The document discusses tools from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) for first responders, including the Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders (WISER). WISER allows users to identify unknown chemicals through physical properties, symptoms, or other criteria. It is available as both a standalone app and online, and supports many mobile platforms. The latest version adds the chemical identification features to the iPhone/iPod app.

1. NLM’s Free Downloadable, Online, and Smartphone
Tools for First Responders and Others.
Part 1: WISER (Wireless Information System for
Emergency Responders)
Pertti (Bert) J. Hakkinen, Ph.D.
Senior Toxicologist, and Toxicology and Environmental Health Science Advisor
Specialized Information Services, National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Also:
Adjunct Associate Professor, Biomedical Informatics Department, F. Edward
Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
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2. Times and Technologies are Changing!
Photo courtesy of Cesar Bandera, Ph.D. New Jersey Institute of Technology
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3. U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM)
NLM’s Mission: Collect, organize, and disseminate health-
related information.
 World’s largest biomedical library
 Millions of items in collection
 Services: PubMed, MedlinePlus and many others
 Several hundred million searches of PubMed each year
 Articles from several thousand journals indexed monthly
 Research and Development
 Biomedical informatics and communications
 Relatively new focus (within Specialized Information
Services): Disaster information
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4. NLM Disaster and Emergency Response
Tools
 Wireless Information System for Emergency
Responders (WISER) --- released about eight
years ago
 Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical
Management (CHEMM) --- released in
mid-2011
 Radiation Emergency Medical Management
(REMM) --- released about four years ago
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5. http://disaster.nlm.nih.gov/
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6. http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/
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7. NLM’s challenges
Need to compile authoritative, trustworthy information
Information needs to meet the needs of the users
Users need to have access when and where they need it
Users need easy access, e.g., during emergencies
Information evolves
Ways to deliver and access the information evolve
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8. Wireless Information System for
Emergency Responders (WISER)
www.wiser.nlm.nih.gov
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9. WISER - Strategic Objectives
 Easy to use, intuitive
 Information tailored to the specific needs and roles
of 1st responders, HazMat, EMS, & 1st receivers
 Reliable, complete, and trustworthy information
 Unknown substance identification capabilities
 Provide a platform that can be expanded to support
other emergency response needs
 Rich, stand-alone capability with enhanced
connected (wireless) capabilities
 Cross-platform, multi-device architecture
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10. WISER Platforms – A Little History
Palm Pilot Pocket PC
Laptop
August 2011
Android Blackberry iPhone
WebWISER
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11. Download as a standalone application on:
Microsoft Windows PCs
Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch devices
Google Android devices
Windows Mobile devices
BlackBerry devices (Internet connectivity
needed)
Palm OS PDAs
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12. WebWISER
With Internet connection, use Web browser
to access same functionality of standalone
WISER
Supports PC and other browsers, including
on BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android devices
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13. WISER Basics
Either you know what you’re dealing with…
… or you don’t!
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14. Examples of Recent Announcements
March 1, 2012: Version 2.0 WISER for iPhone/
iPod touch available
January 19, 2012: Protective distance mapping
for WebWISER available
August 24, 2011: Version 1.0 of WISER for
Android available
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15. WISER for iPhone/iPod touch 2.0
What’s new?
WISER's popular Help Identify Chemical capability
is now available on the iOS platform.
Use WISER's protective distance mapping feature
on your iPhone or iPod touch.
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16. WISER for iPhone/iPod touch 2.0 includes:
Fully featured implementation of Help Identify
Chemical
Identify using physical properties, signs/
symptoms, categorization, NFPA placards, and
transportation containers
Can save a help identify search for later recall and
freely search the result list using any identifier
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17. Identify and validate an unknown chemical based
on the following criteria:
• Physical properties of the substance gathered by
observation or sensors
• Signs and symptoms of victims of exposure
• Categorize a substance, such as a substance used in a
meth lab or a flammable substance
• Hazard values from NFPA 704 placards
• Transportation identification, including DOT placards,
type of road trailer, and type of rail car
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18. “Help Identify” Unknown Chemical
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19. National Library of Medicine
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20. National Library of Medicine
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21. As of March 1, 2012, WISER for iPhone/iPod
touch 2.0 is now available.
What’s new?
WISER's popular Help Identify Chemical capability
is now available on the iOS platform.
Use WISER's protective distance mapping feature
on your iPhone or iPod touch.
National Library of Medicine
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH ◊ U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
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22. Visualize protective distance data for a given substance
directly on your iPhone or iPod touch
Track both current position and the location of a plotted
protective distance area
WISER must have permission to use location services to
track your current location
Accuracy of this capability is affected by the capabilities
of device (note that not all iOS devices include a GPS)
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23. National Library of Medicine
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24. National Library of Medicine
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25. National Library of Medicine
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26. CBRNE Information in WISER
 ~420 Chemical Agents
 ~20 Radiological Agents
 CDC Category A Biological Agents
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27. WISER
Training, updates, and 24/7 accessibility
 Training materials can be downloaded
 WISER email list keeps users updated
 WebWISER accessible 24/7 if Internet
available
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28. WISER Training Materials
 Ready-made material for hazmat training on the use of
WISER
 Scenario-based “modules”
 MS PowerPoint slides (with embedded Video &
screen shots)
 Instructor Guides/Scripts
 Student Handouts
 Can be changed by trainer to suit specific needs
 Overturned tanker, mall bomb, mobile meth lab, and
warehouse scenarios
 Available online at wiser.nlm.nih.gov
 Single download
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29. Tools
Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)
Triage flowchart
Radiation Events
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30. Coming Soon to WISER
Univeral (iPad) support
Help identify, tools, and protective distance mapping
for WISER for Android
Biological agent additions (e.g., H1N1)
Enhanced ERG integration
Protective distance mapping enhancements
and more!
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31. How to stay informed
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32. http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/
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33. http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/disasterapps.html
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34. " Comments?
" Suggestions?
Pertti (Bert) J. Hakkinen, Ph.D.
Senior Toxicologist, and Toxicology and Environmental Health
Science Advisor (to the Director)
Specialized Information Services, National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD USA
pertti.hakkinen@nih.gov http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/
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