Technology Helping in Times of Crisis Part 2 of 3: Geeks without Borders
Tech Community Comes Together to Develop New Tools for Crisis Management
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three-part series highlighting how technology can help in times of crisis. The first part highlighted the new trend and success of mobile giving, millions of dollars raised simply by texting “Haiti” to 90999. This part focuses on a group of high-tech programmers and managers who joined together to give technical support to relief organizations and created some helpful programs along the way. And finally, part three will show the plight of a man who was stuck in the rubble in Haiti and used his iPhone to help treat his injuries to keep himself alive while he waited to be rescued.
In the wake of a natural disaster people feel powerless as they watch the aftermath on news or read the reports over the wires. People often ask themselves “what can I do to help?” Giving money to help relief efforts is one way, as highlighted in part 1 of this series. But for hundreds of high tech volunteers giving money to Haitian relief simply was not enough; they gave their time and expertise to create programs that could help redefine how we deal with crisis management in the future.
“Great things are accomplished by talented people who believe they will accomplish them.” - Warren G. Bennis
After the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday, January, 12, 2010 hundreds of high tech volunteers mobilized to help disaster relief efforts in Haiti. One of the efforts was spearheaded by a group called CrisisCommons. CrisisCommon is “an international volunteer network of professionals drawn together by a call to service. We create technological tools and resources for responders to use in mitigating disasters and crises around the world.”
Spreading the word via social networking and social media sites, high tech volunteers were directed to “CrisisCamp Haiti” in 6 major cities with the goal of using their talents to provide technical support to relief efforts on the ground in Haiti. On the first weekend more than 400 volunteers where attending a CrisisCamp. This is an unprecedented coordinated effort by tech volunteers.
Here are some of the examples of the tools that tech volunteers where able to achieve:
- software for tracking missing people;
- mapping the disaster area, including up-to-date information on new field hospitals being built and downed bridges overlaid on post-earthquake satellite images;
- a text based system that allows volunteers to translate, geotag, and categorize urgent text messages; this allowed volunteers to locate a woman who was eight months pregnant woman and provide assistance;
- created a Creole-English dictionary for smart phones for aid workers to use on the ground to translate the native language; and
- a “We Have, We Need” database, a Craigslist of sorts, where relief workers can publicize urgent needs.
Working directly with the NGOs is a novel and focused way to direct all the positive talents of so many volunteers to deliver tools needed on the ground. CrisisCamp Haiti will serve as a model for future crises whether in the U.S. or abroad.
CrisisCamp Haiti Continues to expand. This past weekend more than 12 cities held their own. If you want to learn more about CrisisCommons you can visit their website at http://www.crisiscommons.org/
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