Mobile technology: saving lives when disaster strikes in Samoa. New disaster response software in development

The first time many Samoans found out about the tsunami that hit the south coast of Upolu Island (the island where Apia, the capital of Samoa, is located) on September 2009 was through a call made from one of the survivors to the radio station. "My house is gone, this is unbelievable," the survivor cried.

Throughout the recovery operation, mobile phones were the lifeline for many in isolated areas who were able to call the Red Cross, other aid organisations, or the emergency services.

Samoa’s Principal Disaster Management Officer (DMO), Ms Filomena Nelson, says mobile technology plays an integral role in their work to warn the public and respond to disasters. The DMO either issues a text message, or makes a phone call, to contact points across Samoa, who in turn manually ring bells to inform residents of the disaster.

Antony Sass, Captain of the Water Safety Team for the Volunteer Emergency Response Team Samoa (VERTS) says mobile technology has made a tremendous difference to his work. "Our phones are on standby now, 24/7. If we get the information or details of the emergency sent to us via text, it makes our job easier before we get there," he says. Another great tool is the internet. Up-to-date meteorological forecasts and geological information can be used by VERTS to respond accordingly.

“That's our lifeline really, when we are called in due to a looming cyclone, we basically camp in front of the computer to monitor the progress and prepare ourselves, says Antony Sass. When the March Japan earthquake happened, triggering a tsunami warning in certain Pacific rim countries, the VERTS team was called in and monitored the situation online to gauge the possible impacts on Samoa.

 ‘Alerts Connect’

David Leng, a software communications developer who has been assisting the country’s National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), says there's still a lot of room for the internet and mobile technology to assist in disaster response in Samoa and the wider natural disaster prone Pacific. Leng is currently developing, ‘Alerts Connect’, which is a new response software to monitor and manage a crisis. "This is designed as a low-cost operational tool for the Disaster Management Offices in the Pacific,” says Leng.

"It’s a map-centric, web-based information system that allows inbound data to be rapidly categorised, mapped and then channelled to the appropriate responders or Agencies. Infrastructure, asset and resource information can be mapped via the internet at Google Earth, or by using local GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping, so that there is a central repository of information allowing decisions to be taken quickly by the Disaster Advisory Committee,"  explains Leng. The public, aid agencies, international response teams and media can then link in to be informed of events as they occur. Until the system is fully developed, Captain Sass tightly grips his phone, just in case.

Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson