossible.)

It's also everyone's responsibility to be self-controlled. In a disaster, it's not really about you or me being OK (and telling ourselves that) but rather about you or me being able to help connect anyone with the loved ones they're missing.

Problem on 9/11 was I was displaced and didn't have computer access for more than a week. So a website may not be the answer.

The biggest problem after 9/11 was that I and everyone downtown was suddenly homeless, which happens in disasters. Many of us couldn't go back for weeks, even months.

So I'd say it would be great if we had numbers to check on people and also for people to check in at,. Also could turn out to be helpful if people would say that they'd house someone temporarily who needed a place to stay.

don't know how elaborate you mean for this to become, but things get pretty hairy pretty fast in these situations.

A college friend of mine organized some quick response IT support in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The story can be found here: http://www.ddj.com/dept/architect/184415433

Personally, I'm most interested in the question of how to keep important issues in public consciousness. There's a lot of analysis that needs to be done in the wake of Katrina, not necessarily with the goal of pinning blame on someone, but just to be sure that we don't make the same mistakes again.

The Feds have tons of stuff on their web sites about disaster preparedness. It's worth reviewing. Some is aimed at individuals and families, some at businesses, some at first responders, and some at local and state governments. Check out DHS and FEMA web sites; just googling will help.

I've been researching the topic since I'm working on a proposal concerning how to use social media and social networking in emergency planning and disaster response. I'm finding that the national research and planning infrastructure that is evolving around disaster planning and response is awesomely complex, yet surprisingly little is known about how to coordinate with private organizations and social networks.

There are some bright spots. This week, for example, I had lunch with a government contractor who recently managed a research project on identifying "best practices" based on post-Katrina recovery efforts that were managed by private, religious, and social organizations. He found, for example, that there's no substitute for knowing the local resources when it comes to responding to a disaster, and this is where communication with and through existing social welfare agencies, churches, and volunteer organizations is critical. It doesn’t take that much imagination to then wonder about the role that social networking and social media can play and whether problems might arise in the interface between authorities’ use of “command and control” communication systems and the uncontrolled and decentralized group-oriented communications we are becoming so accustomed to.

I've written about this topic on my blog several times and would be very interested in comments. A list of my related posts is here:

http://www.ddmcd.com/disaster_index.html

Dennis McDonald
Alexandria, Virginia USA
http://www.ddmcd.com

Hey all, my first post in this group, and big thanks to Chris Brogan for starting the group - it can turn into a very interesting hub for projects related to social awareness.

I remember Dina Mehta's talk about "Social Tools for Research and Collaboration" at the Reboot 7 conference here in Copenhagen in June 2005. Here is my post where I refer to videos from her presentation: http://www.dltq.org/v1/?p=442 and this video has the most interesting content imo: http://dltq.org/reboot7/dinamehta3.mov Unfortunately, I did not have the battery juice to tape the whole speech.

Information about Dina Mehta is here: http://radio.weblogs.com/0121664/stories/2007/03/06/aboutMeDinaMehta.html

Dina Mehta was involved with the online response after the Dec 04 tsunami disaster, and in my opinion that can be a good case study. I don't have any links currently to www that discusses this in-depth, but will find some later tonight and post on www.dltq.org

This is a very good discussion topic! I like the idea of regional hubs, and of being able to quickly create "just in time" services. I do think that procedures involving cell phones/text messages are overall more effective than web-based protocols; at least it is more versatile, even though obviously we need both.

Suggestions for further enquiry: Usage of twitter, possibly by creating custom groups or accounts related to an event. A twitter account could then for instance be "nycjuly18" or "hyberabadaug9" - the question then is how to let the relevant information about such new hubs Quickly travel through the networks, where twitter/blogosphere is an important, yet a minor one.

Now, let's use two imagined cases:

1) A bomb goes off in Hub, be it London, NYC or Manila.
a) There are BOUND to be people living in that city who listen to the radio or watch TV and who receive the news quickly (if they did not already feel the effects of the bomb by sound etc in the area)
b) These people are bound to make Some expression online. Be it on twitter, or one of the zillion similar services, or a facebook status update.
c) Question is then, how do we move from the inertia of zero collaboration to collaborated effort in, for instance, information gathering? Let's say that John Doe lives in NYC and a bomb-like event takes place. How many minutes would it take before someone took action and created a mini-hub for information within the networks for information Focused on this event? How would this take place?
d) after the mHub (which is a down-to-earth Hub of information created solely for One purpose) is created, how do we spread the information? Within the twittersphere that is easily done: ping a few of the a-listers, and some of them are bound to re-twitter it, thus reaching masses beyond the long-tail style followers of oneself. Question is then: How about more medium-term solutions? A blog? A website? Who would Just Do It, and make sure people know about it quickly?

Hmm, this post is way too long already, but there are quite a few questions here that i myself would like to explore further.

These are all good ideas, and I concur that there are a number of things that can be done. What I would suggest (and I may be repeating some people) is, as Grasshoppers that we think about how we can offer assistance in that situation.

As an IT guy on the Infrastructure side, I think about how to get things running again. How can we provide that immediate website, communications tool, or other resource that will make a difference to people when they need it. How do we collect, collate and disperse that information?

I'll offer up to help work/assist/brainstorm/create/document these ideas as we Grasshoppers think of them. I've been involved in Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity planning for a number of years and would like to help on this.

Rick

As a result of the call I agreed to set up the first simple Grasshopper map. It is now available at http://tinyurl.com/2rozwj

We'll investigate how we can add the same kind of function as we expand into other platforms etc. But this is an easy way to start & it doesn't take any special knowledge to handle registering your location, be that home w
ork or both.

Dennis, I referenced your work when we were on the call, though I don't know when it was during the time that I was connected to the line or just in the message board. So I'm glad to know you're here.

As we found out on 9-11 here in DC is that location matters. What people near us might need to know is that you're closer in to DC, My daughter Kerry who should be with us soon in the Grasshoppers is in the heart of the city & I'm out in the exurbs near Dulles.

This kind of detail might come in very handy in a time of need. How to organize the information was one of my questions on the call. One person can't know everything.

Susan- thanks for making the map. Do you know where the embed codes are? I imagine we want that baby spread far and wide.

I'm actually in the middle of planning/implementing a major disaster recovery system. I can't go into much detail because it's for a client, but basically we're trying to make up for the shortcomings of certain federal agencies and get people the help they need to recover within days/weeks vs months/years.

Having been a few blocks from the explosion in NYC yesterday, I can only relay my thoughts of the time:

- The lights are flickering, that's weird.
- What's that noise?
- [Look out the window] Oh @%#$! They bombed Grand Central.
- Get the hell out of the building
- [While running down 32 flights of stairs] Call my fiancee to make sure she's OK and tell her I'm OK. [Left several voicemails, never got her on the phone]
- Call my sister to tell someone from my family I'm OK so that she can call everyone else.
(NOTE: At this time I'm not sure what is happening, because from what I've seen, it looks like Grand Central was on fire. Assuming the worst is that it was a terror attack. If this was the beginning of the next 9/11, needless to say family who know I work next to Grand Central would be worried.)
- [Finally get my fiancee on the line] Find out she's OK, she's not sure what's going on, but her building was evacuated, too. I tell her that it looks like Grand Central's been bombed, but I have no idea for sure that that's what's going on, but we should get out of the city
- Head to my fiancee's office, which is about 6 blocks away

By the time I reached her, we knew that it wasn't an attack. At that time, the news was that a transformer had blown. The twinge of panic had subsided and now it was "let's get to Penn Station before the mass exodus."

All this time, the phone networks were busy, so either my calls weren't going through, or I was going right to people's voice mail. Texting was sporadically working at best. Getting people information in any continuous or meaningful way was nearly impossible. Receiving information via phone was out of the question as well. However, I could always pop into a bar to get a glimpse of a TV and find out what was going on.

It wasn't until much later, when I finally arrived at home, that I found out what had actually happened. By then, it was all over TV and there's not much I could have added to the discussion online.

To be honest, if this were a more severe emergency like a terror attack, I can only imagine that I would be focused that much more intently on getting my fiancee and myself out of NYC by whatever means. I can only assume phone-based communication would be just as useless, if not more so, than what I experienced.

The best way to get information in the situation at the moment was still broadcast television. So, I would just say that if this group wants to put together a truly helpful disaster response network, that we have to make inroads with traditional broadcast media to be a conduit for funneling information.

Amazing how similar your story is to what I experienced while working in Brooklyn on 9/11. Things haven't changed much. My family was spread around Washington DC and Alexandria VA (near the Pentagon) and finding out what was going on was next to impossible when cellphone service disappeared. Email via dial-up worked, though. (I don't think I know how to use dial-up any more.)

It's important to note that the web and wifi and cellular network are not first responder technologies. Traditional analog and things like VHF/UHF ham radio things are those constants that work outside of any infrastructure. They need airwaves. They also adhere to standards unlike anything we see in our comfy world.

In most cases social media tools are used by everyone -else- and not necessarily by those affected by a disaster and certainly not by emergency crews.

Jeff Pulver has a post from a year ago about working toward synergy between consumer services and ham radio services (un-services really) here: http://pulverblog.pulver.com/archives/2006_01.html

As someone close to the ham community in the SF Bay Area as well as a resident, it's important to be aware of how fast and how orderly the hams will mobilize-- while a simple gas main explosion can shut down California's infrastructure (earthquake related or not, this happened in 1997ish?)

For those looking for a serious adventure, dive into topics as packet radio (data over radio airwaves), APRS (GPS), ham radio licensing in general, as well as Field Days that may help orient you with first responders, and everything non-Twittery: food, water, shelter.

Finally, I'll leave you with this comment from a long time friend, Burning Man Ranger, Ham who posted a comment on Jeff Jarvis' blog in 2005 on Recovery 2.0 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2005/10/03/recovery-20-an-agenda/

"uptime and reliability of the internet in general will always be an issue until computers, network switching equipment, transport systems and the like are as interchangeable and interoperable as ham radio. the only advantage ham radio has is that of a common air interface, regardless of the features on any particular radio. so long as you have two radios meant for operating in the same frequency range, you’ll be able to communicate. no worries about brand-incompatibilities when it comes to basic voice or low-speed data communications. it’s time for some standards to be placed upon vendors in the computer arena as well."

I've actually worked on emergency response software for the state where I live (SC), so I have some experience with how first responders are using technology in these situations. At least in this state, they have a very detailed plan and methods for getting people to work together, distribute aid, get power back on, open shelters, etc. What they don't have is a really good, comprehensive way to let people know about these services.

Government responders rely on traditional media - local TV stations, radio - plus their own organizational web sites to distribute information during and after a disaster. Unfortunately, sometimes only people outside the disaster area have access to this information.

I think where a group like Grasshoppers can be useful is filling the communication gap left by the government. For example, B.L. mentioned that she didn't have a place to stay after 9/11. Chances are there may have been a shelter, but how was she going to find out about it?

What if there was a twitter group for disasters in NYC that texted vital information to its members during a crisis? Going outside the digital realm, what if there were an agreement to tell the information you learned to at least one other person who might not have cell service?

Automatic text messaging during an emergency situation may flood an already over burdened network with even more traffic to handle. It would be cool if there was a way to text a certain keyword and zip code and get key information back.

Like you send "subway 10017" to find out the status of the NYC subway system. Or "housing 10017" to get a list of places to stay or whatever.

This way the network isn't flooded with messages that may or may not be relevant to people in a certain situation.

Good idea, Dave. I knew the logjam in the communication system was an issue with my suggestion, and you solved it by making the user request the info instead of having it sent to them. Only as much info as needed, exactly when you need it!

This might be a liiiiittle bit OT, but Kami Huyse did a post not long ago about how the Red Cross is trying to use bloggers to get critical information out to the media during a disaster situation. Definetly worth a read.

http://overtonecomm.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-red-cross-seeks-bloggers-as.html

On 9/11 and for several days thereafter, there was no cell service in lower manhattan. There was no electricity, and we were evacuated from our apartments because of threat of gas explosions, etc. Hotels quickly filled.

So there were no computer connections for the tens of thousands of us who were there. What you worry about is staying alive.

Pay phones worked because land lines work even in disasters. And for some reason, you could more easily get through to someone in another state than in NY.

so the best thing might be if there were Grasshopper folks whose numbers people in the midst of a disaster could call for info. Also, it was great when friends could get messages to people's families that they were alive.

and while there might have been shelters by 9/12, there were none on 9/11. People need immediate help in a disaster. It was a freaking week or more before FEMA even showed up in NY.

Sorry this is so long, but things are very different when you're in the middle of a disaster than when you are looking at it from another neighborhood or state.

Fantastic thread. While in Iraq we used Iridium because it was completely independent of the local systems and could do some minor data transmission.

I like the analog radio discussions because it highlights that some times low-tech is the best tech. Sheer brute force of getting the comms through.

I worked on another project where you loft balloons with repeaters (I think Nextel even tried it with iDen) to put in place or replace communications systems. Do a search on Combat SkySat and you'll learn quite a bit. A company in Texas does it everyday to telemeter oil rig and storage data.

So what if we used either a shared number or a series of the hub people's number or something to call in to when we've found a way to report our status during an emergency? Meaning, if B.L. is at the core of an emergency area, has to find her way out, etc, what if she used either a phone number / email / whatever-she-can-find to report her status?

What would the rest of the whatevers be, and then what would we do?

Hi,

I'm a member of a local disaster response team & was involved in 2 flood relief operations this year. In responding to a disaster, one must plan for a worst case scenario, where no local, state or federal aid or assistance is available & you have do it alone. Here are some suggestions on how to build a team for such an event, you will need people who can do multitasking:

1. Paramedics or people trained in first-aid - members of the red cross, scouts, nurses will be great. Experience in working with old people, young children & pregnant women will be an added advantage, must also appreciate the dangers of rotting vegetation & dead animals;
2. Logistics - people who can drive a SUV/4WD or at least a small truck. Must be able to read maps, use a compass, use an ax or shovel to clear debris from the road. People with military training in this area will be good;
3. Technicians - people who are good in working with tools, electricity & other mechanical appliances, must be able to understand the dangers of leaking gas, electricity, fuel, etc...
4. Cooks - people who can cook a simple meal - fast - to feed any number of people, of any age group. Must have a lot of common sense about food safety - food poisoning is a major problem in disaster recovery operations. Must be able to cook with gas, electric or wood stoves;
5. Networkers - people who can appeal for food, aid, blankets, or clothing. Must be willing to do the physical work of checking, arranging & transporting the goods by themselves;
6. Road-runner - someone who will do all the paperwork, handle the finances, do all the documentations, take pictures, get the toilet-rolls, etc...
7. Team leader - a person with a strong sense of responsibility & good leadership, tempered with compassion & humility.

Hope this helps.

Perhaps the best response is a measured one with personal considerations. I've been on scene for three aircraft accidents and six automobile accidents. I don't get in the way of clean-up crews and normally just shoot images up to the bent metal without getting faces in the frame.

I carry a reflectorised vest in my car and a press card in my backpack so normally I can get into the middle of a mess if I ask. But that's something I rarely do because it feels I'm in the way.

People who have a need to know want to have the basic facts so I'll record the type of vehicle, name of airline, place and time. If you're among the first on the scene of any disaster, you could become part of it if you are not careful. In two of the automobile accidents, I responded as a traffic warden and used white cloth to slow down traffic. But I talked to myself as I was doing it, recording my own thoughts on a pocket-sized digital dictaphone.

If you want to report with credibility, you need to be able to document a story as it unfolds. I carry one digital dictaphone and three cameras (a proper camera and two cameraphones) with me whenever I walk more than five miles from my home. It might take a while to figure out how to share the information gathered near an incident but the documentary evidence is normally good enough to be considered a credible first-person perspective.

In my experience, people read three to four paragraphs, flick through up to 10 photos and watch one minute of video footage. You don't have to capture much but you have to frame the perspective.

After reading through the thread, one thing that jumped out at me was that if you combine the "node" idea with some pre-disaster planning, you could come up with a working notification system that gets the word out without too much system overload at the affected point.

Say you have a database with members and their emergency contact info, and one or more "hub" points of contact. Someone in an affected area would only have to make contact with a hub ... for example, texing "I'm OK" to a node, or calling a phone number via a landline ... and that would trigger a cascade of "I'm OK" notices sent out to a preloaded list of contacts.

Take it a little farther, and there's a business plan in there .... anyone interested?

Regarding land lines; there's a small stink surrounding the idea that Verizon, when it installs a fiber optic line to your house, it unhooks the copper wire connection, making it very difficult to dump Verizon's service for another service. If this is true, what are the implications for using landline based communications during an emergency?