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Proposed by: Danish Red Cross IT & Telecom Disaster Response Unit.
Contact (name, email, phone, skype):Jacob Dybdal Schou, jas at drk.dk, +45 3525 9264, skype: spilur
Best way and times to contact during RHoK 2.0 Dec 4/5 2010: email/Skype and at the Conference in Aarhus
Work is being coordinated on #rhok-maps, FreenodeIRC
Increase the coordination of data collection/distribution in the field in order to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure a timely, efficient and adequate response to people in need.
In the initial phase of an emergency the level of information is quite sparse and the management hereof depends on the experience of the people on the ground (and the resources available). However some of the mechanics in an operation are constants and as such a formal system would help facilitate the collection, analysis and dissemination of the information from the very beginning of an operation in a standardized way, thereby increasing the predictability of the operational response.
A big part of the coordination effort is the mapping component, and now Danish Red Cross is looking for a GIS software solution to facilitate the collection of GPS coordinates, collecting datasets, admin boundaries, entering metadata, P-codes, satellite images and through that system being able to analyze and present the data back to the users. This will help them make decisions based on facts and would improve overall coordination. The ideal solution would be to cover 80 % of the needs in the field and at the same time providing a user interface that does not have to steep a learning curve for the common user.
The system will be used in International disaster operations coordinated by the International Federation Of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies (IFRC).
Danish Red Cross IT & Telecommunication Emergency Response Unit (IT/TC ERU) has been deployed on a variety of disaster responses through the IFRC. When the IT/TC ERU deploy it becomes a part of the IFRC disaster response (lately in Haiti) and our task is, but not restricted to, providing communication infrastructure for the IFRC operation in terms of VHF/HF radios and internet/voice via BGAN/VSAT.
It is difficult to describe a typical disaster setup, the number of personnel can vary from 5-250 persons in a large variety of climatic environments, geographic dispersion and naturally a broad range of natural disasters, e.g. earthquakes, floodings, drought, hurricanes, tsunami etc.
When the IFRC responds to a disaster a variety of sector units are deployed depending on the need; Water/Sanitation, IT/Telecommunication, Basic Health care units, Logistics, Base camp facility and Relief.
In addition to that coordination is required with the other actors in the operation, e.g. UN/NGO's/local government.
Problem: - An aid worker returns from the field after having assessed the damage in a particular area/needs of the population and includes the GPS coordinates in her report. Coordinates are not shared. Solution: Aid worker uploads the Garmin/Excel file on a webpage, and the data is available for all the users on the network. It has to be validated by admin before publishing. Different layers (e.g. all broken bridges) or waypoints can be chosen and retrieved in different file formats (e.g. KMZ/Garmin/shapefiles) to upload to e.g. GPS terminal.
The Operation coordinator needs to see location and distribution progress of only Emergency Shelters to see if there are any gaps. Solution: being able to toggle layers on/off independently, e.g. topographic layer-demographics-waypoints etc. and extract and create piecharts from metadata.
Problem: Using Google Earth/online GIS presents a major problem as bandwidth can be very low and/or expensive. Solution: Using locally cached maps/imagery on server.
Problem: Water Sanitation coordinator goes to meeting with a report to present. He draws the latest installments on a whiteboard. Solution: He choses the Water/Sanitation layer on GIS webinterface and prints a map with scale and legend.
Problem: a car does not return to base upon the agreed time, e.g. curfew Solution: install GPS in vehicles and report back to HQ via SMS/GPRS/satellite phone and integrate data on a map.
Content (waypoints/metadata) has to be able to be exchanged with our cooperating partners. E.g. synchronize database with "Motherserver" that collects data from all coordinating bodies in the operation, e.g. UN/NGO's etc.
Protect sensitive data
Low tech solution to ease implementation in partner NS
Backup entire system in one file
Clients will be Windows XP/7 and GIS system should preferably run on a Windows server.
Long term perspective is to train Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in the use to create their own Disaster preparedness programs.
Be able to report to GIS system via sms and smartphone forms.
This need is being aggregated into a combined project with Red Cross & Oxfam:
There is some overlap with this RHoK project:
The system will be brougth to an operation and tested on a live mission when ready for the field. The project will be led by Danish Red Cross IT & Telecom Dept. This system is a part of an Information Management system to be developed also by Danish Red Cross.
Link to RHoK and other solutions projects, including different groups, but particularly the Project pages from RHoK events
e.g. Was worked on by team in Malawi during RHoK 1.0 and they built a working proof of concept, (link to project page). But dev has stalled.
This video illustrates a solution concept made at RHoK 2.0 in Aarhus. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_-Kot6LOVg