Last week’s devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan has left the country in turmoil and desperately needing outside help to assist with the urgent humanitarian issues it is now facing. And, with the associated problems emanating from the Fukushima nuclear power station, the crisis is deepening.
The United Sates is leading the way in its support for the stricken nation having already flown out 34 of its top nuclear scientists to offer their expertise to the Japanese authorities, whilst it is deploying members of its armed services to help on the ground.
US Marines will be using an ultra-fast data management system to gather information to help relief teams provide support for the thousands of people left homeless or forced to seek refuge outside of the exclusion zones. The Marines will begin using the Rapid Data Management System created by Global Relief Technologies immediately with a team of workers from the company expected to help with its implementation.
The system includes satellite-linked handheld computers that allow valuable information to be quickly collected and distributed to decision makers after a disaster. By providing clear instruction on issues such as assessing food and water supplies and the management of refugee camps, crucial judgements can be made much sooner.
The alternative is to have relief workers filling in paper forms and manually feeding information into databases, which can take days or even months and cause delays in getting it across to the people who need it.
Ironically, only last month workers from Global Relief Technologies spent a month training Marines in Thailand and last year sent a team to Haiti to take a census of amputees after the horrendous earthquake there.
According to retired Marine and advisor to the company, Lt. Gen. Keith Stalder: “That project was very different to that facing the team in Japan because Haiti started with very little of their own capability to help themselves, whilst the Japanese are very capable in terms of resources and infrastructure.”
However, it is clear to see that the technology will be every bit as valuable to the Japanese as it was in Haiti – data technology is ‘saving lives’ which can only be a good thing.
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