The
need of effective disaster management system and the capacity of smartphones to
reach to people makes an interesting scenario to invest people’s time and money
in developing android based systems that at least help in reducing deaths and
damages caused due to disasters by reaching to more number of people at ease.
The android apps can address any one phase of disaster including from
preparedness, recovery, relief and rescue to all of the phase. Regarding this
aspect, many organizations have developed some useful android applications that
are available in the market today for disaster management. Mentioning some top
android apps for disaster management
are FEMA, Disaster Alert, ubAlert, Natural Disaster Monitor etc.
1.1 FEMA
FEMA is an android app developed by Federal Emergency Management System
(FEMA) under Department of
Homeland Security, United States whose mission is to support US citizens and
first responders to ensure that US is capable to prepare for, protect against,
respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards including from drought,
earthquakes, floods to even terrorism before, during and after disaster
strikes.
1.2
Disaster Alert
Disaster Alert app is another android app developed by PDC-Pacific Disaster Centre
which provide real time alerts, collected from authoritative sources with
details such as potential threats to people, property or assets due to
potential disasters which covers global Earthquake,
floods, Tsunami, Volcano, Storm, Marine and even manmade disasters that may occur around worldwide
and shows on an interactive map.
1.3 Natural Disaster Monitor
Like Disaster Alert, Natural
Disaster Monitor developed by Dominic925 gives real-time updates based on
alerts published by the Global Disaster Alert and Co-ordination System (GDACS), which is
a joint initiative of the United Nations Office for coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the
European Commission.
1.4 UbAlert-Disaster
Alert
UbAlert-Disaster Alert developed by social network
website ubAlert is another disaster related android app which gathers data through
pictures and videos of the event from the app from verified sources and
accounts of the people who were present at real places and witnessed the natural disaster. They can
instantly share alerts with friends and family members to get them out of harm’s way via email, Facebook and Twitter.
|
Application
|
Features
|
Limitations
|
|
FEMA
|
1. Contains
information for different types disaster preparedness
2. Can
plan emergency meeting locations
3. Contains
information on how to stay safe and recover after a disaster
4.
Contains a map with FEMA Disaster Recovery
Center locations and Shelters
5.
General ways the public can get involved
before and after a disaster, and the FEMA blog.
|
1.
Mostly for use in US
2.
Does not provide information immediately
3.
No location based alerts
|
|
Disaster Alert
|
1. Shows disaster on interactive map
2. Automatic update on every 5 minute
3.
Shows
disaster all over the world
|
1.
Alert received by all users
2.
No location based alerts
|
|
ubAlert
|
1.
Gives information on disaster all over the
world
2.
Share the alert to the friends
3.
Report the disaster
|
1.
Alert Received by all users
2.
Chance of false reporting
3.
No location based alerts
|
|
Natural Disaster Monitor
|
1.
Shows disaster along with alert level
2.
Shows the disaster information on the icon
click
|
1. No
real time alert system
|
No comments:
Post a Comment