American Red Cross Disaster Services Technology Disaster Services - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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American Red Cross Disaster Services Technology Disaster Services - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Feb 01, 2023 205 likes •692 views

Disaster Services Technology American Red Cross Disaster Services Technology Disaster Services Technology Summary Disaster Services Technology volunteers are trained technology experts who ensure that the American Red Cross is successful

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Disaster Services Technology

American Red Cross Disaster Services Technology

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Disaster Services Technology

Summary

  • Disaster Services Technology volunteers

are trained technology experts who ensure that the American Red Cross is successful in its mission to deliver aid and comfort to people who have been impacted by disasters.

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Disaster Services Technology

What is the Red Cross?

  • The American Red Cross is a

humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States.

  • It is the designated US affiliate of the

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

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Disaster Services Technology

American Red Cross services

  • Disaster relief
  • Health and safety training
  • Blood collection
  • Support of military families
  • International services
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Disaster Services Technology

Disaster Relief

  • Responds to more than 70,000 disasters

each year.

  • Operates under a congressional charter.
  • Provides immediate care services such as

shelter, clothing, food and water, mental health assistance, etc.

  • Assists in the transition back to normal life.
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Disaster Services Technology

Local Disaster Relief Operations

  • More than 650 local chapters provide the

bulk of the Red Cross’s deployable volunteers and staff.

  • Local on-call Disaster Action Teams
  • perate as first responders to local

disasters.

  • House fires are the most common local

disaster.

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Disaster Services Technology

National Disaster Relief Operations

  • After a large-scale disaster, or when one is

anticipated, the Red Cross performs an impact assessment.

  • Based on that assessment, a national

Disaster Relief Operation (DRO) may be declared.

  • At that point, national volunteers and

supplies are dispatched to help manage the crisis.

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Disaster Services Technology

Activity Teams on DRO’s

  • Client Services – Casework, Recovery

Planning, Health Services, etc.

  • Mass Care – Sheltering, Feeding, etc.
  • Planning – Disaster Assessment, etc.
  • Logistics
  • Disaster Services Technology
  • External Relations
  • Staff Services
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Disaster Services Technology

Disaster Services Technology

DST is an internal support team responsible for providing and supporting technical services during a disaster.

  • Computer Operations
  • Communications
  • Networking
  • Customer Service
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Disaster Services Technology

During a DRO, DST turns this…

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Disaster Services Technology

…into this.

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Disaster Services Technology

DRO – Push Kits

  • The DST team on a DRO will be

communicating with national DST.

  • National DST will immediately FedEx (yes,

FedEx) a preassembled “push kit” of technology equipment from a warehouse in Austin to the new DRO’s ad-hoc

  • perations center.
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Disaster Services Technology

DRO – Austin DSMC

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DRO – Push Kits

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DRO – Push Kits

Common equipment includes:

  • Satellite internet dish, modem, etc.
  • Servers
  • Switches and routers
  • Laptops
  • VOIP phones
  • Cell phones
  • Laptops
  • Lots of cable
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Disaster Services Technology

Networking

  • Most Red Cross activities eventually

require a phone, computer, and internet access.

  • Software systems play critical roles in our

inventory processes, staffing processes, client data storage, client services, and most other activities.

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Disaster Services Technology

Networking

  • Large disasters often impact local internet

service providers and computing facilities, so the Red Cross brings its own.

  • DST sets these systems up quite literally

within hours of our arrival on a DRO.

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Disaster Services Technology

Networking – SurfBeam-2

  • Our current deployable network system

begins with the 30-lb airline-checkable SurfBeam-2 satellite dish.

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Disaster Services Technology

Networking – SurfBeam-2

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Disaster Services Technology

Networking – SurfBeam-2

  • The SurfBeam-2 is set up in a designated

and cordoned-off area and aimed a geostationary satellite. Alignment software is preinstalled on certain DST laptops.

  • The SurfBeam is then plugged into a

ViaSat modem.

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Disaster Services Technology

Networking - ViaSat

  • Plugging the satellite modem into our push

kit’s network router gives all of our systems immediate access to the Red Cross’s national DRO network.

  • By connecting large network switches to

the router, we can then begin building a computer lab for the DRO’s headquarters.

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Disaster Services Technology

Networking - Switch

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Networking - Servers

  • The push kits also include network servers

for handling local file storage and backup, network administration, DHCP IP configuration, and other tasks.

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Disaster Services Technology

Networking - Servers

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Disaster Services Technology

Computer Operations

  • The push kit also includes a large supply
  • f preconfigured laptops, VOIP phones,

and necessary peripherals.

  • This equipment is used to create

numerous individual workstations throughout the operations center.

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Disaster Services Technology

Computer Operations

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Disaster Services Technology

Computer Operations

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Disaster Services Technology

Communications – VOIP

  • VOIP phones are used with the ViaSat system to

provide communications between the local

  • perations center and national resources.
  • VOIP phones need to be configured so that

dialing 911 will reach the local dispatcher, as calls are otherwise automatically routed through

  • ur national operations center.
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Disaster Services Technology

Communications – ATA Fax

  • Push kits also include ATA Fax devices,

which allow normal analog telephone devices to be connected to the Red Cross network, behaving as VOIP.

  • This allows us to use multifunction fax/

printer/scanner devices on our network.

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Communications - Cellular

  • Cell Phones are used with remote

personnel, but are not always viable due to damaged local cellular networks. When the local networks are repaired or replaced, cell phones become the preferred tool.

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Communications - Satellite

  • Satellite Phones are available in DST push

kits, and are authorized for use in some cases.

  • MSAT Fixed Site satellite phone systems

are also available. MSAT’s use a remote satellite antenna, allowing use of multiple satellite phones within a building or other blocking structure.

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Disaster Services Technology

Communications - MSAT

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Communications - Radios

  • Push kits also include base, mobile, and

handheld radios operated on VHF Low Band, 47.42 MHz.

  • Coax cables and base station antennas

are included.

  • Our national call sign is currently KGB223.
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Disaster Services Technology

Communications - Radios

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Communications - DOIS

  • On a DRO, DST creates, distributes, and

maintains a Disaster Operation Information Sheet, which is a phone and email directory for that DRO.

  • This is essential to ensuring clear lines of

communication throughout the operation.

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Disaster Services Technology

Communications - DOIS

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Customer Service

  • As the resident technology experts on a DRO, DST is

also responsible for running a help desk.

  • We provide support not just for our equipment, but for

general technology assistance.

  • When we can’t solve a problem, we can get in touch with

people who can, or provide alternatives.

  • “I can’t help you with that” is not in our vocabulary.
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Disaster Services Technology

Customer Service – Help Desk

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Networking - VSAT

  • Prior to the acquisition of the small ViaSat

systems, we used larger VSAT terminals and satellite dishes.

  • These systems have now been

demobilized.

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Disaster Services Technology

Networking - VSAT

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Disaster Services Technology

Networking - VSAT

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Emergency Communications Response Vehicles (ECRV’s)

  • Due to the size and complexity of the VSAT

system, several were prepositioned throughout the country, attached to donated response vehicles with specially trained crews assigned to them.

  • The ECRV’s have since been deactivated, but

served well for over a decade, participating in every major disaster relief operation and many minor DRO’s.

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ECRV’s

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ECRV’s

In addition to VSAT dishes and modems, ECRV’s included a wide array

  • f equipment:
  • 8,500 KWV generator
  • Monitor and GPS
  • 16 radio antennas and numerous radios
  • 52’ Will-Burt mast with 4 N-type RF cable runs
  • 10 Wi-Fi VOIP phones
  • 10 Wi-Fi laptops
  • 10 cellphones
  • 10 handheld UHF radios
  • 300’ Cat-5 cable
  • Pan-Tilt remote control camera
  • Frequency meter/SWR meter
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Disaster Services Technology

ECRV’s - Radios

  • ICOM IC-706MkIIG (HF/VHF/UHF)
  • 2 x Vertex VX-4000 (Low-Band VHF)
  • Midland 70-290 (CB)
  • 2 x Bendix-King GMH (VHF)
  • 2 x Bendix-King EMV (UHF)
  • 2 x Uniden BC780 XLT Scanner
  • Mitsubishi Satellite Phone
  • Blackberry 7290
  • RELM RMU Plus (UHF)
  • Vertex FNB-29A Handheld (Low-Band VHF)
  • Motorola Micom 2E ALE (Channelized HF)
  • Kenwood TS-2000 (HF/VHF/UHF)
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Local DST Activities

  • Besides deployment to national DRO’s,

local DST volunteers also assist their own chapters in identifying and responding to technology needs, and work to ensure local preparedness.

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Disaster Services Technology

Summary

  • Disaster Services Technology volunteers

are trained technology experts who ensure that the American Red Cross is successful in its mission to deliver humanitarian aid and comfort to people who have been impacted by disasters.

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Disaster Services Technology