Debate IT: What role can technology play in times of natural disasters?
- 13 February, 2009 14:40
- Comments 8
Australia's emergency communication systems have been called into question following the devastating bushfires that tore through much of Victoria last week, killing at least 181 people.
Thousands of Victorian customers were cut-off from telephone and Internet services after the blazes melted tens of millions of dollars worth of Telstra telecommunication infrastructure.
The telco lost some 2800 fixed phone lines, 2100 ADSL Internet connections and 47 ISDN phone lines, while eight Next G network and six GSM mobile towers were knocked offline.
Red Cross State Inquiry Centres were overrun by distressed callers seeking information on friends and family, prompting one outsourcer to donate a 40-seat call centre to handle overflow.
Firefighters have laid some blame on stalled upgrades to the nation's emergency communications system, which they say has remained dormant for years.
On the back of pledges to improve national emergency communications by Australia's political leaders, including PM Kevin Rudd, Computerworld asks its readers, what role should technology play to avert future natural disasters? What are some of the ideas brewing in your mind that could come in handy during a natural disaster and which can help save lives, wildlife and property?
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Comments
pasc
Twitter!
The stuff that's been happening on twitter was just amazing.
It's good to see people coming together and communicating in new ways. We need more of that.
Gonads
gives a whole new definition to a "hotline" eh?
Duncan Maitland
Technology breaks easily. Especially in Australia which is one of the hardest countries in the world to connect up because of big distances etc.
Twitter was great at getting word out quickly, but its not much use if your phone line has been destroyed by fire!
This country needs a huge investment in infrastructure, especially in rural areas. I hope whoever wins this NBN thing has the sense to build where its needed before replacing infrastructure in urban areas that are already well-served by many different ways of connecting.
Anonymous
Just a few random ideas
some sort of radio message that automatically overrides any station u may be listening to, like in the sydney harbour tunnel, or does that exist already? That and SMS have got to be the best way to ensure people on the move get the message too, as delivering warnings to computers is OK but not everyone has their laptop/desktop switched on 24 x 7. Otherwise, given the speed the fires moved, some sort of simple unique helicopter-mounted siren that flies over houses/suburbs/towns that should immediately evacuate post haste upon hearing could be an idea.
Anonymous
How imaginative gonads
too soon for that pathetically bad tasting joke gonads. u should work for a current affair u moron.
Angry_Girl
Facebook
I got the message out to those who were interested that my family were ok thanks to Facebook. It saved me many phone calls and emails... and isn't this technology here to make our life easier in cases like this?
I've also been watching the CFA updates on Twitter, via Twirl. I love having this information acessible and at my fingertips.
Synonymous
Burnt
Getting a bit <em>firey</em> there, are ya? Did gonads just <em>burn</em> you?
Anonymous
HF Radio
Whatever happened to good old HF radio in the bush? Enough reliance on other peoples networks...
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