Disasters, emergencies and cell phones

We (Dr. MCClure and I) spent the last year and a half discussing emerging technology and its role in disaster mitigation and response. one such technology is the cell phoneIt is hard to tell, given the pace of cell phone evolution, how best to use what is available to reduce hurricane damage and in particular loss of lives. As cell phones become ubiquitous, they provide wonderful opportunities to reach a large number of people at the same time. LIME formerly Cable and Wireless (Dominica) Ltd., has been to my mind at the forefront of using text messaging for advertising and promotion both for its own purposes and for local business in Dominica particularly those with which it has some affiliation. Recall, it was Cable and Wireless after Hurricane David in 1979, after its infrastructure was completely destroyed moved into direct dialling and made Dominica, the first country in the world to go distance direct dialling (DDD) completely.

In collaboration with the DBS radio, the national radio station, the company provides public service announcement for disaster preparedness. I also believe they have begun to use text messaging via mobile phones to transmit disaster preparedness announcements and alerts. Call this being at the forefront. The company has also run its cables underground to ensure that during disasters there is uninterrupted service. Lessons learnt from past disasters.

The University of Pittsburgh has a voluntary emergency alert for which students can sign both via Internet and mobile phones. These provide alert when emergencies exist. To date I have received two alerts. For one of those I was in class when my mobile went off (vibrate of course)with the alert. Interestingly, mine was the only one. Having related the information to the class, I wonder what would have happened had the threat been real and no one had received that text alert. Pitt is huge and there is no better system available in an open campus to reach students all at once than through mobile phones. It is unfortunate given the nature of school violence and the open campus that such a service is not compulsory for all students. Timely information in the face of disaster or emergency can result in reduced impact and loss of lives.

The current impasse in Iran and the caveats placed on mainstream media have again brought the mobile phone center stage but it also brought twitter with it. Imagine how much the world would have missed and how much carnage would have gone on unreported. Who knows the impact cell phones and twitter may be having in saving lives in Iran.

Recently, I signed up for facebook and found my long lost friends, including my college roommate. These days smart phones allow one to navigate the Internet. I am sure you will guess that I own, and for while now, one of these smart phones. Any disaster savvy person should own one and I imagine with the push of button be able to warn friends of impending danger.

A few years ago, I prepared a policy paper on the use of cell phones in Dominican schools. I still believe in this respect that it should be monitored and managed but I also believe with increasing threats in and to schools, mobiles can be useful tools in helping to keep children safe; in alerting parents. Equipped with GPS technology these phone can quickly provide information on evacuation routes and assist in navigation and travel especially in unknown territories. Kids hands have become so proficient on these ting key pads, they can send messages with alacrity. They may be able to help save their lives and those of their friends. I imagine we cannot turn the tide on these apparatuses and the concept of them as gadgets have faded. These are mobile phones with the technology to help save lives and reduce the impact of disasters and emergencies.

Yesterday marked the start of the Atlantic- Caribbean Hurricane season. Several storms have been named and forecasters believe it may be an average season but with some intensity. That may be some good news. FEMA has tested its readiness but indications are that coastal regions in the US have not recovered from the ravages of the last season. Cuba and Haiti may be worse off still having been overrun by multiple storms during the 2008 season as well. These are the some of the indicators of the chronic exposure and the vicious cycle of vulnerability, poor, small and developing countries face. There appears to be little time and resources to recover fully and prepare for the next season. Last year's damages and debris are about to meet this year's. Interestingly once these storms enter the Caribbean Sea, the almost landlocked water body results in increased water temperature, hurricane strength and intensity. Any outlet will be land-based and so a country or countries around the Caribbean Basin is sure to come in for a hit. The results are never pretty. It is obvious that the mitigation - preparation approach to reduce disaster impacts in this case appear to be theoretical. They are costly and for countries having to make decisions between life's basic necessities and preservation of vital assets in the face of imminent disaster, the options are grim. Disasters for them are not events. They are the daily vagaries of life,accentuated by storms, floods, earthquake, and the risk of that happening is present for six month of each year. If prediction for global temperature increases are correct that exposure might be more that six months in the forseeable future. Poor, coastal regions are vulnerable, small islands are also vulnerable. So it's those social-cultural, economic and political issues that constitute the disaster, the collapse of related protection- in essence, it is the vulnerable - people and country who endure the disaster. The literature is suggesting that we focus on the vulnerable, not on the event, and since in my estimation the exposure here is chronic, I suggest further we make concerns about vulnerability the center of decisions, operations and a way of life. Succeeding generations have to be taught and nurtured on vulnerability and its reduction. Education takes center stage in this approach but education itself is often a victim of these vagaries and for succeeding generation, futures are jeopardized, which in turn jeopardized the welfare of nations and generations after that. The opportunity for securing livelihoods and for sustained learning on vulnerability is lost when education facilities and system are destroyed or disrupted as a result of disasters. Recovery can be hard and long, debilitating for children, teachers and administrators and politicians. I propose that the situation is such that relief is never designed for longterm recovery; education is not a high priority in relief efforts and that recovery of educational facilities is expensive. Funding and catastrophic risk coverage are also inadequate to meet recovery cost in a timely manner. The disruption and recovery can last over five years as evidence seems to indicate. Whether these new facilities meet building codes and standards and whether the resources are available to maintain these standards over time given the annual exposure to disaster triggers is suspect. In the meantime,as this season unfolds I wait to see what lessons were learnt and how countries recover from the devastation.

L'Aquila's Nightmare

The advice that people should take cover under tables and remain indoors during an earthquake is redundant. More people die in collapsed structures during earthquakes than from falling debris. As in a fire, people need to clear occupied buildings as quickly as possible, while avoiding stampedes where these buildings may be crowded. The scene in L'Aquila, Italy in horrendous and a reminder of what happened in China last year.

As every expert in education in emergencies know too well, while we are concerned about the dead, injured and homeless, we share an even greater concern for the children, their coping skills and the impact of the disaster on their homes as well as their schools. Often children have to deal with both disruptions and in silence. The kinds of support and resources available to children in the developing world may not and often are not available to children in the rest of the world. They suffer in silence on account of their resilience. Children may be resilient but I believe they bear the scars long after we have moved on to the next disaster

Children who witness abuse, we are told, tend to grow up to be abusers and children who were consistently exposed to domestic violence without intervention tend to become violent themselves. Imagine what happens to children debilitated by disaster after disaster.

School are places where children can learn to cope and is the closest thing to what is perceived as normal for them. Any disruption in schooling can mark a prolonged return to normalcy for them. Restoring school places and teaching children to cope is essential for ensuring sustainable approaches to disaster response and mitigation. School based approaches must focus on teaching children how to protect themselves and others not teaching them about disasters. They need to become instinctive to these threats particularly in region with chronic or recurring exposure to and incidence of disasters.

Flooding in Fargo, ND

I have been searching for information on schools in the flooded areas of North Dakota and I have not been able to find: how many schools were flooded? Where are the students and teachers? What provisions were made for them to continue their schooling. While disasters are more prevalent in developing countries, the impact in developed countries are the same, destruction, displacement and disruption. How prepared were the North Dakota school districts in areas affected by this disaster? What was flooded and what kinds of learning and teaching and other materials were lost? This information is hardly priority and it may take a while before we know what happened to schools, children and their teachers in the ravages of the waters of Fargo:In the meantime, instruction time is being lost.

Plane Down, All Safe

Unlike many, yesterday, I came home not knowing what had happened on the Hudson River. I turned on the television and immediately, I stood immobile. How could anyone have survived this, you think? Oh yeah they could. In New York. the experience with 9-11 have given people an awareness of what is happening with aircraft. It isn't suprising that so many saw that plane as it descended into the river. New Yorkers knew since 9-11for outside help may not be available. Disasters are disruptive and so help may not be able to get to the site from the outside.

The Hudson River is a site of constant traffic. They may have been several or near disasters as a result. Experience and knowledge garnered over the years have bequeathed operators with the ability to respond. Their training and experience of these ferry crew and their knowledge of hyperthemia has taught them to spring into action. The immediacy of the response averted what could have been fatality by another cause. Consequently, the response was all local and it goes to the heart of effective response during disasters. Not to be forgotten are the skills and composure of the captain and crew - the captain's experience as a former figher pilot, a glider instructor, forty (40) years of flying and the owner of safety consultant firm.

This is a classical example of how disaster response works and it works because all of those involved have disaster built into their daily operation - not something that happen to their operations but something integral to their operations. Chris Argyris noted that people learn when they do what they say they know. On the Hundson River, everyone seems to have done what they knew and it worked. What worked as well was the cooperation among strangers and the calmness of those involved. That is learning and this is how we begin to build resilience.

Hurricane Omar and preparedness

I was in Dominica during the week of October 13, 2008 and was preparing to return to the U.S. when I discovered that Hurricane Omar had emerged out of the southern Caribbean, making a northern trek that would land it across Puerto Rico, the route of my next day's travel. I quickly rescheduled my flight. I called my advisor who got on line and immediately noticed that the outer bands of the storm would affect the islands. I found it unbelievable that meteorological and disaster management officers looked surprised when on Wednesday evening and all of Thursday sea swells over 15 feet high pounded the coast. When it was over several coast homes were destroyed, two communities were cut-off, electricity and water were interrupted,fishermen has lost their boats, and several communities were inundated with water and debris. Coastal beaches were severely eroded. Schools were closed and businesses hurriedly shut down. To not know that a storm of any size in the almost land locked Caribbean Seas would result in huge sea swell was sheer miscalculation. Hurricane Lenny in 1999 had similar consequences. Are we learning from past experiences or did we just let down our guards? Vulnerable countries and communities are to be constantly on guard and in this case we may have let our guards down. We know too well from chronic exposure to hurricanes, their potency and their disruptive impacts on life and livelihoods. Information remains critical. It must be disseminated, if at least for awareness. this is critical for collective action during as threats unfolds and in this case, Hurricane Omar. Disaster events should never be taken for granted. They must be taken seriously.

The Forgotten People of Disaster

My interest in chronic natural disasters particularly hurricane began with a personal experience in 1979. August, 29, Hurricane David at 120 mph crossed over Dominica. It killed over 40 people and left over 80% of the population homeless. My home lost its roof so did that of my grandparents and neighbors. We lost everything. the following week we got hit again by Hurricane Allen. I remember standing over the beaten landscape, a hopelessness punctuated the air. A compelling sense of resignation, it seems, had taken over. We did not know where to start or even how to start. The task looked overwhelming. If was impossible to get to the outside world. Telecommunications was decimated. Fred White using a ham radio make first contact with the outside world. Every plant it seems was stripped of every leaf. The hills looked as if someone had torched them. Life looked impossible. It was by day three we recognize that we were on our own. Once that kicked in, we started putting the pieces of our lives together. I was entering my final year of high school. I lost my books and clothes. A a nation, it took us 18 months to finally have electricity restored. We spent two years on aid and food ration because the following year, Hurricane Fredrick destroyed the entire banana industry. We had lost our economic mainstay, again.

It took me four (4)months to get back into school. Our school building was used as a hurricane shelter. School administrators treated us as if nothing had happened. Within two (2)weeks we had an examination to determine if we would be allowed to write the life altering final examinations administered by the University of Cambridge. I failed woefully, studying by candlelight. By the end of the second term (semester)I had another exam to determine if I would graduate, again I failed. I could not reconcile how I came from the top two in class to this. It was the same cohort of students. So I did not make it to graduation (graduation for us is simply a right of passage. It has no currency) but I focused on the all important University of Cambridge final examination, which I passed.

It was not until I came to the University of Pittsburgh in 1999 and I was researching for an independent study on children and schooling in the aftermath of hurricanes that I finally came face to face with my experience. Since no one had done any work in the area, I depended on online sources, reports and briefs from news and relief agencies. I found that schools were disrupted for up to six (6) months while they were used as shelters. Other were destroyed and had to be repaired or rebuilt completely and that could take months. parens, teachers and freinds had died. I also discovered the long lasting effect of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. As I researched and wrote, I remember stumbling across an article 'The Forgotten People of Disaster,' written after hurricane Mitch devastated Central America in 1998. As I read the experiences of children, for the first time, I came face to face with mine and I simply lost it. I just broke down and wept as I remembered, how I struggled alone to piece my life together. It was my final year of high school and so much depended on that year and there was no support as I came to terms with the experience. Since then, we have had many hurricanes, none like David but each time one of these comes; the fears, the stress, the apprehension of that first experience are relived, several times a year.

From that day, I decided to give children in areas of chronic disasters a voice and a face. They are 'The forgotten People of Disaster." They are the silent sufferers and endure multiple afflictions - personally and educationally. My work starts therefore from understanding chronic disasters. While the mainstream schools has focused on disasters as acute events, I focus on disasters as chronic events and the persistent debilitation and recurring exposure require different approaches theoretically and conceptually. I know I can make a difference for children and for their school as we work with them to reconstruct their lives as they reconstruct their schools and communities after disasters.