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Communications Wireless Networking United States Hardware

FCC Seeks Tech Donations for Katrina Aid 255

Posted by CowboyNeal from the without-a-paddle dept.
An anonymous reader writes "BoingBoing is reporting on the FCC accepting donations of tech services and equipment: 'Lack of communications systems has been identified as a critical issue holding back aid, missing persons, law enforcement, etc. in crisis areas. FCC personnel are working throughout the weekend to coordinate these efforts with private industry, with wireless technology groups, FEMA, and state governments in Mississippi, Louisiana, etc.' Efforts are being organized through PART-15.ORG."
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FCC Seeks Tech Donations for Katrina Aid More

FCC Seeks Tech Donations for Katrina Aid

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  • Does anyone else? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by tpgp ( 48001 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @09:35AM (#13470020) Homepage
    Find it disgusting that emergency aid workers have to beg for money to provide vital equipment to people who are dying?

    This in a country that has spent nearly 200 Billion [costofwar.com] on an unnecessary war in a far off land.
    • 1) Nationalize State militias.

      2) Make entire country dependent on just-in-time everything.

      3) Send military (and militias) to fight a needless war.

      4) Add layers of bureaucracy to emergency response.

      5) Stop spending money on infrastructure.

      6) Hurricane

      7) ???

      8) profit!!!
    • Right now the Federal government takes twice as much in taxes and state and local combined [taxfoundation.org].

      The result?

      Idiocy such as you just described.

      Reverse that and you have a much more robust laboratory of the states and even laboratory of the counties localities with far more sovereignty, responsibility and capability of responding to their own problems.

  • I thought the HAM operators would come in handy during times like these. Where they be?

    • Re:Where's the HAM operators? (Score:5, Informative)

      by gila_monster ( 544999 ) <traveler.in.black+sdNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Saturday September 03, 2005 @09:39AM (#13470034) Homepage
      They are setting up shop in Missippi, the Florida panhandle, and other surrounding areas. Unfortunately, there are still issues and logistics problems involved in getting operators to NOLA itself. The area needs to be secured first. One ham I know was specifically told not to enter the area with his truck carrying 200 gallons of fuel -- the fear was that he would be waylaid as he drove through the city.

      gm

    • Re:Where's the HAM operators? (Score:5, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03, 2005 @10:35AM (#13470308)
      Where are we? You can find us at any of these frequencies (below). By the way, where are *you*?

      I have to go now. I just received another block of 100 names and addresses to notify next of kin, and will pay my long-distance charges to call them to let them know their aunt / uncle / parents / kids / brother is alive and well.

      I'll take care of that - you rest.

      AMATEUR HIGH-FREQUENCY GULF COAST HURRICANE NETS

      03845.0 LSB Gulf Coast West Hurricane
      03862.5 LSB Mississippi Section Traffic
      03873.0 LSB Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
      03873.0 LSB Louisiana ARES Emergency (night)
      03873.0 LSB Texas ARES Emergency (night)
      03873.0 LSB Mississippi ARES Emergency
      03910.0 LSB Mississippi ARES
      03910.0 LSB Louisiana Traffic
      03923.0 LSB Mississippi ARES
      03925.0 LSB Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
      03925.0 LSB Louisiana Emergency (altn)
      03935.0 LSB Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
      03935.0 LSB Louisiana ARES (health & welfare)
      03935.0 LSB Texas ARES (health & welfare)
      03935.0 LSB Mississippi ARES (health & welfare)
      03935.0 LSB Alabama Emergency
      03940.0 LSB Southern Florida Emergency
      03950.0 LSB Northern Florida Emergency
      03955.0 LSB South Texas Emergency
      03965.0 LSB Alabama Emergency (altn)
      03967.0 LSB Gulf Coast (outgoing traffic)
      03975.0 LSB Texas RACES
      03993.5 LSB Gulf Coast (health & welfare)
      03995.0 LSB Gulf Coast Wx

      07225.0 LSB Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
      07235.0 LSB Louisiana Emergency
      07235.0 LSB Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
      07235.0 LSB Louisiana Emergency
      07240.0 LSB American Red Cross US Gulf Coast Disaster
      07240.0 LSB Texas Emergency
      07243.0 LSB Alabama Emergency
      07245.0 LSB Southern Louisiana
      07248.0 LSB Texas RACES
      07250.0 LSB Texas Emergency
      07260.0 LSB Gulf Coast West Hurricane
      07264.0 LSB Gulf Coast (health & welfare)
      07265.0 LSB Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio (SATERN) (altn)
      07273.0 LSB Texas ARES (altn)
      07280.0 LSB NTS Region 5
      07280.0 LSB Louisiana Emergency (altn)
      07283.0 LSB Gulf Coast (outgoing only)
      07285.0 LSB West Gulf ARES Emergency (day)
      07285.0 LSB Louisiana ARES Emergency (day)
      07285.0 LSB Mississippi ARES Emergency
      07285.0 LSB Texas ARES Emergency (day)
      07290.0 LSB Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
      07290.0 LSB Gulf Coast Wx
      07290.0 LSB Texas ARES (health & welfare)
      07290.0 LSB Louisiana ARES (health & welfare) (day)
      07290.0 LSB Texas ARES (health & welfare)
      07290.0 LSB Mississippi ARES (health & welfare)

      14265.0 USB Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio (SATERN) (health & welfare) 14300.0 USB Intercontinental Traffic
      14300.0 USB Maritime Mobile Service
      14303.0 USB International Assistance & Traffic
      14313.0 USB Intercontinental Traffic (altn)
      14313.0 USB Maritime Mobile Service (altn)
      14316.0 USB Health & Welfare
      14320.0 USB Health & Welfare
      14325.0 USB Hurricane Watch (Amateur-to-National Hurricane Center)
      14340.0 USB Louisiana (1900)

    • Re:Where's the HAM operators? (Score:4, Informative)

      by Chanc_Gorkon ( 94133 ) <<moc.liamg> <ta> <nokrog>> on Saturday September 03, 2005 @11:00AM (#13470423)
      Try doing a little research:

      http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/08/30/1/?nc= 1 [arrl.org]

      The ARRL is also asking for volunteers on thier website. Thier are hams operationg from Slidell, and there was also a active station on top of LSU hospital. There has not been a bigger effort because it's incredibly HARD to get around in New Orleans right now. The hams ARE there, have been there and are proceeding to setup operations. Remember, it even took the military sometime to assemble staff and supplies necessary for the effort.
    • The role of amateur radio operators in disasters is to provide communications services to the various relief agencies (Red Cross, Salvation Army, Local Emergency Groups, FEMA, etc.). We do not go in as a separate organization, but rather to assist those who have the training and expertise in relief operations. (Our expertise is communications.)

      So only occasionally will ham radio be noted specifically... but every time you see a Red Cross van or Salvation Army truck, there likely is a ham as part of that te

  • Where does the money go? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by elucido ( 870205 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @09:37AM (#13470027)
    Can we depend on the federal government? Should we donate or just let the private sector handle it?

  • This is an adbication of responsibility (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Baldrson ( 78598 ) * on Saturday September 03, 2005 @09:46AM (#13470062) Homepage Journal
    The problem is much bigger than volunteers can handle. This is not a tribal crisis it is a Federal emergency. Mobilization requires money and I don't see the money. The Feds certainly have exercised the privilege of collecting enough money supposedly for the responsibility to use it to solve domestic problems such as this.

    The solution is simple:

    Volunteerism should be directed toward getting various vendors of telecom equipment to agree on a set of rules that they consider fair for awarding a bounty for telecommunications area coverage and then sign a petition to the FCC or preferably FEMA which would administer the FCC's role, presenting the rules.

    For example, let's say there's a tent city with estimated population 10,000. There is an estimated need for 1% peak load or 100 virtual circuits each capable of carrying a SIP call. FEMA pays $1000/day for each circuit. Right-of-ways are rented from FEMA with the highest bidder gaining control of the right-of-way for some minimum lease period, say a week. In the case of 802.11* this would mean spectrum allocation would operate as "land rent" system.

    How fast would those 100 SIP circuits go up?

    • From the article:
      Lack of communications systems has been identified as a critical issue holding back aid, missing persons, law enforcement, etc. in crisis areas.

      From your post:
      Volunteerism should be directed toward getting various vendors of telecom equipment to agree on a set of rules(...)

      You see, when you have a critical issue such as this, which is holding back aid in crisis areas you can not just wait for agreements and meetings between vendors/corporations or whatever... it just takes them too
      • when you have a critical issue such as this, which is holding back aid in crisis areas you can not just wait for agreements and meetings between vendors/corporations or whatever

        If the guys whose job it is to rake in huge amounts of money deploying telecom equipment can't mobilize themselves to grab that money then I seriously doubt any amount of volunteers can. The agreements aren't complicated and any time urgency can be overcome with enough profit motive.

        Like it or not, this whole transition from tri

        • If the guys whose job it is to rake in huge amounts of money deploying telecom equipment can't mobilize themselves to grab that money then I seriously doubt any amount of volunteers can.

          That is why they are not asking for money, but asking for material and human resources.
          Don't underestimate, specially in a big place like the US, if people really want to help they can do it faster than these big corporations.
          • Huge amounts of money can be made by small agile companies as well as big companies if the prize award system is set up property.

            The reason something like this might not work is because big government and big corporate cultures are now so buddy-buddy that the very idea of a fair competition where little guys could just get bounty for solving the problem first is anathema.

            You don't get around that by hoping that the big government guys can collect a bunch of volunteers and equipment and coordinate the al

    • Mobilization requires money and I don't see the money.

      What, that $10.5 billion (just for starters) isn't 'money'? Just because they're not giving it to YOU, doesn't mean its not happening.

      • If there is $10.6 billion available and telecom is so critical then why the begging for charity rather than offering of bounites for telecom service?
    • You would think that FEMA and the FCC would have figured out a while ago that they need to build some trucks with mobile cell phone towers and position them around the country. The trucks would have their own generators, a tanker for fuel, a tall tower that you crank up when you get the truck to the disaster area and either a microwave or satellite link to connect to the rest of the network. Maybe it would carry a stock of cell phones, cell phone batteries and chargers would be good too.

      Cell phones being
      • FEMA is a disaster when it comes to recovering from a real disaster. As nearly as I can tell all they do is write checks and hand out pork post disaster.

        Precisely, so let the write checks for meeting objectives, such as "$1000/day for each first responder equipped with a working wireless phone in the critical areas". stay out of New Orleans because it was to dangerous so the normal channels for providing water and food sat outside the city letting people suffer inside

        Again, the objective can be reduced

        • When I say "guvvie" in this context I am of course alluding to companies like Haliburton who receive the buddy-buddy pork from FEMA et al. I don't call checks for bounties pork since its a fair contest to decide who gets the check and there's no favoritism for people who share the same preferences as other guvvies.

          Basically if people are serious about fixing the problems with New Orleans, as I said, their volunteerism should be directed at correcting the behavior of FEMA/FCC and the rest of the guvvie/bu

  • Citywide Wi-Fi (Score:3, Interesting)

    by blastard ( 816262 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @09:46AM (#13470064)
    Now would be a fantastic opportunity to install a citywide Wi-Fi network. If the ILEC was ever going to do it and get good press for it, now is the time. Could Intel use another test bed for Wi-Max?
    • Now would be a fantastic opportunity to install a citywide Wi-Fi network

      People have no clothing, food, or water. They certainly don't have laptops with Wifi cards. Most of the people who were left behind could never afford a computer or even internet service. Many of them probably never owned a cell phone, either.

      A cell network restricted to rescue/aid staff (nobody else has a good enough reason to be crowding a precious communications resource) and a couple of banks of free payphones for people to c

    • They need power first.

      "Wi-Fi" needs power. Laptops need power.

      At least for the APs, a self-contained solar charging/battery powered AP with repeating ability is going to run $1k+ each, last I looked, the solar cells costed ~$700.

      Right now, I'd rather have the relief workers use radios and send that $1000 and send that money's worth of food, water and other necessities than send electronics of questionable value to a relief effort. I think radios last a lot longer than laptops, in durability and in battery
      • Plus...
        • Radio communications are infrastructure-free, over distances ranging from a few miles to thousands of miles (depending on band). -No need to find a local location with a connection to the landline Internet.
        • Amateur Radio operators are already trained and have drilled in disaster communications. -Experience counts.
        • Digital communications via amateur radio have been used for over 20 years. -No need to discover how to intall that WiFi card in a laptop.
        • Hams involved in emergency communications will li

  • SomethingAwful (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Mendy ( 468439 )
    http://www.somethingawful.com/ [somethingawful.com]

    SA was apparently hosted there so has gone down ("either underwater or strapped to the roof of a stolen vehicle that is also underwater.").

    They've got a page up at the moment with their feelings about the whole business which is worth a read (scroll down a bit till you get to "Bless This Mess")

  • Why, America? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by LkDotCom ( 912073 ) <[lk] [at] [lastknight.com]> on Saturday September 03, 2005 @10:09AM (#13470170) Homepage
    People killed, property destroyed, mass reverted at "Lord of the Flyes" level. And people talking about WiMax and Ham radio.

    We, spoiled people of the Old Continent (maybe too old) are much more concerned about the human regression of the citizens of New Orleans that with tech. Did you have a look at Phuket Tsunami?
    MUCH MORE TRAGIC outcome, much more dead people and yet a cooperative environment, without people harassing others or pillaging the neighbourhood and without problems with the volunteers.

    There must be something really scaring below the thin surface of the common US citizen (or maybe under every "first world" one), something deeply wrong with a lot of people, whose first instinct is to go arming themselves as it was not a catastrophe, but some kind of Apocalypse B Movie.

    I've worked with refugees and indeed lend a helping hand in Pukhet zones, but have never ONCE seen the global and total madness generated by Katrina.

    ANd I am more than a little scared, you know?

    -
    Grammar Zealotes, please spare a non-english writer

    • Re:Why, America? (Score:2, Insightful)

      by lmsig ( 110148 )
      There are a small minority of people who take advantage of every situation. The people of New Orleans are overwhelmingly kind, generous people (just go visit sometime when it is all back, you'll have the time of your life and see some real hospitality). Unfortunatly the media likes to sensationalize everything. A few bad apples are the problem.

      To be honest.. all of the people using this opportunity to take political pot-shots, attacks on the US, etc are doing something very similar to those looters and cr

    • Re:Why, America? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by ergo98 ( 9391 )
      People killed, property destroyed, mass reverted at "Lord of the Flyes" level. And people talking about WiMax and Ham radio.

      Jesus, here's this bullshit again. MY GOD MAN, PEOPLE ARE DROWNING AND HERE YOU ARE POSTING ON INTERNET MESSAGE BOARD! GOOD GOD MAN, GET SOME PERSPECTIVE!

      Here's the thing, though I realize this message will be missed by all of the pseudo morally righteous as they continue their campaign to post "Good god, won't anyone think of the..." messages to every message board: We, as a generali
      • people are drowning and here you are posting on internet...

        Quick! Throw them some mod points!

      • >We do not produce food, filter water, or build dikes. We do technology. You get that? Does every "Why won't someone thing of the..." moron understand this very simple point? This is our domain.

        Um... what do you do during a blackout? Just lie there comatose becuase, hey, there is no technology and its "our domain"?

        Look what is happening in Texas, look at the aid is coming from around the country. Its not mothers saying what is needed is not our domain, but here's some freshly baked cookies. Its not ac
    • There must be something really scaring below the thin surface of the common US citizen (or maybe under every "first world" one), something deeply wrong with a lot of people, whose first instinct is to go arming themselves as it was not a catastrophe, but some kind of Apocalypse B Movie.

      The reason is quite simple. For the past 60 years the American population has been made to fear things for the politicians gain. It's what gives them power. Bush is a case in point. Looking back, you can see that US has had

    • you know there is a lot of frustration in the US over the different between rich and poor and between the races. However at this moment I'd would ask people to put their philosophical ramblings aside and concentrate on relief.

      Being someone who was in NYC when the World Trade Center came down, I know how much worse it felt when I could see my personal tragedy was being hijacked by various people and groups for political agendas.

      There is no doubt this event should lead to some serious soul searching in Ameri
  • Perhaps the FCC should use some of the money they've collected in indecency fines to help fund relief efforts in New Orleans.

    Or what says the MPAA, RIAA, or telecoms. Millions have undoubtedly poured into the vaults of lobyists and influential members of the organization. Let they help pay. After all, I'm sure that much of the repairs will go to the telecom infrastruture, adding up to nothing more than welfare for SBC, Comcast, Verizon or whatever Bell controls communications in that are. We will repair thi

  • DONATE NOW (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03, 2005 @10:18AM (#13470219)
    American Red Cross

    Provides a full spectrum of services to disaster victims, including shelter, medical care, food, clean water and assisting with cleanup efforts.

    http://www.redcross.org/ [redcross.org]

    https://www2.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp [redcross.org]

    Salvation Army:

    Providing hot meals to displaced disaster victims and emergency personnel working to aid those devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

    http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/USNSAHome.htm [salvationarmyusa.org]

    https://secure5.salvationarmy.org/donations.nsf/do nate?openform&projectid=USN-hurricane05 [salvationarmy.org]

    United Way

    Identifying serious needs of devastated communities and helping not only with front-line disaster relief but with long-term recovery.

    http://national.unitedway.org/ [unitedway.org]

    https://volunteer.united-e-way.org/hurricane-katri na/donate/ [united-e-way.org]

    America's Second Harvest

    Transports food to victims and secures additional warehouse space to assist member food banks in resuming and maintaining operations.

    http://www.secondharvest.org/default.asp [secondharvest.org]

    https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?i event=67898 [kintera.org]

    Feed the Children

    Mobilizing and distributing supplies in hurricane devastated areas.

    http://www.feedthechildren.org/site/PageServer?pag ename=usw_hurricane_katrina [feedthechildren.org]

    https://secure2.convio.net/ftc/site/Donation?ACTIO N=SHOW_DONATION_OPTIONS&CAMPAIGN_ID=2661 [convio.net]

    Habitat for Humanity

    Helping disaster victims rebuild piece by piece and house by house.

    http://www.habitat.org/ [habitat.org]

    https://www.habitat.org/donation/generaldonation/d efault.aspx?media=habitat&lander=MP&sourcecode=10w 39&tg=katrina&keyword=homepage_08302005 [habitat.org]
  • http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/03/katrina.unus edgear/index.html [cnn.com]

    Forget coordinating donations.
    Take the available equipment you ALREADY have, and use it.

    As for immediate help, deploy the appropriate military units from the US and accept assistance from allied nations (ie Canada).
    • As for immediate help, deploy the appropriate military units from the US and accept assistance from allied nations (ie Canada)

      After Canada refused to help in Iraq? That would cause the politicians more loss of face than they are willing.

      Honestly, the USA has turned into 60s Russia. Complete denial of anything going wrong at all times. For example, follow the reporting timeline of Junes Afgan heli crash. First it was "lost", then "crashed" and finally (begrudingly) shot down with a "lucky shot". Reminded

    • from your linked article:
      Responding to a CNN inquiry, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Marc Short said Friday the gear has not been moved because none of the governors in the hurricane-ravaged area has requested it.

      Seems clear enough to me why HS and Fema haven't deployed it. Now ask the governors why it hasn't been deployed.
      • from your linked article:
        Responding to a CNN inquiry, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Marc Short said Friday the gear has not been moved because none of the governors in the hurricane-ravaged area has requested it.

        Seems clear enough to me why HS and Fema haven't deployed it. Now ask the governors why it hasn't been deployed.

        How convenient to shift the blame. I see it differently though:

        Fema is aware that there are supplies there, so I assume the Fema manager for Louisiana is aware of it also as
        • Fema is aware that there are supplies there, so I assume the Fema manager for Louisiana is aware of it also as it is his/her job to know such things and it is his/her duty to make sure the governor's office is aware that there are first responder gear available for them. Of course this assumes the managers in place are competent and not political cronnies...

          FTA:
          "A federal official said the department's Office for Domestic Preparedness reminded the Louisiana and Mississippi governors' offices about the stoc

        • Fema is aware that there are supplies there, so I assume the Fema manager for Louisiana is aware of it also as it is his/her job to know such things and it is his/her duty to make sure the governor's office is aware that there are first responder gear available for them. Of course this assumes the managers in place are competent and not political cronnies...

          The governors ARE aware.

  • This is the perfect opportunity for /.ers (Score:5, Insightful)

    by zippity8 ( 446412 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @10:26AM (#13470261)
    Here you go! /. collectively has resources, experience, and sufficient assets to band together and work on a finding a solution to a real problem, rather than debating about what Ballmer is saying about Google.

  • PEOPLE NEED FOOD, WATER, AND MEDICINE NOT INTERNET (Score:5, Insightful)

    by SuperBanana ( 662181 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @10:36AM (#13470314)
    We can assist in reestablishing internal communications and provide connectivity to all disaster relief efforts by installing point to point, point to multipoint links, IP Web cams to assist the police and fire departments who can not be everywhere in such a large area,

    Webcams? What? There's a 24 hour curfew. They're evacuating everyone. National Guard should be patrolling with orders to detain anyone and get them to evacuation centers, and if they get shot at- give a warning, and then shoot to kill and move on. Policing New Orleans is probably simpler than it ever was- and it will only get easier as they finish the evacuation.

    Once order is established, take all that money for wireless access points, webcams...take all those consultants etc...and hand them wader boots. Have them cart water, food, and medicine to people. Go door to door searching for survivors. Go to the relief centers to help there. Because THAT is what we need. A simple radio network will suffice for short term communications (National Guard and HAM operators can probably help there more than anyone else) and should be easy given the lack of interference. Cell service would be a luxury, and suggesting ANYONE needs 802.11b is absolutely stupid. This is a bunch of vendors saying "hey, we'll help, but only if you let us use our most expensive, fancy, unnecessary equipment". You don't deploy a VoIP network, when the cost of one VoIP router will buy you a dozen hand-held radios. You don't give one person a nice big steak with roasted potatoes when you can give 1000 people rice.

    PEOPLE NEED FOOD, WATER, AND MEDICINE. THEY NEED TO BE EVACUATED STILL. THEY DO NOT NEED LAPTOPS WITH INTERNET ACCESS. THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS MOVING THAT FOOD, WATER, AND MEDICINE- NOT SETTING UP #$@!ING WEBCAMS. The Mayor of New Orleans has been pretty clear about what he needs. Food, water, medicine, and busses to get people out so they stop rioting and looting. I believe the quote was "the president was talking about getting some school bus drivers down here. Thats' a joke. Get every greyhound bus in the country down here."

    • Families have been split up. People need to find each other.

      Groups of people are stuck on roofs and under underpasses. The buses and helicopters need to know where to go.

      Information needs to be collected and disseminated from a lot of places.

      That's where the tech comes in. These are not trivial needs now.

      They should have been set up in advance, but like a lot of other things that should have been set up in advance, apparently they weren't.
  • I find it bothersome that a news aggregator like Slashdot would post an article linking to another news aggregator's website, especially considering that BoingBoing displays not-safe-for-work advertising (suicide girls). Thank goodness I checked SlashDot before going to work today! Or should I be glad that I checked BoingBoing before work?

    Editors: Please have a little more consideration of SlashDot readers than this.

    ::Colz Grigor

  • Geeks unite! (Score:3, Interesting)

    by goon america ( 536413 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @10:50AM (#13470380) Homepage Journal
    Watching this disaster unfold, I'm struck by the generosity of individual people who want to help and the complete ineptitude of the agencies that are supposed to be managing this crisis. I feel sort of frustrated because I would like to help but I live very far away and basically the only thing I can do is give to the Red Cross and just watch it all on TV.

    We should all work together and develop open source collaboration software for disaster relief efforts.

    Capabilties:
    * Supercharged task list. I need supply $X at location $Y using vehicle $Z. People should be able to do the reverse, say I have supply $X at location $B but need vehicle $C. Must be able to work with very large numbers of people using it.
    * Reporting connected to mapping. People should report on the ground what conditions are and report what is needed where
    * VOIP phone bank. People around the world can volunteer as telephone operators for a central hotline. Obviously it's going to be harder to get web access in some situations so these people can take phone reports help them use the site through that, or just help them with whatever else they need
    * Interlingual support. Language barriers are often a problem in disasters, especially those with international teams working together. This needs to be coordinated.
    * Lost and found. People can post stats and descriptions and photos into a database that can be searched easily. People should also be able to do the reverse and register "I'm OK".
    * Publicity effort: if this thing works then we need to publicize it so that people know to use it
    * Scalability: this needs to scale to meet high variable demand. People should be able to donate servers and bandwidth. Should be load-tested to meet what seems like unrealistic loads.

    I'm really struck by the way that individuals out there are helping one another. I saw one guy saying he was in Nevada, but he was willing to drive to Houston to come pick up someone who needed a place to stay... If we could come up with an application that helps individual people out there help with each other, we could have our own relief movement without needing the government. The big problem with the government agencies seems to be that they can't co-ordinate with one another (even though that was supposed to be the whole point of the Department of Homeland Security). There's really no limit to the people out there who would help if they only knew how, if there was a centralized "task list" maybe we could get the right help where it was needed faster.

    Let's do it.
    • We should all work together and develop open source collaboration software for disaster relief efforts.

      Capabilties:
      * Supercharged task list. I need supply $X at location $Y using vehicle $Z. People should be able to do the reverse, say I have supply $X at location $B but need vehicle $C. Must be able to work with very large numbers of people using it.
      * Reporting connected to mapping. People should report on the ground what conditions are and report what is needed where
      * VOIP phone bank. People around the wo

  •   I was a presenter at one of the Wispcons a few yeasr back and I've got four skill sets they can't do without - I just talked with Michael, then filled out the form.

        I was in lower Manhattan for telecom type cleanup about four years ago but this is going to be a bit different - sounds like we'll saddle up and head out immediately. This means shots and maybe finding bodies during installs *gulp*.

      What am I getting myself into?

  • Resources for Sharing Information and Offering Help [umich.edu]

    Katrina housing [katrinahousing.net] offers

    Red Cross [redcross.org] (a bit obvious, but just in case)

    Next of Kin registry/a> [pleasenotifyme.org]
  • I got this from an email message and I'm still trying to calm down. Somebody is solititing donations while pretending to represent the American Red Cross. Note the fake website address

    http://www.redcross.org. cgiin.net /Proccessing.html

    I'd love to see this guy's face on an FBI's most wanted list. I wonder if some hacker could help get this guy caught?

    Original message below:

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Su

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