In addition to devastating America’s Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina spawned many disaster management tools. Over the last ten years the American Red Cross has taken steps using modern technology to better prepare for and respond to disasters. This article details some of these initiatives.
The Red Cross has a long history of preventing and alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies. Digital and mobile technology drastically expands its ability to help during a disaster and ensure people have critical information when they need it.
Fig. 1: The Map Journal is a one-stop resource for the 2015 Western States Wildfires
in the USA.
Map Journal
The American Red Cross recently launched an interactive online map that consolidates multiple sources of disaster data into a real-time, interactive tool to get information and updates about the Western Wildfires. The Red Cross “Map Journal” (http://goo.gl/LTKVXh) is a high-tech, user-friendly visual database for media and the public to learn the size and scope of current disasters and locate services such as Red Cross shelters. It pulls together multiple layers of geographic information system (GIS) data from the Red Cross and government sources.
The map provides the following information:
Greg Tune, Senior Geospatial Technology Associate for the Red Cross says the map is one of the simplest and best ways to help people quickly grasp the very complex elements of a disaster. It is intended to help the public as well as Red Cross volunteers who are out in the field delivering help. In future the non-profit organisation has plans to make the map faster and easier for people to access vital information that can help them to make informed decisions and to take appropriate action.
Fig. 2: Using Red Cross computers and aerial photos posted by locals, an Arizona resident discovers for the first time that his home has been lost to the Arizona Wildfires 2013. During such times of loss, the Red Cross strives to give all emotional support and resources needed to aid victims with shelters, relief items, and professional counselors. Photo by Talia Frenkel/American Red Cross.
The Map Journal includes critical information pulled from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, InciWeb, National Shelter System (NSS), the Red Cross and other sources. Users can explore the data by zooming in and out, scrolling across the map, and clicking on data points to bring up more detailed information. Individualised bookmarks also allow users to browse information related to specific incidents such as the Butte and Valley fires.
Members of the public can use the maps to access services. Red Cross workers can also use the maps to help in their plans to deliver services – for example, a quick click to view road closures can help the Red Cross better plan the safest and most efficient route for response vehicles to deliver supplies.
The Map Journal leverages the power of Esri’s ArcGIS online technology to create a customisable web mapping application that is also mobile friendly.
Although the Map Journal has been created specifically for the current Western Wildfires in the US, using GIS mapping data and tools isn’t new for the Red Cross – the organisation maintains an ongoing series of web pages providing a variety of weather, disaster and other informational maps and data year-round: http://maps.redcross.org.
GIS mapping
GIS mapping is just one of many ways the Red Cross uses technology to improve emergency preparedness and response. These innovations include developing mobile apps that have been downloaded more than 7-million times, and using social media to help people before, during and after disasters and emergencies.
Some of the technological advances made by the Red Cross to better prepare for and respond to disasters over the past ten years include the following:
Safe and well
Many families were separated during Hurricane Katrina, and the Red Cross realised that it was vital for people to have a way to reconnect after a disaster. This led to the development of the “Safe and Well” website (www.redcross.org/find-help/contact-family/register-safe-listing), where people can search for loved ones who have registered. After the Boston Marathon bombing, for example, more than 450 people used the site to tell friends and family they were okay.
Mobile apps
The Red Cross has created a series of free mobile apps that put lifesaving information at the user’s fingertips when they need it most. The latest release – the Emergency App – gives people instant access to more than 35 customisable emergency weather alerts as well as safety tips and preparedness information for 14 different types of emergencies and disasters.
Fig. 3: A Home Fire Preparedness Day in Nevada, Iowa in 2014. Volunteers canvassed the town and visited over 300 homes where they inspected existing smoke alarms and installed new ones. Photo by Steve Pope/AP Images for American Red Cross.
The Emergency App contains the “I’m Safe” feature, which helps people use their social media channels to let loved ones know they are okay after an emergency. In total, these apps have been downloaded nearly 7-million times and have been credited with saving lives in Oklahoma, Texas and a number of other states. There is also a First Aid app which puts expert advice for everyday emergencies in the user’s hand.
For 7- to 11-year-olds, the Red Cross’s Monster Guard: Prepare for Emergencies App (www.redcross.org/monsterguard) is available for free download. Youngsters can earn points and incentives in a gaming environment while learning how to prevent emergencies, like home fires, and how to stay safe if severe weather or natural disasters occur. It can be downloaded from iTunes.
Home fires
Using a geographic information system to display five years of data, the Red Cross is identifying neighbourhoods with a high risk of serious home fires and leading a coalition of organisations to go door-to-door in those neighbourhoods. By installing new smoke alarms, educating whole families about fire safety, and developing fire escape plans for those homes, the Red Cross coalition is saving lives and reducing injuries. The GIS interface makes it possible to do the labour-intensive work of going door-to-door in an efficient manner.
Social media
Over the past decade, social media has not only become an essential tool in the public’s daily lives, it has also become a vital resource in helping response organisations anticipate needs on the ground during times of disaster. The Red Cross is a leader in using social media channels to help people during an emergency.
Thanks to grants from Dell, the Red Cross now operates three Digital Operations Centers where they monitor social media conversations as a disaster strikes, using real-time data to identify communities in need. When a tornado and flash flood recently hit Wise County, a small rural area northwest of Fort Worth, Texas, digital volunteers were able to gather street addresses, photographs from the ground, and up-to-the-minute information on county roads where damage had occurred. This information was given to disaster response teams before the first relief truck even rolled in. It saved hours of work for field responders, making for a more effective response operation.
National Shelter System
The Red Cross developed a National Shelter System (https://nss.communityos.org/cms) and has agreements with more than 56 000 potential shelter locations. This allows the Red Cross to open shelters within hours of a disaster impacting the community. Affected individuals can use the Red Cross mobile apps to find these shelters.
Fig. 4: Lisa Sharp is the American Red Cross shelter manager for William Pitcher Junior High. She has managed the shelter for more than ten years along with a full staff of six Red Cross volunteers. A powerful generator provides electricity and a roomful of friends. Sharp is pictured here with the Almaraz family who took shelter during Hurricane Isaac. Photo by Daniel Cima/American Red Cross.
Volunteer Connection
The Red Cross also developed a new volunteer management system – Volunteer Connection – to transform the way they communicate with their volunteers (https://volunteerconnection.redcross.org). Volunteers can stay informed about volunteer opportunities in their area, and the Red Cross can quickly deploy volunteers to a relief operation through the system.
Conclusion
As outlined, there have been many Red Cross technological developments over the last ten years and as technology continues to advance, it is important that the Red Cross continues to move forward too.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the USA’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. It is a not-for-profit organisation that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the public to perform its mission.
Contact Red Cross, www.redcross.org
