Mutual Aid in Cyberspace
by Jerry E. Smith
| Jerry Smith started his fire-rescue service career in Los Angeles, and ended with the California Governor's OES Fire-Rescue Division. In 1987, he began Inter Consulting Systems a consulting firm that specializes in fire-rescue education. He now celebrates over 36 years in fire-rescue service business. Be sure to visit his web site. |
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This article can be found on
page 18 of the Jan/Feb 1998
issue of 9-1-1 Magazine.
"The Internet has become the most incredible communications medium the world has ever seen, but it's only useful to the degree that we understand it and make it work for us." Sky Dayton, |
The Internet continues to grow as a vital tool for exchanging timely information, products, and ideas around the world. Here in my office on the central coast of California, I can quickly reach around the World in a matter of minutes, finding information and communicating electronically with Paolo in Italy, Hyashi in Japan, Laurence in France, Garry in Canada, and Steve in Texas.
"I use the Internet daily to check message boards, weather, earthquake reports, resource status, and to contact other agencies," said Fire Services Commander Bob Cassel in Rohnert Park, California. "As I prepare for a presentation to my City Council on Emergency Preparedness, I'm letting them know that we often use the Internet to gather strategic information and intelligence in our ongoing effort to remain proactive."
"We're providing essential information to our fire stations," said Austin (TX) Assistant Fire Chief Gary Warren. "Using a program called Pointcast, we provide every fire station in Austin with pertinent and interesting information gleaned off the Internet. Pointcast also provides our personnel a gateway to the Internet, and to access our servers for latest policies, procedures, labor contract wording, fire prevention data, etc."
"The Internet works for me and other health care professionals in San Diego county by allowing ideas and information to be shared and transmitted at cyberspeed around the world," said California Paramedic Supervisor Mitch Mendler. "I live on the outskirts of Sydney," said Australian firefighter Alan Perkins. "Without the World Wide Web, I could not keep up with current developments overseas. The Internet is a great resource for getting information that would otherwise be impossible."
It's common for Internet users to enter "chat" forums; to exchange ideas or ease personal frustrations. "The Internet is a tremendous resource for my research projects," said Safety Officer Jim Littlewood in California. "It gives me immediate access to information, and this alone reduces my time to find information. I use the Internet to relieve the stress at the end of a busy day by chatting with my peers."
"In the Snowmass-Wildcat Fire District, we use the Internet to access training schedules, download training materials, and get fire weather, haz-mat information," said Data Entry Specialist Scott Logan in Colorado. "We have a Wildland Fire Team from our district that will be going out in a 6 or 7 state response area soon - the Internet will help us to keep in contact."
"About 3 years ago, I began using the Internet for researching nursing and EMS issues," said Trauma Nurse Phyllis Brady in California. "I found a WebRing, a linkage of groups with similar interests, but I couldn't find any that were affiliated with emergency services. So I created the Emergency 911 Web Ring, a unique location where over 190 Web sites are linked. You will surf through the World Wide Web but never leave the confines of this Web Ring consisting of emergency medicine, nursing, health issues, EMS, fire-rescue, public safety, dispatching, and educational resources. (If you're interested in joining the 911 Web ring, send e-mail to Phyllis Brady at: codern2@earthlink.net)
The Internet Post Office
Are you including your e-mail address and Internet Web site on correspondence? Electronic mail opens up your department to the world. Communication is more immediate and far-reaching.
A Safety Officer for the Ottawa, Canada Fire Department says: "Our agency is getting new opportunities from our Web page. The number of e-mails is increasing, and we're developing new relationships that might not have happened if not for the Internet."
"We must not fear the Internet - we must embrace it," said Fire Commissioner John Porter in Connecticut. "There is unlimited knowledge and information available at our finger tips. I can reach federal and state agencies for timely update on regulations. I can also get into the regulated community to see what type of business they are providing, and that gives me a better understanding and improved awareness in the decisions I must make."
"The Internet Post Office enables our Unit to instantly exchange law enforcement information around the world," said Scottsdale (AZ) Police Sergeant Mark Clark. "In police work, we're finding that the world is ever-shrinking and that global crime issues are really local issues too. The Internet provides an open communication channel to promote our anti-gang message. The Internet is another extraordinary tool for law enforcement to fight crime trends and exchange vital information on the Web, and it's future is only just beginning to be explored."
Emergency Communications Online?
Thus far, the Internet has been primarily an avenue for research and communication. Might it someday be used for emergency communications as well? "The Internet as we know it today is far too reliant on normal communications systems," cautioned Los Angeles Fire Department PIO Brian Humphrey. "The propagation of data in times of duress is presently far too erratic for us to use in emergency life-safety operations. It's not to say that the Internet will not develop further or that it cannot be used as a communications vehicle. As `push' technology becomes more prevalent on the Internet, we may indeed see enhanced use of their technology to inform the public and those peripherally involved with an incident."
When real-time audio visual connections are available through Internet Relay Chat software, "Town meetings with the Chief" will be held to alleviate fears, concerns on high-profile crime issues in the community. The effectiveness of the Internet is far reaching.
Is there a transformation when strangers communicate regularly with each
other in Cyberspace? Does the Internet nurture fraternal ties in emergency
personnel? Is the lack of a physical presence a qualifier for candid dialogue
between correspondents on the Internet? Recently, a retired New York City
Firefighter told me they're setting up an Internet link to help each other
get information and guidance in time of personal crisis.
Mutual Aid In Cyberspace
Mutual Aid is universally recognized as a reciprocal agreement between two or more parties to share resources, personnel, facilities, and information. Cyberspace is a network of computer systems, interconnected around the world to direct, manage, and share information through an organized hookup called the Internet. When you consolidate Cyberspace and mutual aid, a reinforced foundation for improved communications emerges for public safety analysis. "I consider Cyberspace a vital source of mutual aid," said Greg Schaff, EMS supervisor for Gwinnett County Fire/EMS in Georgia. "The Internet opens the door to a worldwide audience to gather and exchange information as never before."
"I'm a career volunteer professional who lives mutual aid in Cyberspace every day," said Fire Captain Gary Estes in Ohio. "In our county the Web becomes a virtual office for local fire departments. We rely on the net for the "virtual teaming" aspect; to accommodate varied work shifts, full time employment, and family."
Webmaster Laurence Demarle in Lyon, France created the Firemen's Cyber-Directory which can be found at http://www.aic.fr/pompiers/index_us.html as a means for firefighters from around the world to network with each other. "Since October `96, we have registered 302 firefighters from 21 countries around the world in our cyberspace directory," he told me.
"I see the Internet as one of the most exciting and potentially powerful means of communications since the telegraph," said EMT Specialist Sue Hunter, EMS Instructor and Coordinator in Michigan. "There has never been a real-time recourse for EMT, Fire-Rescue, SAR, Police, and others to communicate with each other until now. The Internet brings real meaning to the term Mutual Aid - sharing emergency incident updates; inter-agency coordination efforts, getting vital incident intelligence. The Internet will soon bring on-line training that will reach persons that hunger for timely information and lessons learned experience."
As a mutual aid expert in Statewide fire-rescue disaster management,
I wondered if the Internet could become a viable emergency communication
option when other standard forms of emergency communications are overloaded
or don't exist. I visualized ICS Division Supervisors giving Strike Team
Leaders detailed direction over a laptop. I perceived the Internet improving
mutual aid tracking, furnishing timely intelligence for the mutual aid provider,
the Area, Region and State Mutual Aid Coordinators. I pictured myself, via
a FIRESCOPE Web site, virtually standing in the midst of the "war room"
where Federal, State, and local fire-rescue officials have gathered to improve
regional multi-agency coordination during a major incident.
Can We Fix Our Mutual Aid Communication Problems?
Let's briefly visit a wildfire, and see if Incident Command is having any communication problems. Many more mutual aid units are arriving at the scene, and guess what? Half of the mutual aid units cannot talk to local Command; their mobile radios are incompatible. Some units are turning to self assignment; others stage needlessly, confused as to what they should do. Obviously, an unmanaged attack affects the outcome of this disaster. How do you warn threatened firefighters to evacuate dangerous areas? We know we cannot stock enough portable radios to solve every problem - we need to talk to each other at every location; it's a safety issue that will not go away.
Webmaster Alan Miller of Western States Fire Information Resource (http://www.wsfire.com) told me: "We need a nationwide radio/phone frequency just for emergency services digital information transfer. We should equip our laptops with a short range (25-35 mile) transmitter and provide agencies with an encrypted code so command knows exactly who they are communicating with. Using the encrypted transmit code it's possible to have several agencies working different emergencies on the same frequency. I would only receive messages from the commanders I'm directing, with no reliance on multiple telephone systems, computer systems, and so on."
"Imagine satellite-linked cellular laptops with medical diagnostic
capability in actual rescue missions," said Paramedic James Futrelle
Jr. in Florida. "We can be in the wilderness and online with a medical
facility anywhere in the world for expert advice in treating our patient."
What Is The Future For The Internet And Public Safety?
We must remember we're still standing on the threshold of this Internet railroad. Many Web sites are less than a year old. Lately, I've come to know several visionaries with some very creative ideas; professionals with computer programming experience emerge with some very innovative ideas. Names like Dennis Espindola Sr. creator of: The 911 Fire, Police, Medical Web Site (http://www.firefighting.com/911/).
I asked Dennis about the direction the Internet and the public safety community were headed. "Right now a California Department of Forestry Unit is using a laptop computer, GPS, mapping software, and a portable printer to generate custom incident maps. The longitude and latitude are derived from GPS, the coordinates fed into the laptop running the map software, and a map can be generated for any location. The next step: asking dispatch to send the map over the Internet (by Wireless or Satellite) to the strike team being dispatched."
"I see a hazardous substance being instantly retrieved from a dynamic Internet database at the scene of a spill," one firefighter told me. "The Web can spotlight new substances, and alert responders to the newest ways to handle and dispose of such materials safely."
"As for common dispatching by wireless Internet, I see a variety of intelligence regarding the initial dispatch," a fire commander told me. "responders can receive a graphic version of the incident's run card with a computer-generated map showing the most direct route from the station or vehicle's GPS location. At the top of the screen would be pertinent information about the structure involved, any special intelligence about the location. Additional information would include all units responding from other agencies. The tactical frequency would be displayed and the IC for the incident identified. The dispatch computer system would generate a temporary Web page of everything the dispatcher does from start to finish. This information would be available to handle media inquiries and political concerns, as well as for after-action reports and training."
"The Fire-Rescue Service is like fire itself," said Fire Commissioner John Porter of Connecticut. "It breathes, evolves, thrives, and survives. The Internet is probably one of the last frontiers this generation is embarking on. We must not fear the Internet; we must embrace it; there is unlimited knowledge and information available at our fingertips."
