Disaster and exercise performance information collection tool: capturing observations in four minutes or less

Area of Science:

• Disaster Management and Emergency Response
• Information Systems and Technology
• Public Health and Safety

Background:

• Existing gaps in emergency data collection, processing, and dissemination hinder effective disaster response.
• Military and civilian organizations with disaster response experience identified critical needs for improved information management.
• Real-time data is crucial for informing decision-makers and developing lessons learned for future disaster management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify gaps in emergency data management.
• To develop and validate a tool for real-time documentation and dissemination of disaster-related information.
• To enhance decision-making and improve strategies for future disaster management.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of survey responses from disaster response professionals to identify needs.
• Development of the Disaster and Exercise Performance Information Collection Tool (DEPICT) on a PHP platform.
• Validation through operations-based exercises simulating catastrophic earthquakes in diverse US locations.
• Iterative refinement of DEPICT based on user feedback and exercise performance.

Main Results:

• DEPICT is a user-friendly, web-based application accessible via mobile devices.
• The tool enables rapid capture of written and photographic field observations (average <4 minutes per observation).
• Data collected by DEPICT supports real-time decision-making and forms the basis for after-action reports.

Conclusions:

• DEPICT effectively addresses identified needs in disaster information management.
• The tool facilitates real-time data capture, processing, and dissemination for improved emergency preparedness and response.
• DEPICT contributes to enhanced situational awareness, informed decision-making, and the development of best practices for disaster management.