Resquology, the Hazard Networking platform : High level Features

To understand what this platform will do, let me use the construct of the different phases of a disaster to better explain what resquology will perform.

The four phases of disaster are:

1. Mitigate - Identify the hazard and take preventive measures to mitigate the impact
2. Prepare - Plan for & practice various scenarios where the disaster is unleashed
3. Respond - Send relief to the needy and communicate with the world
4. Recover - Try and restore some normalcy to the affected areas.

Mitigate: 

Volunteers and various stakeholders identify various hazards and take the necessary preventive actions. 

Also, people needing assistance (the disabled and the elderly) will be identified in a way that protects their privacy but at the same time, providing the much needed information to the relief services about their condition and location. 

A simple user interface that marks ("pins") their location in a map, a sort of like a SOS message on the google map. This 'SOS message' is sent to the relief agencies and they get a list of all the people that might need help. The SOS message also acts like a notification to the rescue agencies and this can trigger a task list like "transport the person at this location to the relief location #1". This SOS message can 

Prepare:
Sizeup: how big is the problem and how bad is the problem

Planning is hierarchical and happens in two levels. Intially, locations are identified and at each location, victims are identified. For each identified location and based on an estimate of the casualty, a high level planning is performed. Then for each location, a lower level planning for the identified & triaged victims is performed. The triage category assigned to the victim is the single most influential factor in planning. 

Scenario Planning:

Various stake holders plan for possible scenarios. 

Various resources, personnel and locations will be inputted into the system so as to plan and execute.

Mock drills will be conducted to study the possible weaknesses of the planned relief efforts

Each and every personnel will have assigned tasks and will perform relief efforts as per the plan

Communication between all the stakeholders will be through Internet based CB radio that can transmit voice, text, pictures and video.

Situation information will be updated and available for easy access.

Victim identification feature will enable tracking and helping victims that need help 

Self Protection Information:

Stakeholders will put in the self protection information for the affected population. 

This information will be broadcast to the affected population within seconds of the confirmation of the disaster

the affected population will refer to this self protection information and take necessary steps to protect themselves and others

The self protection information will be of two kinds. The first self protection information is for preliminary and unconfirmed reports. Then when the incident & event has been confirmed, a more comprehensive self protection information is released.

Respond

Event Identification: When an disaster event happens, people notice it. When people witness the live event happening they enter information in the system. These can be unconfirmed and preliminary reports coming in. The symptom(choking) identified by the people along with the proximity of a likely hazard (large chemical tank) will trigger the self protection information inputted earlier during the Prepare phase. 

Symptom Identification

People also notice the symptoms of something drastically wrong. The symptom(choking) identified by the people along with the proximity of a likely hazard (large chemical tank) will trigger the self protection information inputted earlier during the Prepare phase. 

Confirmed Event Identification: Emergency Manager confirms the event, reviews the plans and changes it if necessary and then triggers the plan execution. Plan execution starts and  resources are dispatched to locations. This is a macro level plan. Every resource be it a doctor, First responder, an ambulance, or a helicopter will be notified with a list of tasks to perform. Then at each location, victims are identified and now the resources and personnel are planned around the victims. 

Affected Population and the Concerned Population: They can communicate with each other using voice, video or text. If anyone needs help or attention from the first responders, they can send a SOS notification that will be sent to the planner or the emergency manager. This ensures that no one is left unhelped or uncared for.