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Information and Communication Technologies |
ICT Technologies Best Practices |
List of surveillance technologies |
2021-03-01 12:00:00 UTC |
2021-03-01 12:00:00 UTC |
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Communication!
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) cover a wide range of telecommunication devices and applications, which facilitate the flow of information.
Within crisis and disaster management, these devices and applications may be used explicitly for hazards or crisis detection, information management, communication, situational awareness, search and rescue efforts, and decision support systems. Everything from cell phones and social media to unmanned aerial vehicles and weather stations are used to collect, disseminate, and monitor various types of information and data to provide a common operating picture. {{<cite "Bennett 2019">}}
During a disaster recovery stage, the following communication technologies are often used.
Social media are playing a greater role during disasters.
During Chennai flooding in India in 2015, although emergency telephone numbers were established, they were overloaded, making social media such as Twitter a popular method for communication for those with Internet access.
“Social media has revolutionised communication during disasters,” says US’ Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate.
Social media is also slowly turning out to be a live-saving tool. In theory, it is a complete communication model where a user sends out information, receives feedback and responds to it. [https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/how-people-turn-to-social-media-during-natural-disasters-49587]
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People tend to use social media to check on family and friends, seek support, gather news about the magnitude of the disaster and provide ground-zero first-hand accounts.
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Twitter: The US-based Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stated in its 2013 National Preparedness Report that during and after Hurricane Sandy, users sent more than 20 million Sandy-related Twitter posts with the help of broadband networks. New Jersey’s largest utility company, PSE&G, updated their Twitter feeds and used them to send information about the daily locations of their tents and generators during Hurricane Sandy.
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Twitter: They channelised the SOS information which was received using the Twitter feeds by running it through a code which separated the SOS tweets from the rest, under #kashmirfloods. This information was then sent to the officials of the Indian Army who used it for rescue operation,” Khursheed added. Major General Shokin Chauhan of the army’s public information office was quoted by The New York Times as saying that the army saved over 12,000 people based on information from social media during the Kashmir floods. [https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/how-people-turn-to-social-media-during-natural-disasters-49587] [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/13/world/asia/embrace-of-social-media-aids-flood-victims-in-kashmir.html?_r=0]
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Twitter has been widely used by the relief community in a number of disasters to coordinate response. Unlike text messages, users can follow tweeters; ’cards‘ can be included with links to photos, videos and other media; and hashtags help quickly receive or find tweets on a specific topic
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The Twitter live, real-time public platform was used by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the public, government agencies and the media to share and exchange information.
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The Facebook Crisis Response app allows users to mark themselves as safe, reassuring friends and family, provide or seek help, donate money, and receive information.
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Facebook:people can also use social networking sites to send donations.
- FEMA App (help people prepare before / during / after disasters)
- Harbor (gamify the emergency preparedness)
- First Aid: American Red Cross (what to do in case of medical emergency, find nearest hospital)
- Hurricane: American Red Cross (monitor hurricanes)
- MyShake (earthquake alerts/monitoring and crowd source data collection)
- Zello. (walkie-talkie like app)
- EPA Smoke Sense (citizen science project to understand the effects of smoke on health)
- Commercial apps > Life360 (provides family location safety, assistance and emergency response)
[https://www.wired.com/story/best-emergency-apps/]
Crowdsourcing is helping to add vital details to maps of disaster areas. This enhances satellite imagery by providing greater granularity, making relief efforts more effective and targeted. It is also quicker and cheaper, especially since the crowd often does this on a volunteer basis, compared with traditional methods.
In India, Twitter was used to alert people to crowdfunding sites for those affected by floods.
More than USD 40 million was contributed via text messaging following the Haiti earthquake disaster in 2010.
One challenge during a rapidly evolving disaster is coordinating and verifying information among different stakeholders.
For example, the United Nations found that, in the wake of the 2010 Haitian earthquake, assistance efforts were hampered by too many data sources among the some 20 relief groups (Rohr, 2017).
The Blockchain distributed ledger system and chain of verified records could play a significant role in ameliorating information control.
In the United States of America Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning a pilot test of blockchain for a more rapid and reliable collection of data during a crisis, in order to reduce the spread of disease (Orcutt, 2017).
This has relevance for disaster management, since similar to public health, agencies offering relief (e.g. government, assistance agencies, telecom operators, food suppliers, transporters, health workers and the public) need to share trusted data quickly to collaborate effectively (IBM Academy of Technology, 2018).
Another way blockchain technology is already indirectly used for disaster relief is for fundraising activities that accept cryptocurrencies (Harmes, 2018). Several organizations – including Direct Relief, Humanity Road and Save the Children – currently accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in their fundraising activities.
Some relief agencies have begun accepting donations in cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Mobile money is a safe way for relief organizations to transfer funds to those affected by disasters.
Perhaps not the most popular option anymore, but having a landline telephone can be a life saver when access to a cellphone or other electronic device is limited or non-existent.
Satellite phones are on the pricier side of the emergency devices spectrum, but are beneficial especially in remote territories where internet access is scarce at best. Some satellite phones have coverage in all parts of the world due to Satphone’s reliance on orbiting satellites for their functioning versus standard cell phone towers.
A two-way radio (also known as walkie-talkies) is a pair of handheld devices that can connect with each other provided both are on the same frequency, within a certain distance. One user can talk while the other listens and vice-versa. These are beneficial to have among emergency responders in the field as a quick way to communicate with each other without clogging up cell phone lines.
A CB radio is capable of short-distance communications on various frequencies. It is similar although more complex than a regular two-way radio as it contains more functionality. Because it is open for use for both business and personal use, it is a good source of general information.
This product is similar to a CB radio besides that it requires the user to be a licensed American Amateur Radio operator; thus giving it a bit more authenticity to the information that is being regulated across the air waves.
This device allows the user to hear all emergency communication between officials in the police, rescue, fire, respondent, military, and aircraft industries. Although the user cannot broadcast on it, it does allow access to important information during an emergency situation.
Although mobile network might quickly become overloaded, people can often still use SMS/text messages.
Connectivity Technology – The most powerful tool available during a natural disaster is one that nearly everyone has access to: a smartphone. Quickly deployable cellular data communication platforms can help people stay in contact with their loved ones during floods. These networks can also help authorities communicate more easily with one another and with imperiled communities over social media.
Text messaging is used by many relief organizations, because of the ubiquity of mobile phones
Satellite-based emergency mapping has improved both in quality and response.
New radar apertures can see through storm clouds, and satellite activations for disasters have risen.
Radar radio waves continue to play a critical role for disaster monitoring, for example high-frequency ocean radar systems used for monitoring tsunami activity.
| Bad | Good | No Info | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disaster Scenario | Social Media | Mobile Apps | Landline | Mobile Network | Mobile Celltower | Satphones | 2way-radio | CB Radio | Ham Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flooding/Rural | |||||||||
| Flooding/Urban | |||||||||
| Earthquake | |||||||||
| Hurricane | |||||||||
| Civil Unrest |
| Disaster Scenario | Social Media | Mobile Apps | Landline | Mobile Network | Mobile Celltower | Satphones | 2way-radio | CB Radio | Ham Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flooding/Rural | |||||||||
| Flooding/Urban | |||||||||
| Earthquake | |||||||||
| Hurricane | |||||||||
| Civil Unrest |
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https://www.adjustersinternational.com/newsroom/top-10-communication-methods-in-a-disaster-setting
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https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Emergency-Telecommunications/Pages/ICTs-4-DM.aspx
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https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/how-people-turn-to-social-media-during-natural-disasters-49587
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