Issue #69
Last Update October 31, 2010
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Technology Cheap Technologies for Crisis Management by Sten Grynir June 18, 2009 The World Conference on Disaster Management, held this month in Toronto, exhibited and discussed technological tools for disaster/business continuity planning, crisis communications and incident management. In an interesting session, Scott Phelps, Associate Professor at Southern Connecticut State University, pointed his audience to a number of inexpensive and easily available tools that could be of great help during a crisis. A mix of hardware, web services and software, these inexpensive tools could be of great use when normal services are unavailable.
A stock of basic, cheap, no-contract push-to-talk cell phones and minutes cards to go with them could equip key personnel with communications if their own cellphones are unavailable, and also provide known phone numbers in an emergency.
Smart phones should be available to key personnel. These phones, besides allowing email and text message communication, should also be loaded with the latest version of the company's (or governmental entity's) business continuity or emergency action plan. A plan in the desk drawer or desktop computer of an unavailable location is useless. A small, inexpensive gadget called Peek, which is the size of a cell phone and has a screen and tiny keyboard has the single purpose of doing email.
Netbooks (small laptop computers) are cheap, light and capable. They are easily carried to the site of an emergency, or distributed at low cost to key personnel for use if they have to relocate. Cellular wifi routers are pocketable, relatively inexpensive, and useful for setting up small networks in the field and providing internet connections for five or more of the netbooks or laptops at an emergency site.
Software costs can be kept low, and capabilities kept high, by using the OpenOffice.org office suite in place of Microsoft Office. The OpenOffice.org suite is free, easy to install, and has all the functionality of Microsoft Office, and then some. In addition, it can read and write MSOffice Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files, and has a built-in database that, while not a substitute for MSAccess, can come in handy.
A variety of web sites and web tools can provide a common communications focus for scattered personnel, track missing people, provide collaboration tools, and upload and download files. Basecamp is an inexpensive example of this capability. Even handier, Groundwork is an iPhone client for Basecamp, so even without a laptop or netbook, communication and collaboration can be maintained. Google Maps is another web tool that could be useful in crisis management. The ability to see streets, roads and terrain in an affected area could be a life saver. News services available on smart phones or netbooks are also useful for keeping personnel informed.
One of the best communication tools available, and free or tremendously inexpensive depending on the capabilities required, is Skype. This is software that allows world-wide telephonic communication over the internet, and if your computer has a web-cam, can be used to send video situation reports back to a command center. A Skype application exists for the iPhone, too, which makes phone calls available in an area where wifi can be had, but cell service is out. So far, video calls can't be made on iPhone Skype. Another tool that can be used for visual situation reports is Qik, which allows live video to be shared from a mobile phone, through the Qik website.
Inexpensive and easy to acquire tools like these can make a big difference in an emergency situation.
New York Stringer is published by NYStringer.com. For all communications, contact David Katz, Editor and Publisher, at david@nystringer.com