[Telecentres] (was) how many telecenters (now) Advance Emergency Warning Systems

[Don Cameron]

Hi John,

I'm not sure I entirely agree with your thoughts on this - The answer to
timely emergency information lies ultimately in management and notification
processes supported by mass saturation notification technologies. Hand-held
devices may play a part, however it is unlikely that any of the
tens-of-thousands of people swimming off the beaches at the time of the
Tsunami (and subsequently swept out to sea due to a lack of advanced
notification) were carrying mobile telephones or were within easy shouting
reach of someone with a mobile device... It is equally unlikely that people
on the remote islands had mobile, or any other form of handheld coverage.
These are situations requiring more immediate and reliable comms
technologies such as a simple WW1 air-raid siren supported by knowledgeable
authorities. 

Your comments on US evacuation plans paint a grim picture although not being
a US citizen I cannot offer any further insight. Australian emergency
management and evacuation plans are prepared by community committees
operating under the auspices of an appropriate 'combat agency' (fire
service, state emergency service, police or other); prepared with input from
all relevant sectors of society and ultimately linked to State and National
'Displans' (Disaster Plans) for coordination and to aid wide area
implementation. For example one of the committees I attend has
representation from Local Government, response agencies, leaders of
industry, national parks and environmental organizations, human welfare
support groups (hospitals and aid organizations) and significant
landholders. Plans are prepared with input from all, and generally offer the
best cross-spread of information and 'situational reality' possible giving
regard to the ultimate unknown quantity - the spread and scope of a
projected civil emergency. The State and national Displans reference local
plans to ensure everyone knows what to do as well as ensuring resources are
adequate and available for the time when the plan requires implementation.

It's not at all complicated (and not in any way reliant on technologies
known to fail during emergencies), however it does require considerable
management, coordination and cooperation.

Best rgds, Don


-----Original Message-----
From: john lawrence [mailto:lawrence at undp.org] 
Sent: Thursday, 30 December 2004 4:56 AM
To: bytesforall_readers at yahoogroups.com
Cc: Don Cameron; joyojeet at SIMS.Berkeley.EDU; telecentres at wsis-cs.org
Subject: Re: [bytesforall_readers] Re: RE: [Telecentres] how many
telecenters continued

the answer to timely emergency info lies ultimately in widely available (and
reliable) hand-held devices.... if you put together the mobile phone stories
from the asian tsunami disaster with the way that internet and email comms
can keep pace with fast moving events, many lives might have been saved if
some form of legitimate and credible alarm buzzer could have been activated
on just a few hand held devices, and the word could have spread accordingly
and quickly through affected communities ....
governments alone cannot be relied upon to provide timely evacuation info...
or even adequate emergency evacuation plans that make any sense.... just
look at the average evacuation plan for nuclear or even natural disasters in
the US.... roads are frequently jammed at rush hour every day now... the
idea of anyone escaping anything in a hurry by vehicle is ironically
laughable, yet most community evacuation plans in the US are premised on
road access, and public services (and public officials such as traffic cops)
that would stay on beat and on message throughout... 9/11 showed us the best
of public service in New York and Washington, but lower Manhattan  was a
disaster that could literally be walked away from, as thousands testified to
by the memorable and tragic exodus on that day.... cellphones however were
(I am told)  notoriously unreliable because lines were jammed.... however
somehow, I believe we have to get beyond the key first step of telecenters
to hand held communicators that do it all! 

John Lawrence
UNDP consultant and
Adjunct Professor, SIPA
Columbia University.