|
NOTICE:
TIEMS Transportation Safety and Security Workshop January 28-29th 2003
|
Welcome to
the
Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management
|
| January 2003
Volume 3 - Number
4 |
|
Links:
Current events
|
The Internet and Emergency Management
By Joaquin Toro
ABSTRACT Since the creation of Internet the disaster management community started to use it as a tool, especially in the scientific atmosphere as exchange of information between researchers. With the passage of time most of the disaster management organizations have been adopting the Internet in their surroundings, yet as a communication tool for disseminate information basically. With the evolution of Internet and the new uses of the net it is possible to predict a bigger and efficient use of Internet by the disaster management society. It is important to point out that the different organizations that have a web site on the Internet have different audiences or multiples audiences. This is important to analyze when developing a web site, it must to be very clear so the specific audience receive the correct message. Examples for this are International Organizations such Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) that give either technical and humanitarian help, but their web pages are not directly toward the general public. The FEMA web page is also a federal organization that offers technical and humanitarian support to USA. Its web page is a mix where is possible to find technical information and public information. Also there are web pages that are target of exclusive audience, such emergency managers, first responders or public in general. After September 11th the all the community started to think about disaster, it makes many organizations and privet companies to publish a large quantity of material about crisis, terrorism and disaster management. But not only articles have been post on Internet, also resources and practical guides to how to do in case of any hazard. The privet sector started to think in their own business and started to develop Business Continuity Plans and Recovery Plans. Many of this companies use Internet as advertising for their products. In the public sector and non-profit organizations is possible to see a increase on the use of the new technologies, especially Internet. Mainly, is possible to say that the disaster management community has been using Internet a long time ago, yet the use that they have been doing was part of a communication strategy, to keep informed their pairs and the community. Although, they are realizing the potentials of this technology when a disaster occurs or better before the disaster occur. The new employment of the Internet makes much more easy and fluid the information between organizations to respond faster to a crisis. The web has been used especially with the purpose of communications in areas such a mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Yet it have not have a strategic view point just as a communicational tool, I believe that an approach where Internet is part of the general strategy of the organization, and of course continuing to use Internet as a tactical communication instrument, is possible to achieve better results when a disaster strikes. To full paper |