Crisis Camp Miami

It’s heartening to learn how South Floridians have volunteered to relieve the recent suffering of the people of Haiti.

If you’ve ever lived here, chances are you know someone from Haiti.  It was easy to take that fact for granted before the earthquake.

Now, it’s hard to ignore.  Especially when the people affected by the crisis are friends, neighbors, co-workers and family.

The volunteers at CrisisCamp Miami are just one group of South Floridians who have decided to help ease the suffering, and I’m eager to learn how they are using online resources and other technology to hasten and improve relief efforts

I’m a former Broward County resident and current freelance writer for newspapers in South Florida and the Treasure Coast, and I’ll be live blogging the Camp with Mallory Colliflower throughout the day.

I’m no techie, but I know how valuable iPhones, Twitter and online databases and other tools are in a crisis. And I’m hoping I can learn to use these tools beyond the camp and to teach readers who couldn’t attend how they can contribute to the effort.

Big thanks to everyone who donated their time for the cause. You can follow our blog or follow the Twitter trending topic #cchaiti

—-Alex Tiegen

from @pbarbanes

I’ve got to admit I’m both excited and anxious getting ready for CrisisCamp Miami this morning – so many enthusiastic and selfless people have registered to attend. Can hardly straighten my thoughts out enough to write a proper blog post! So I won’t even try, except to say THANK YOU to everyone who has registered, and I’m looking forward to meeting every one of you!

Last-minute reminder: BRING PHOTO I.D.! The Miami Herald has been very generous in donating the space and setting up wifi specifically for our use today. Let’s respect their process and do the simple things they ask, like have a photo I.D. when you arrrive. : )

PARKING is in the employee parking area. Entrance will be the employee entrance near the loading dock. There should be signage.

As you know, the crisis in Haiti is of historical proportions. What you and everyone who is coming to CrisisCamp Miami and other Camps around the world are doing is historic in it’s way, too – and has and will make a difference! Thank you again!

Can’t make it to a CrisisCamp? That’s ok – you can help remotely. Time is of the essence, so check out some of the ways you can start right now:

Sahana Geo-Locate the Hospitals Challenge
The challenge is simple: we need volunteers to use the power of their minds and the internet to find the latitude and longitude of the remaining 100 hospitals listed on PAHO’s list. This will provide the relief effort with the best and most comprehensive data layer available on health facilities in the country.
http://wiki.sahana.lk/doku.php/haiti:geolocatehospitalchallenge

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SIMPLE TASKS ANYONE CAN DO
http://wiki.crisiscommons.org/wiki/Simple_Tasks_Anyone_Can_Do

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OPENSTREETMAP PROJECT
Need local knowledge of Haiti.
In order to deliver aid to those in need, government and rescue workers need good maps. Before the earthquake, there weren’t any good maps of Haiti. With your help, we’re building great maps of Haiti and then identifying people in need on those maps.
Easy to follow introduction for OpenStreetMap volunteers:
http://imaphaiti.com/iMapHaiti.com/iMapHaiti.html

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USHAHIDI / 4636 PROJECT
We are especially interested in Haitian Creole speakers, but also French.

People in Haiti are able to send text messages (SMS) – urgent requests for help, locations, etc. – for free to the phone number ‘4636′. Ushahidi receives all these text messages and depending on the content we need to forward the information to different people/organizations.

We need volunteers to read each message and tell us about the content.

Volunteers can go to the site, view a text message sent by someone in Haiti, and fill out a form about the content. The majority of work so far has been by Haitian volunteers across the world.

Instructions can be found here:
http://wiki.ushahidi.com/doku.php?id=4636instructions

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It’s truly amazing how something like CrisisCamp Miami can take shape so quickly.  As soon as I noticed Patrick, Alex and Stephen tossing the idea around on Twitter I knew I wanted to help in some way.

Though I’m not a true techie (meaning I’m not a developer by any means) I certainly consider myself a groupie within the Miami tech community and think the potential for Miami’s CrisisCamp is huge. There are some insanely tech-talented and passionate people in South Florida and I’ll be documenting the happenings of Saturday’s event here on this blog.

Even if you are unsure of what your role on Saturday may be, the more man-power we have, the better. Don’t be shy. Bring friends. Sign up! I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday!

-Mallory

Crisis Camp will take place at the Miami Herald building, One Herald Plaza, Miami. Entrance will be the employee entrance near the loading dock. Parking is free. More details (like a map? lol) to come.

NOTE: Due to Security at the Miami Herald, everyone MUST bring a photo ID.

Crisis Camp is not just about talk. It’s about work. And output. Here are excerpts from a Washington Post article that details some of the inspiring projects that Crisis Camp has delivered and that are bringing real value to the relief effort in Haiti.

Hundreds of tech volunteers spurred to action by Haiti’s killer quake are adding a new dimension to disaster relief, developing new tools and services for first responders and the public in an unprecedented effort.

Organizations including the International Red Cross, the United Nations, the World Bank and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency have put the systems developed at Crisis Camp’s to use.

TEXT MESSAGING SYSTEM
…a cell phone text-messaging system that has helped the U.N., Red Cross and other relief groups dispatch rescuers, food and water. Haitians needing help can send free text messages from phones on the nation’s Digicel and Comcel networks to the number 4636.

“At least 20 people so far have been able to use this program to tell their families in the U.S. that they’re OK,” said Katie Stanton, a former Google employee working in the State Department’s Office of Innovation.

GPS GEOSPATIAL MAPPING
In another collaborative effort, the OpenStreetMap “crisis mapping” project, volunteers layer up-to-the-minute data (such as the location of new field hospitals and downed bridges) onto post-quake satellite imagery that companies including GeoEye and DigitalGlobe have made freely available. The digital cartography – informed by everything from Twitter feeds to eyewitness reports – has helped aid workers speed food, water and medicine to where it’s needed most.

One Colombian rescue team leader uploaded the maps to his crew’s portable GPS units before the team arrived on the scene last week, developers said. Another volunteer, Talbot Brooks of Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss., converts the maps into letter-sized documents that aid workers have been printing out before traveling to the quake zone.

iPHONE APP
…a basic Creole-English dictionary for the iPhone that was delivered to Apple on Monday night for its approval

DATABASE
“We Have, We Need,” a project that was hatched in the CrisisCamp session and is about to be launched. It seeks to pair private-sector offers with needs identified by aid workers. For example, a Haitian Internet provider needs networking engineers to restore connectivity. Any volunteers willing to spend a few weeks in Port-au-Prince?

So REGISTER NOW to attend and help in Miami on Saturday, 1/23/10! YOU can make a difference!

On Saturday, January 23, 2010, CrisisCamp Miami will bring together volunteers from across South Florida to collaborate on technology projects which aim to assist in Haiti’s relief efforts by providing data, information, maps and technical assistance to NGOs (Non-governmental organizations), relief agencies and the public.

This event is free and open to the public. You don’t have to be technical to volunteer time. But you should expect to (…READ THE REST)

VENUE
We are in the process of seeking a venue that has wifi capability and space to support co-working.

PEOPLE
Tech people as well as support/social media people and all are welcome to join in to help. Please REGISTER so we know you are willing to help!

SUPPORT
Food and drink to keep everyone sustained will be appreciate. Other kinds of support, technical, administrative, and others can help, too!

From Alex de Carvalho (@alexdc):

This Saturday, CrisisCamp will bring together volunteers to collaborate on technology projects which aim to assist in Haiti’s relief efforts by providing data, information, maps and technical assistance to NGOs, relief agencies and the public.

This event is free and open to the public. You don’t have to be technical to volunteer time.

CrisisCamp doors open at 12:00pm and introductions are at 12:30pm.

Please register for this event at:

http://crisiscampmiami.eventbrite.com/

*Welcome to CrisisCamp*
CrisisCamp will bring together domain experts, developers, and first responders around improving technology and practice for humanitarian crisis management and disaster relief.

Each and every day, people across the world can find themselves in crisis. Whether it be for a day, a month or an area of social distress, we all have a common need to connect with loved ones, access information and offer assistance to others.

*Help Us Out*
We’re looking for some initial assistance in organizing CrisisCamp. Things we need:
– Sponsorship – We need sponsorship to make this CrisisCamp a reality. If you cannot donate time, please donate what you can or become a sponsor. Unused proceeds will be donated to Haiti relief efforts.
– Venue – We need a free venue with wifi and tables. Please let us know if you have access to a conveniently located venue.
– Audio Visual Equipment – We need a projector and screen to be able to make presentations throughout the day.

*Crisis Camp Topics*
CrisisCamp Miami will focus on helping current relief efforts in Haiti. Some of the initiatives that we will work on include:

**Tweak the Tweet**
Twitter is a tool that allows people with internet or cell phone contact to broadcast messages. The power of Twitter can be harnessed to become a shared communication tool for people on the ground during events, including those affected, volunteers, and emergency responders.
# http://crisiscommons.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tweak_the_Tweet

**Port Au Prince Basemap**
The damage of the earthquake has left roads and villages inaccessible. This project will provide new geospatial perspectives and data points to create a base map for non-profits in need of current geospatial information.
# http://crisiscommons.org/wiki/index.php?title=Port_Au_Prince_Basemap

**The Haiti Timeline**
There is a great need to fully understand the progression of events, news, data, photos and video from the time of the earthquake through the recovery process. This project is an organic approach at looking at the series of events, types of data available, when actions occurred, status of the events, and who is doing what; this project is constantly changing and adding new information in real time.
# http://crisiscommons.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_Haiti_Timeline

**Family Reunification Systems**
When catastrophic events happen, like the earthquake that hit Haiti, people are lost and families are separated. This project focuses on searching for missing persons catalogs, databases, and information pages. The team is providing constructive suggestions for the International community in terms of access for the gathered information.
# http://crisiscommons.org/wiki/index.php?title=Family_Reunification_Systems

**NPR Crisis Wiki**
On the ground of any event there is always a need for resources. This project assists National Public Radio to create a Crisis Wiki to share real time information in a collaborative space, much like a yellow pages for resources. The project created a structure that can be used and adapted for future events.
# http://crisiscommons.org/wiki/index.php?title=Crisis_Wiki

**Mobile Applications 4 Crisis Response**
The projects that we develop at CrisisCamp Haiti are only useful if they’re accessible! The Mobile Applications team is working with other CrisisCamp project teams to make mobile applications for programs and projects. These applications will be useable on mobile phones and will assist users in locating news, resources, language translation, and visual communications tools.
# http://crisiscommons.org/wiki/index.php?title=Mobile_Applications_4_Crisis_Response

**Language & Translation**
Mainstream online translation tools don’t support the Creole language. This project is dedicated to using technology to assist in translating priority content resources between Creole and English (and other languages) in support of relief assistance and CrisisCamp projects. The team is creating basic machine translation tools for Creole to English and other languages. Native Creole speakers are on the team, assisting with identification of Creole language resources for use in the translation tools. Additionally, the team is assessing and prioritizing content that needs to be translated.
# http://crisiscommons.org/wiki/index.php?title=Languages_%26_Translation

**Mapping NGOs in Action**
NGOs are the “boots on the ground” in Haiti. Hundreds of NGOs have ongoing operations in Haiti. But who’s who and where are they? This project is gathering information to create an overview database of relief assistance that is deployed to Haiti. The project will create a directory of organizations, people on the ground, where they are, what they are doing, and what they need. The team will create a Drupal database relating people to programs.
# http://crisiscommons.org/wiki/index.php?title=Mapping_NGOs_in_Action

**We Need, We Have Exchange**
There have been a lot of generous offers from the technology sector and there are a lot of technological needs on the ground. This project, in partnership with the State Department, created a “Craigslist” type of self-identified needs and requests by non-profits assisting in Haiti relief operations and technology volunteers around the world.
# http://crisiscommons.org/wiki/index.php?title=We_Have,_We_Need_Exchange

CrisisCamp will be hosted in a barcamp style where great minds come together to share their knowledge, perspectives and lessons learned. We will be open to hearing questions and participations through the #crisiscamp hashtag on Twitter.

*Connect with other CrisisCampers*
– Google Group
– Twitter Hash Tag: #crisiscamp

*More Topic Ideas*
CrisisCamp is an unconference, so there is no preset agenda. However, brainstorming before-hand is highly encouraged. Share with others what you’re interested in talking about or hearing about from other experts.

– Increasing need for access to the Internet and mobility during times (and places) of crisis
– Consumer research on mobility (developed countries, and developing countries)
– Special Needs and seniors: Engagement through technology
– Best practices and use of social media in public health and crisis response
– Family locator systems: Open source, PII, data standards
– The global citizen responder – how to harness the cloud volunteer crowd (from across the world!)
– Data aggregation during times of crisis (ex. http://gustav08.ning.com)
– Telecommunications/technology volunteerism – Why? How Can I Help? What is needed?
– Alert and warning — new ways to connect beyond broadcast/radio?
– “IM OK” – connecting with loved ones through technology systems
– Coordinating international humanitarian relief efforts with limited infrastructure; supporting non-profits/NGO community and their need to communicate

*About Crisis Camp*
During Transparency Camp 09 and Government 2.0 Camp, several campers exchanged a host of ideas on the need to better connect people with their social networks and information through the use of technology, especially during times and places of crisis. For example, campers shared how mobile innovation on mobile health and alternative power supplies was happening in Africa. Others shared how how citizens of the cloud used their technical skills to aggregate data to help people (often in another part of the world) synthesize desperate pieces of information into something they could understand. We uncovered a dividing line between international humanitarian relief and domestic crisis response. We saw common themes across all efforts including: the use of mobility, the Internet as a common coordination platform, the need for volunteers and the ability to provide alternative community communications access areas. By the end of the tweet-up, we had 40 volunteers sitting around in a circle with an agreement that there should be a forum to exchange these ideas. And it was there, where a common goal brought government, NGOs, private sector, hackers and activists together to create CrisisCamp.

*Host a CrisisCamp*
We don’t want to be the only CrisisCamp, we hope you will have one too! After CrisisCamp, we will hope to create an information sharing site, a “Crisis Commons” where academic, private sector, government, citizens, international humanitarian relief workers and first responders can come together to share best practices, lessons learned, technology and innovation.

*Sponsors*
Many thanks to our sponsors for making CrisisCamp happen!