World’s Largest Crisis Mapping Exercise a Successful Event

May 25, 2012 - PRLog -- It is fitting that the world’s largest maritime exercise would include one of the world’s largest crisis mapping exercises as a component to its planned activities. Last week, volunteers around the world created online content for a crisis map that will be used during the 2012 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC). The virtual crisis team mapping initiative is being orchestrated by Humanity Road, a public charity that trains volunteers on using mobile device and Internet technology to connect those who need aid with those who can provide aid. Over the course of six days in mid-May in Oahu, Hawaii, the U.S. Navy QuickNets Crisis Mapping Exercise completed its mapping activities by creating content that represents thousands of simulated incidents to be referenced during the full simulation RIMPAC slated for July.

“In a catastrophic disaster, traditional means of communication through radio, television, and telephone landlines are not always most effective or even viable” explains Cat Graham, Humanity Road, Vice-President and program lead for the crisis mapping exercise. Humanity Road volunteers logged 17,000 volunteer hours last year in support of emerging disasters including tornadoes, wildfires, and earthquakes and also in support of disaster exercises. “In today’s world, we are able to utilize social media outlets to disseminate pertinent information during emerging disasters and help people who otherwise may have limited or no other avenue to communicate with the outside world.”

In other words, Humanity Road is virtually paving the way by mobilizing their citizen action teams all over the globe and online to assist others on the road to recovery, and the RIMPAC event is just another vehicle to help the global community be better prepared when disaster strikes. Humanity Road partnered with QuickNets, a rapid technology development project, to prepare for the biennial RIMPAC. This year will mark the first time Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Response, will be included within the event.  With over 20 nations participating this summer, the goal will be to aid maritime forces in simulating and practicing response and coordination efforts in the wake of a large-scale disaster on a fictitious island nation.

By coming together on the ground and virtually, the QuickNets team, Humanity Road and its partners are building a bridge across global communities to connect to those people affected by natural or man-made disasters and ultimately help save lives.  "Crisismapping is a joint effort, even small countries can play a major role" said  Dave Leng, from Heal organization in Apia, Samoa. Mr. Leng was event Lead, overseeing the online team. Samoa, a tiny island in the South Pacific more known for its laid back idyllic lifestyle, also happens to be one of the more advanced nations in the world for crisismapping

About Humanity Road
Humanity Road is a Public Charity whose mission is to provide the public with accurate and critical recovery information, before, during and after a catastrophic disaster. The organization is committed to acting responsibly and quickly in identifying, facilitating, collecting and disseminating required information and solutions to the public affected by the event.

Humanity Road has been recognized for its compliance to transparency in reporting and also was listed as a top nonprofit for disaster response in 2012 by GreatNonprofits.org. For more information, please visit http://humanityroad.org.

About QuickNets
QuickNets is a rapid technology development project to address the critical gap in situational awareness in the early stages of a Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response crisis, allowing the Commander to assess and adjust planning by providing a deployable, mobile-phone and web-based crowd-sourcing capability.

Additionally, QuickNets establishes situational awareness in disaster operations fast enough to inform responding forces and partners remains a significant challenge to planners.

Local populations can be sources of vital real-time information about the situation on the scene of the crisis. By taking advantage of the explosive penetration of mobile phone technology into most potential operational areas, the rise of web-based communications, and the use of modern crowd sourcing techniques, QuickNets seeks to leverage local knowledge into useable situational awareness information.

QuickNets is designed to link to, or augment, existing communications systems in a crisis to rapidly pulse both affected populations and responding groups for critical information analyze the collected data, map and visualize validated data, and disseminate usable situational awareness information to planners. While QuickNets is a DOD project, it will focus on both improving the situational awareness of the tactical commander on the ground, as well as partners in the NGOs and host governments.

For more information, visit http://Quick-Nets.org.