The new wave: using technology to manage emergencies

MONCTON, NB, Dec. 1, 2021 /CNW/ - The world as we know it is changing fast. With climate change having a greater impact on our daily lives, the personal security of all Canadians cannot be underestimated. As we have seen in recent years across Canada, the threat of natural disasters is very real.

As this threat increases, it is becoming more complicated to deal with fast-moving events, especially when traditional means of communication can't keep up. Fortunately, innovators around the world have been developing technology to effectively manage emergencies.

For example, QIT Plus of Australia has developed cutting-edge incident management systems since it was founded in 2007 in the kitchen of its current CEO, Christine Madsen. Its "Guardian" software is now in use across Australia, especially in the state of Queensland where cyclones and fires are frequent occurrences. QIT Plus has received dozens of national and international awards for its work, including the prestigious United Nations-ESRI Global Disaster Resilience App Challenge.

The Guardian system is unique in that it allows for interoperability with many other systems. And because it operates in the "cloud," it can be accessed securely via the Internet. Its innovations include a hub system that manages all the physical and human resources of a city's fire and emergency operations. It can share that information on its public dashboard, a web page with dozens of points of information. Guardian can also send out blast e-mails to citizens to alert them. This scope of information reduces the reliance on 911 to ensure the lines are not jammed. It is also useful in day-to-day civic operations.

QIT Canada has established a foothold with operations in Victoria, BC and Moncton, NB. This initiative is long overdue, as QIT Plus has managed dozens of incidents in Australia. Canada, while normally an early adapter, has been slow off the mark in the use of Emergency Management Systems. Very few Canadian cities have sophisticated systems to respond to emergencies compared to those in Australia.

An American expert in emergencies once told me, "If I had a bumper sticker, it would say 'You are your own First Responder.'" What he meant was everyone should be prepared and aware when a disaster strikes. Software like Guardian IMS ensure effective management of emergencies and public awareness. It's the wave of the future.

Andrew Caddell is a journalist and partner in QIT Canada.

SOURCE QIT Canada

Andrew Caddell, [email protected]