911.gov

Two researchers at the University of Maryland are recommending that governments develop a social network for disasters. They call it 911.gov. It would allow residents to report disasters, request assistance from neighbors, and check for emergency updates and relief information.

In a major disaster, telephone operators are quickly overwhelmed. In the ensuing chaos, relief efforts are hard to coordinate. Researchers imagine the system allowing community members to register in advance on their community response grid using computers, cell phones or any other mobile device. Emergency coordinates could gather and disseminate information via the site. The site would be designed to enable resident-to-resident assistance during major emergencies.

Such a system would have come in handy last week in Pennsylvania's ice storm which left thousands stranded for 24 hours on its highways. Who came to the rescue? Local residents on snowmobiles and truckers. Government was no where in sight, and now PA Governor Rendell is now investigating what went wrong.

  

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