This 2020 Vision blog posting got me thinking about the future for us in emergency management. Technology will of course be very big for what we need to do in preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters.
What I see as the future is that wireless connectivity will be King. Just as communications are needed in the voice realm, our data and in reality our voice communications (via Voice over IP) will be a priority. Most of what we do will somehow be connected to the internet. While we have some portability now for displaying and sharing information (Blackberries or smart phones) the new line of products like the iPad and Que are going to transform how we operate in the EOC of tomorrow--which is not that far away.
One of the things I struggled with in an activated EOC is having information at my fingertips, but not being tied to the computer and one single location in an EOC. I believe the EOC Director needs to up and moving around and interacting with the various EOC units. Now the mobility afforded by this new family of devices will provide functionality and mobility in the EOC, or wherever you are, if you have connectivity. Imagine that you are walking around the EOC with one of the touch pad devices in your hand and calling up information, most of it on the web, that you will aid you in your decision making.
Look at the move to 3G and 4G wireless systems by cell phone providers. You also have Clearwire providing home and business connectivity via only wireless. Comcast is moving to wireless solutions. All those cables will soon be a faded memory in the not-to-distant-future.
The challenge is creating the operations budget to support these new technology solutions. It has not been a line item in the past. Buddy up with the IT Director, because you with need his/her support!
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What I see as the future is that wireless connectivity will be King. Just as communications are needed in the voice realm, our data and in reality our voice communications (via Voice over IP) will be a priority. Most of what we do will somehow be connected to the internet. While we have some portability now for displaying and sharing information (Blackberries or smart phones) the new line of products like the iPad and Que are going to transform how we operate in the EOC of tomorrow--which is not that far away.
One of the things I struggled with in an activated EOC is having information at my fingertips, but not being tied to the computer and one single location in an EOC. I believe the EOC Director needs to up and moving around and interacting with the various EOC units. Now the mobility afforded by this new family of devices will provide functionality and mobility in the EOC, or wherever you are, if you have connectivity. Imagine that you are walking around the EOC with one of the touch pad devices in your hand and calling up information, most of it on the web, that you will aid you in your decision making.
Look at the move to 3G and 4G wireless systems by cell phone providers. You also have Clearwire providing home and business connectivity via only wireless. Comcast is moving to wireless solutions. All those cables will soon be a faded memory in the not-to-distant-future.
The challenge is creating the operations budget to support these new technology solutions. It has not been a line item in the past. Buddy up with the IT Director, because you with need his/her support!
