[HCRA] Fw: [RACES] Red Cross Vehicles

[Daniel J. Sullivan]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Radioguy" <radioguy at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <RACES at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2004 8:49 PM
Subject: [RACES] Red Cross Vehicles


>
> Here is an interesting explanation, posted in the Connecticut ARES org
> discussion group concerning the new Red Cross Communications vans being
> rolled out across the country.  Thanks to Brian, K1BRF for the post.
> -----------------
>
> A few folks have asked me to explain how this system works in the new
> disaster response system ARC is deploying so here is a partial explanation
> as I understand it.  This is a personal comment and not endorsed or
> approved by ARC or its employees so any errors are mine.
>
> The ARC Emergency Communications Vehicle is impressive BUT what was left
> out was the entire disaster relief system that this system is being
> developed to serve.  The vehicle is not just another box full of stuff by
> any means. (To keep this under 500 pages I am going to short-cut some
> details so to those select few who know all about it, I am leaving things
> out to make this more readable and only using public information.)
>
> In the past, Red Cross volunteers arriving at a disaster scene used to go
> into a specific disaster-struck neighborhood and physically inspect every
> structure, fill out and file a paper report on every single structure in
> that area and relay what the damage was. Affectionately, these were called
> "street sheets." This is an excellent process, the gold standard of damage
> assessment, but the data came in on paper and disaster managers, of
course,
> always want more information more rapidly so they can make wiser
decisions.
>
> In the new approach, an initial cut of a disaster area is done by
satellite
> and geo data analysis in seconds, some decisions can be made and the data
> can also be sent out to those in the field (via the van, for example). The
> people arriving on scene know right where to go and do not have to spend

> time trying to figure that out. Detailed disaster information will still
be
> collected but on laptops and the consolidated reports can be wirelessly
> transmitted to the com vehicle for further uplinking.  So management gets
> detailed reports almost immediately and picture builds incrementally as
> more and more data is received.  They do not have to wit until all the
> reports are in.
>
> Advantage: immediate deployment of assistance, knowledgeable deployment of
> assistance, better and faster damage assessment with data in digital form.
>
> Secondly, all the ARC case workers and shelter managers, etc.  --- those
> who deal with people who have suffered in the disaster, etc. --- can now
> fill in forms on laptops, not paper.  Then they can send those wirelessly
> and instantly through this vehicle which digests it and which can then
send
> it to management, National HQ, etc.  Decisions and aid can be immediately
> dispensed to the victims on the spot.  There is a lot of creative
> automation involved in this but I am going to a little fuzzy on this for
> now because I want to keep it short
>
> Supplies requisitions? Sure. Secure com with national? No problem Maps and
> graphs and internet? Sure Communication with the field? Absolutely And so
forth
>
> Advantage: effective and efficient deployment of assistance and automation
> of the entire process from end-to-end. The assistance time cycle is
> radically shortened, etc., so ARC is now, to overstate it a bit, "helping
> disaster clients at the speed of light." It is a major advance in disaster
> response management and delivery, IMHO.
>
> So this van is far from just being a box stuffed with gear.  It is part of
> a well thought-out way of delivering service to clients in a disaster area
> much faster, more efficiently and maintaining better records for analysis
> so the process can continually improve.  That is the real story.  It is
the
> application of digital tech and computers which will bring us into a new
> age off disaster services delivery.
>
> And, of course, the box itself can talk on all kinds of frequencies: FEMA,
> ARC, sat, videolink conferences, etc.
>
> Hope that gives you a better idea of how it is used because, once again,
it
> is the improvement in client service delivery that is the real story.  I
> just didn't think hams would be interested in all of that versus some eye
> candy.
>
> Brian K1BRF
>
>
>
>
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