Response

5.4 Quake Over Los Angeles Highlights Well Known Shortcomings


Post-quake callers overload phone systems
The state Office of Emergency Services issues an appeal to limit dialing so that 911 calls can get through.

Ignoring repeated warnings, and isolating acquired knowledge, points to systemic failures.

SMSing for Building Damage Assessment?


One of the common challenges for building damage assessments is not only how to make them efficiently but most important how to make them meaningful after a catastrophic event. Lack of coordination between different groups, and little or no interest in gathering the data for post damage evaluation, leave communities short of lessons learned, and citizens ill prepared to access and use the knowledge produced during these efforts. The use of Short Message Sytems (SMS) between mobile devices may offer a simple, relatively cheap and efficient way to enhance current practices.

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