Technology in Disaster Management: GIS and CRG Tools

Introduction

Over the last several years, the question of how private organizations and governments respond to both manmade and natural disasters has been increasingly brought to the forefront. Part of the reason for this is that various events have had adverse effects on property and the lives of the general public. To address these issues, many governments and private businesses have increasingly turned to technology as a way to help mitigate and react to such incidents. However, given that 85% of critical infrastructure is privately owned, the use of technology will vary from one organization to the next (Auserwald, 2005), as it will often depend upon the entity, its management structure, and the underlying level of threats it faces. This is significant because it illustrates how different organizations will use technology to varying degrees. To fully understand how technology can be implemented to tackle these challenges requires studying the different ways it is being utilized. This will be accomplished by comparing and contrasting how it is being used by various entities and how it is helping to address these issues. Together, these elements will provide the greatest insights into how technology is tackling a host of threats facing governments and private organizations.

How Technology Is Being Used by Governments and Private Organizations

The last several decades have seen tremendous technological innovation. Improvements have allowed technology to be implemented as part of an effort to expand and increase the overall quality of services provided by governments and businesses alike. However, these changes have occurred at such a rapid pace that they are eclipsing various regulations and laws designed to protect the public. As a result, when a single incident occurs it can have ripple effects that spread across large geographic areas. A clear example of this is the Northeast Blackout of 2003. A blown transformer at a power station in Ohio triggered ripple effects across the entire electric grid, causing a shutdown of business activity across numerous cities in the Northeast and Midwest, including New York City. This is problematic because it shows how a failure to monitor and address various threats can have significant implications for both the economy and public safety (Auserwald, 2005).

As a result, a variety of tools are being used by both businesses and governments to address these underlying challenges. There is a particular emphasis on reducing the overall vulnerability of specific sites to various threats. This has led many organizations to develop contingency plans that streamline activities and assets in an effort to mitigate these risks. To achieve this objective, a number of different tools are being utilized as part of disaster management planning, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and Community Response Grids (CRGs).

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a technology solution that collects, analyzes, stores, and retrieves data related to a particular geographic location. It is an important tool for risk assessment planning, as it provides a detailed analysis of the different issues facing a particular location. This information can then be used to determine the overall vulnerability of a site to various risks and to create strategies to address those issues. An additional advantage is that GIS can help integrate data from one location with the rest of an organization's database, allowing an entity to compare various findings and assess whether a potential risk could affect other aspects of its operations. This technology thus provides a comprehensive evaluation of a host of possible manmade and natural disasters that could affect security (Eden, 2005, pp. 18–54).

Over the short and long term, the use of GIS will have a dramatic impact on the organization itself. It will help the organization monitor various events and incorporate them into worst-case scenario planning. In the event of a disaster, GIS can be used in conjunction with GPS to determine the overall extent of the damage and provide remote updates to key personnel. This is important because it helps an organization begin recovery efforts and coordinate a response with other entities. Over the long term, the system will help an organization track recovery efforts and identify where different resources are being utilized most effectively (Kwan, 2005, pp. 93–113).

When analyzing the use of this technology, it is clear that GIS can help both businesses and governments effectively plan for various events. It allows them to see the overall vulnerability of a particular site and integrate this data into their strategic assessment plans. The GIS solution also helps an organization understand the potential ripple effects that a particular event could have on surrounding locations. If an actual disaster were to occur, the GIS protocol would help streamline the analysis of damage and provide real-time updates to key personnel in the immediate aftermath. Once recovery efforts are underway, this tool helps ensure that resources are allocated properly and enables analysis of the effectiveness of those efforts (Johnson, 2000).

Community Response Grids (CRGs) involve using alternative technology solutions — such as mobile communications and the internet — to effectively coordinate and improve communication. The concept originated after the September 11 attacks, when traditional radio, telephone, and television sources became overwhelmed. During that event, various internet and mobile solutions allowed key personnel to continue with recovery and coordination efforts. This is significant because it illustrates how CRG technology can tackle the underlying communication challenges that many organizations face after tragic events, as recovery efforts can be severely hampered when traditional communication infrastructure is overwhelmed (Jager, 2007).

As a result, CRG technology has been increasingly utilized to address the issues facing both private and governmental organizations. It directly encourages members of the general public, first responders, and organizational executives to work together by creating an integrated platform that enables effective communication. This involves storing and backing up information at a remote location, ensuring that an alternate channel remains available through mobile and user-friendly solutions to improve coordination. These features are critical in the aftermath of a catastrophe, as they help organizations accurately determine where resources are needed most and how to address the various situations they are facing. At the same time, the CRG protocol allows different governments and businesses to create their own disaster response plans and improve the services they provide. This is significant because it shows how the technology can help prepare both government and private agencies for the numerous challenges posed by a wide range of disasters (Jager, 2007, pp. 592–604).

GIS and CRG Tools Compared

When comparing and contrasting the two tools described above, it is clear that both can provide effective ways of addressing the underlying challenges facing governments and private organizations. Each serves as a means of allowing an entity to see its overall vulnerability to particular events, streamline resources, improve coordination and communication, and direct resources where they are most needed. Together, these technologies help improve an organization's ability to respond to and address various risks — an important factor in reducing the overall amounts of collateral damage and casualties resulting from disasters.

Conclusion

Clearly, technology is helping both private organizations and governments tackle a host of different threats from manmade and natural disasters. The events surrounding September 11 and continued improvements in technology have forced organizations to begin adopting strategies built around tools such as GIS and CRG protocols. These tools help any organization effectively plan for and understand the overall threats it faces, while ensuring that sufficient resources are in place in the event that such incidents occur. This is important because it shows how these different tools can help prevent possible disasters from occurring at specific locations — GIS by providing an effective solution for assessing vulnerabilities and coordinating resources, and CRG technology by addressing potential communications failures in the aftermath of an event and improving collaboration among the public, first responders, government entities, and operational command structures.

When comparing and contrasting how these tools improve an organization's ability to respond to events, it is evident that both government and private organizations are seeking a proactive approach to addressing the various challenges they face. This is significant because it demonstrates how both tools can be utilized together to prevent disasters and limit the extent of damage. If these objectives can be achieved, the odds improve dramatically that private agencies and governments can effectively tackle these challenges. Once this occurs, it reduces the chances of manmade and natural disasters having an adverse effect on a location.

Bibliography

Auserwald, P. (2005). The challenge of protecting critical infrastructure (Dissertation). Retrieved from [University]. (0511)

Eden, B. (2005). 2D and 3D information. American Library Association, 41(1), 18–54.

Jager, P. (2007). Community response grids. Telecommunications Policy, 31(10), 592–604.

Johnson, R. (2000). Environmental research systems (Dissertation). Retrieved from [University]. (J8474)

Kwan, M. (2005). Emergency response after 9/11. Computer Environment and Urban Systems, 29(2), 93–113.