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Member resources for Disaster response

Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 7:33 pm
by kreeve-p40
We need a way for members to attach to their membership online somehow a list of resources, skills, equipment, supplies they have to respond to a disaster. Each year we hand out a two page form for members in our Stake to fill out and then get them back. This is a cumbersome task, and hard to take electronic for sorting and use.

The resource list is used by Stake and Ward leaders to find members with resources such as trucks, generators, chainsaws, specialized expertise, professional exppertise, etc when resonding to a disaster or emergency situation.

One could use google docs for this building a form, but that does not make it easy for members to review and update and keep somewhat confidential from the general public. They basically would have to start over each year and enter the info again. There may be some open source tools that could do this but then we have a separate system with member info in it.

What would be nice is a website they could go to, to review, add, update, delete this information on a yearly basis. An email could be sent out to them with a link to remind them.

There might be some open source type solutions we could look at, but what would be best is if it were tied to the members membership record that is available to Stake and Ward leaders (tied to ward membership roster).
Searchable online.
Easily downloaded to laptop computer/iphone etc for offline use during an emergency response.

Even during this little landslide in Logan which is in our Stake, the city was over extended, and members stepped in to help coordinate volunteers, clean up the homes, streets, yards, and man the shelter with the Red Cross. You have to know who has what skills and it has to be updated on a yearly basis.

During our Stake mock disaster table top, it was quickly learned that the paper resource list does not work.:)

Any thoughts?

Kevin Reeve

p.s. Many moons ago I did a programming internship at LDS HQ. 17 floor was my home then. Worked on a reporting system for church vehicles world wide. Oh the good old days.

Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 3:48 pm
by jbh001
kevin.reeve@usu.edu wrote:During our Stake mock disaster table top, it was quickly learned that the paper resource list does not work.:)

Any thoughts?
An Internet-based list MIGHT be better, but would be vulnerable if the power and/or network were down. Other than that, a Web browser or an iPhone app (a la iWard/iStake) that then tapped into some future feature enhancement of LUWS would likely be a good solution.

For example, it would be helpful to go to an individual's record on LUWS and list resources they have, such as chainsaw, snowblower, HAM radio, or skills such as RN, MD, dentristy, engineering, etc. Perhaps this would be conceptualized like creating a user profile in Facebook (or something similar) with extended details. Then hopefully one could quickly generate custom lists of everyone in the stake/ward that has a chainsaw, or all the podiatrists in the stake/ward, etc.

With the move to standardized callings beginning in MLS 3.0, perhaps someday such resources lists will be able to be maintained via LUWS and then only be accessible by the bishop, stake president, or PEC, etc. as deemed appropriate.

Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 3:58 pm
by russellhltn
I think you'll find that MLS currently support inputting such information. IIRC, the weak point has historically been to get usable reports out of it.

Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:57 pm
by jbh001
RussellHltn wrote:I think you'll find that MLS currently support inputting such information. IIRC, the weak point has historically been to get usable reports out of it.
Yes. I know. :D

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:00 pm
by kreeve-p40
Thanks for the thoughts, ideas, and hints. After your iWard and iStake hint, that would be the idea here. Not everyone a iPhone user but I am.

The main idea I was looking for was for the individual member to update their resource information on the Stake and Ward Website. I am not familiar with LUWS. Trying to get away from handing out a paper form (not a problem) Member having to fill out paper form each year (a pain) collecting forms back from member (bigger pain) Someone having to do all the data entry every year (no one wants the burden).

If members could attach the info themselves after receiving an email with a link or a a reminder from a local leader that would be the best.

In absense of iWard/iStake, the ability to simply at the unit level download the data into a CSV etc for use in a tool that could sort it by name, unit, resource, etc. However it is needed to be sorted.

Perhaps allowing members to enter data to attach to their membership is a new thought as I realize for years it is done through Units.

Anyway, something like this is really needed. The Logan Landslide was in our Stake, and as small as it was, we needed to know who had the resources, and the stake leaders had a hard time tracking down Ward Leadership. Now the Stake President has asked for the cellphone #s of all bishops, and priesthood leaders in the Stake. Could not get a hold of very many of them that Saturday afternoon.

Thanks for listening and the ideas!

Disaster Recovery

Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:53 pm
by rwbris18
Ok... Here is my idea.

I think the software should be done using PHP, MySQL and Apache. These three packages can be loaded on any stand alone machine or networked machine and can be run independently. The system is open source and Free.

The program should be easy to download from web to any machine for frequent updates and be scaled to fit Ward, Stake, Region or Area levels.
For an example see http://www.sahana.lk/ as an idea of how this would work.

These are the modules I'd like to see:
Security Module
Member Status Tracking
Member Skills Tracking
Resource Tracking Management
Request Ticket Tracking System
Work Team/Assignment Schedule System
Message System (Email)
Shelter Registry

the "Lehi Plan"

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 10:50 am
by GaryWall-p40
There's 2 kinds of people

Those that don't believe in preparedness. .
and those who have been in disasters.

. . . Mine was Hurricane Hazel at age 4. We thought it was a "blast"!

A proven program with 25 years success is used in Lehi, UT. The Chief of Police et al went to the Stakes, and said "Who do you want as the Civil Defense leader for your area? We will work with them.
They designated a High Councilor who then worked under the City's government umbrella. An Asst. Fire Chief back then became a Stake President, I asked him how he liked the program.
He Said:
'I love it, the liability is on the City and we just do what were told'

A city has a couple police, fire, EMS, and utility staff per several thousand citizens. They need a way to communicate and team up with the right people.

The LDS knows people on a house by house basis.

Back to you good folks

Gary

Tickets

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:44 pm
by The_Earl
kf5cfz wrote:Ok... Here is my idea.

I think the software should be done using PHP, MySQL and Apache. These three packages can be loaded on any stand alone machine or networked machine and can be run independently. The system is open source and Free.

The program should be easy to download from web to any machine for frequent updates and be scaled to fit Ward, Stake, Region or Area levels.
For an example see http://www.sahana.lk/ as an idea of how this would work.

These are the modules I'd like to see:
Security Module
Member Status Tracking
Member Skills Tracking
Resource Tracking Management
Request Ticket Tracking System
Work Team/Assignment Schedule System
Message System (Email)
Shelter Registry

You seem to want to combine Sahana with Tickets (http://openises.sourceforge.net/tickets01.html)

Sounds interesting. Both are PHP/MySQL. Both are open source.

Sahana looks nice, but seems a bit clunky for data flow. I'll have to spend some time poking at it.

I think a livecd or bootable USB drive would be the best way to distribute such a thing.

Thanks
Barrie

Disaster Cleanup

Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 2:52 pm
by marstorm-p40
After the San Diego fires in 2007 we worked hard to deploy teams to fill work orders around the community. The organization was good but depended upon paper and that slowed things down. The stake tried to create a database of info but by the time the next disaster comes around that will be outdated. I outlined my thoughts at the time into a flow chart for a Work Order Management system similar to the Computer Aided Dispatch CAD. The main thing we needed was to know who had resources, who could volunteer. Then we needed to print and to get the work orders filled by organized teams. Communication was mainly by cell phones from the Stake Center out to the field and lots of emails to random distribution lists. If a Disaster Preparedness Saas app could link into the MLS and be turned on when a disaster hits an area that would be very helpful.

Image

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:00 am
by marstorm-p40
Here are some requirements I wrote down after the fires. This is by no means complete and would benefit by surveying Stake emergency communication leaders who were more involved in organizing the work crews.

Work Order Management Application

The purpose of the Work Order Management application is to organize work crews to assist with disaster clean up and help the command center as an Emergency Communication Portal.

Have ward members fill out the ward survey online prior to being apart of work crews. Members should list their trade, if they have construction abilities and tools they have on hand. (This is should include all sorts of skills, interests and hobbies.)
  • Pre-collect volunteer willingness, skills/abilities and resources. Cell phone numbers. (Ward survey info should follow MIS record)
  • Collect detailed work order information and sort needs by urgency.
  • Assign a crew leader to an organized group.
  • Report if the job was completed with notes about follow-up.
  • Allow for work orders to be updated with a Missionary Referral. Note if Missionaries are to return and visit with the family.
Work Order Form
Work Area Location (Stake/Ward) and Address, Main Contact info, Job Description, Number of workers needed, tools, equipment and detailed instructions.
  • Work orders should be marked with level of urgency or importance, Low, Medium, High
  • List tools, supplies needed.
  • Print out and attach a map location.
  • Estimate hours need and update at end of job with total man hours worked
  • Mark as partially complete and if crew is to return the next day.
  • Missionary Referral. Mark if missionaries were requested to return.
  • Close out work order when completed, add notes.
Additional Requirements
Facilitate in the request and collection of donated supplies from members and community.
Website could be pre-populated with emergency info and used for daily updates and schedules.
Email broadcast list.

Admin
Allow sorting and matching to line up skills of volunteers with jobs needed.
Generate reports on hours worked for day, week, Month, year.
Allow for customization by turning on different application modules through the admin console.


This could also be used for service projects (Elders Quorum, YM/YW) and other non emergency service projects?