This presentation discusses macro technology trends in disaster management and provides an overview of digital volunteerism. In addition, examples of digital volunteer groups and technologies are provided.

1. Technology Trends &
Digital Volunteerism
Brandon Greenberg, MPA, CEM
March 10, 2015
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.1
@DisasterNet DisasterNet1 +DisasterNetCo1in/DisasterNet DisasterNet
Brandon@DisasterNet.co +1 (571)-314-0880www.disasternet.co

2. Agenda
I. Key Trends
II. Trend Drivers
III. Challenges
IV. Digital Volunteerism
V. Groups
VI. Tools
VII. Question and Answer
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.2

3. Technology Trends
1) Emphasis on user experience and visualization
2) Humans and computers working together
3) More “open” and “geo-based” systems
4) Data/information is the primary commodity
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.3

4. Technology Trends - Drivers
1) Increasing scale and complexity in operations
2) Networked/net-centric world
3) Citizen participation is alive
4) Data/information availability and access.
5) Technological advancement
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.4

5. Challenges
1. Defining “valuable” information.
2. Adequacy of existing data/information policies and procedures.
3. Ability to compare unique technologies and groups.
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.5

6. Digital Volunteerism
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.6

7. Digital Volunteerism?
Volunteers supporting disaster response
using technical computer or mobile device
skills rather than managerial skills or
physical labor.
Two Categories:*
1. Technical Skills (Novice to Advanced)
2. Location Constrained
*Categories are NOT mutually exclusive
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.7

8. Groups
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.8

9. VOST – Virtual Operations Support Team
“Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST)…is
an effort to make use of new communication
technologies and social media tools so that a
team of trusted agents (VOSTies) can lend
support via the internet to those on-site who
may otherwise be overwhelmed by the
volume of data generated during a disaster.”
Virtual Operations Support Team
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.9

10. Humanity Road
“Humanity Road delivers disaster
preparedness and response information to the
global mobile public before, during, and after
a disaster.”
Humanity Road
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.10

11. Standby Task Force
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.11
“The Standby Task Force (SBTF) organizes
digital volunteers into a flexible, trained and
prepared network ready to deploy in crises.”
Standby Task Force

12. Digital Humanitarian Network
“The aim of this network-of-networks is to
form a consortium of Volunteer & Technical
Communities (V&TCs) and to provide an
interface between formal, professional
humanitarian organizations and informal yet
skilled-and-agile volunteer & technical
networks.”
Digital Humanitarian Network
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.12

13. Red Cross Digital Volunteers
“This training is aimed at people who would like
to deepen their commitment to using online
social tools on behalf of the Red Cross. Disaster
Digital Volunteers will report directly to the
National Headquarters social engagement team
during times of disaster and work as part of the
social engagement team to monitor, engage, and
report on activity surrounding specific disasters.”
Red Cross Digital Volunteers
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.13

14. Tools & Examples
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.14

15. MicroMappers
“Combine human computing (smart crowd-
sourcing) with machine computing (artificial
intelligence) to filter, fuse and map a variety of
different data types such as text, photo, video
and satellite/aerial imagery.”
www.micromappers.wordpress.com
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.15

16. CrowdMap (Ushahidi)
Create your own crisis maps.
www.crowdmap.com
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.16

17. Crisis Cleanup
“Open Source Disaster Relief
Mapping and Work Coordination.”
www.crisiscleanup.org/
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.17

18. Internet Response League
IRL enables and encourages
video gamers to support
response efforts by helping
organize and make actionable
the overwhelming amounts of
data generated by disasters.
www.internet-response-
league.com/
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.18

19. LanternLive
“Lantern Live is a mobile app that allows users
to report the operational status of local gas
stations, find fuel, and look up power outage
maps from local utilities, while also accessing
useful tips and guidelines.”
Google Play Store
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.19

20. SMS
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.20

21. Twilio Open Source SMS
“From emergency response to
community organization, Twilio built
the basic [SMS] communications apps
you need so you can spend less time
coding and more time making an
impact.”
Twilio Open Source Rapid Response Kit
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.21

22. FrontlineSMS
“Frontline builds professional SMS
management tools that help you
reach more than 3 billion people
with the phone already in their
pocket.”
www.frontlinesms.com
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.22

23. Open Data
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.23

24. Open Humanitarian Initiative
“OHI strives to revolutionize how
information is shared in humanitarian
response by engaging nongovernmental
organizations, academic institutions,
private sector technology companies,
donors and governments in a shared
vision that advocates for open data.”
www.ohi.nethope.org
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.24

25. OnTheMap for EM
OnTheMap is a free public data tool from
the U.S. Census Bureau that provides an
intuitive web-based interface for
accessing U.S. population and workforce
statistics, in real time, for areas being
affected by natural disasters.
www.onthemap.ces.census.gov/em/
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.25

26. ShakeMap/ShakeCast
“ShakeMap and ShakeCast are post-
earthquake information tools for rapid
situational awareness, using data from
seismic monitoringsystems to help
emergency managers gauge an
earthquake’s impact and plan response
activities.”
www.earthquake.usgs.gov
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.26

27. Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX)
The Humanitarian Data
Exchange (HDX) makes
humanitarian data easy to find
and use for analysis.
www.data.hdx.rwlabs.org
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.27

28. Disaster.Data.Gov
This portal features disaster-related datasets,
tools, and updates.
www.data.gov/disasters/
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.28

29. Rx Open
Rx Open is an online tool that maps
the location of open pharmacies
during disasters using Google Maps,
and also shows which pharmacies are
closed and those whose status is
unknown.
www.rxopen.org
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.29

30. Recommended Book
“This book charts the sudden and spectacular
rise of Digital Humanitarians by sharing their
remarkable, real-life stories, highlighting how
their humanity coupled with innovative
solutions to Big Data is changing humanitarian
response forever.”
Digital Humanitarians
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.30

31. Thank You
Questions?
3/10/2015 © DisasterNet, Inc.31
@DisasterNet DisasterNet1 +DisasterNetCo1in/DisasterNet DisasterNet
Brandon@DisasterNet.co +1 (571)-314-0880www.disasternet.co
Email Newsletter: www.disasternet.co/wnewsletter