Online edition of the Daily News - Feature: BY PRIYANTHA K. Weerabahu
THE aftermath of tsunami disaster has created a crying need for systematically established warning systems. This cannot be done just by the government or by few other organizations alone.
The entire community must rally round it. But the government or a government appointed independent body must take the initiative to gather ideas, design and propose a framework, so that the entire community can participate and contribute.
All Sri Lankans who faced this enormous tragedy can reflect on the experience to learn and create new knowledge. This reflection may vary from person to person.
For some it may be purely spiritual and may reflect on impermanent nature of life. Some others it may be the physical power of nature. For others it may be on what went wrong and what we should do in the future.
In this context an earlier article 'Adapting to an ICT Based Emergency Warning System' was published from the perspective of Information and Communication Technology.
As mentioned in the article technology is not the solution for everything. But whenever we are working against time it could be the key. This is mainly due to the fact that many tedious processes can be automated for 24 hour continuous operations.
As mentioned earlier the participation of entire community is necessary for the success of a 'Warning System'. But there cannot be just one system due to limitations in resources for the government to setup such a system as well as for the citizens to participate. But all of us can do something within our capabilities.
We do not give up setting up a rural hospital because we cannot perform bi-pass surgery. It could at least help save people with cardiac arrest. Therefore we must not wait until everything is in place and perfect. Start with whatever we have now. But how? This may be the question in many minds.
It is heartening to see the initiative taken by Vanguard Foundation and LIRNEasia in bringing in the expertise of local and international community to prepare a concept paper for a National All-Hazards Warning System (NAHWS).
Their interim concept paper is available on the Internet at http://www.vanguardfoundation.com and http://www.lirneasia.net since February 5, 2005 for review. This is a golden opportunity for anyone to incorporate their valuable ideas into the final concept paper by submitting them within two weeks.
What is proposed in this article is to have mini warning systems within the capabilities of any organization or social group. Thereafter integration is the key to bring them together. At the highest level this may be done by the government or an independent body setup for the purpose.
The reason for this is that public and private organizations have their own ways of working. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses and what is important is to have a warning system, which all can participate according to their existing capabilities. Thereafter they can continually improve to a higher level with the increase in their capabilities.
In my view, when we are designing a conceptual warning system two things are essential for the success of it. The first is to narrow the scope to nothing but the 'Warning System'. Otherwise we may try to create an all encompassing solution which may never be realized.
It would be similar to a situation where a car is designed and some may suggest that before the car we need to have good roads or others may suggest we must design a car suiting all terrains. Ultimately we may end up developing roads or have a monster vehicle without any practical use.
The second is within the scope of 'Warning System' we must allow every possible idea to be generated without any limitations or restrictions. It could be a very crude indigenous system or a sophisticated space age system. But all must be welcome, even though selecting, integrating, and prioritizing would be necessary.
The challenge is how we could have a 'Warning System' which integrate simple systems with the complex. If we think we can't, better drop dead. Because the common link in all systems is the humans and their capability to communicate verbally or otherwise.
We do not have to wait. We can start the 'Warning System' at family level. Each family can think of how they could warn the other members of the family in an emergency or disaster.
How the father and mother will contact each other, how the parents will contact the children, how the children will contact the parents and each other etc. This is not something new to any family. But we must consciously look at the existing system of communication and strengthen the weak points in the link.
Each school can have its own warning system, where principal, staff, students and parents can contact each other. Once again you cannot expect all schools to have the same resources. Therefore each will have their own workable warning system.
Each religious organization can have its own warning system to warn the devotees as well as the local community.
Each business can have its own warning system to warn its customers, staff and owners.
Each public gathering place can have its own warning system to warn those who are in the vicinity.
Each department or branch of public and private organizations can develop their own warning system according to the resources available. Must not wait until all departments or branches can do the same thing.
Once they are in place links must be established to pass warnings from one department or branch to the others. These various systems of different capabilities must be cascaded ultimately to the highest level of the public or private organization up to the government or specially setup independent body for this purpose.
The communication systems within the hierarchy of these sub systems must be two way whenever possible. Primarily reporting of unusual observations must flow upwards and warnings must flow downwards.
Each of these warning systems can work at different levels of capability. For example, one might only receive a warning from a known organization and warn its own organization. Another might receive information on threats/hazards from its own organization, evaluate it, and warn others within the organization.
There may be others who could do both. At the highest level there can be an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based warning system. It must have the capability of accepting information from the following.
* Warning systems of other countries.
* Warning systems of international/regional organizations.
* Warning systems of public/private organizations.
* Warning from general public.
This system must evaluate the threats/hazards by an expert panel in real time. This won't be an easy task, but can start with whatever possible.
This is one area where automation using ICT can help. Automation of processes is essential, how crude it may be for the success of the warning system as time is critical from receiving information to disseminating warning. This will make the difference in saving lives, property and repercussions.
Warnings issued by the systems can have formats similar to following.
1. (...who...) Warning! possible (...what...) in (...which...) area. Immediately (...action...) Example: Government Warning! possible Earthquake in Ratnapura area. Immediately evacuate from the area.
2. (...who...) Warning! (...what...) in (...where...) area. Immediately (...action...) Example: XYZ Hotel Warning! Fire in Kitchen. Immediately move to the Pool area.
These warnings must be issued in multiple languages whenever possible.
Whatever the level of warning system, guidelines for designing and setting up warning systems, training on the use of the systems along with testing must be a continuous process.
Whatever the organization or social group, they will reap immediate benefit due to an established communication system, which may be used for purposes beyond issuing warnings alone.
The government or the independent body setup for this purpose or standards organizations can issue a 'Star Rating' according to a preset criterion for the warning system within each organization.
This would add value to the organization similar to '5-Star' hotels or 'ISO Certified' organizations and there will be an incentive for the organizations to develop better warning systems.
Let's not wait for the next hazard or disaster. We can have the warning systems at family level, community level, organization level and finally the government can integrate all these warning systems into a complete system.
THE aftermath of tsunami disaster has created a crying need for systematically established warning systems. This cannot be done just by the government or by few other organizations alone.
The entire community must rally round it. But the government or a government appointed independent body must take the initiative to gather ideas, design and propose a framework, so that the entire community can participate and contribute.
All Sri Lankans who faced this enormous tragedy can reflect on the experience to learn and create new knowledge. This reflection may vary from person to person.
For some it may be purely spiritual and may reflect on impermanent nature of life. Some others it may be the physical power of nature. For others it may be on what went wrong and what we should do in the future.
In this context an earlier article 'Adapting to an ICT Based Emergency Warning System' was published from the perspective of Information and Communication Technology.
As mentioned in the article technology is not the solution for everything. But whenever we are working against time it could be the key. This is mainly due to the fact that many tedious processes can be automated for 24 hour continuous operations.
As mentioned earlier the participation of entire community is necessary for the success of a 'Warning System'. But there cannot be just one system due to limitations in resources for the government to setup such a system as well as for the citizens to participate. But all of us can do something within our capabilities.
We do not give up setting up a rural hospital because we cannot perform bi-pass surgery. It could at least help save people with cardiac arrest. Therefore we must not wait until everything is in place and perfect. Start with whatever we have now. But how? This may be the question in many minds.
It is heartening to see the initiative taken by Vanguard Foundation and LIRNEasia in bringing in the expertise of local and international community to prepare a concept paper for a National All-Hazards Warning System (NAHWS).
Their interim concept paper is available on the Internet at http://www.vanguardfoundation.com and http://www.lirneasia.net since February 5, 2005 for review. This is a golden opportunity for anyone to incorporate their valuable ideas into the final concept paper by submitting them within two weeks.
What is proposed in this article is to have mini warning systems within the capabilities of any organization or social group. Thereafter integration is the key to bring them together. At the highest level this may be done by the government or an independent body setup for the purpose.
The reason for this is that public and private organizations have their own ways of working. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses and what is important is to have a warning system, which all can participate according to their existing capabilities. Thereafter they can continually improve to a higher level with the increase in their capabilities.
In my view, when we are designing a conceptual warning system two things are essential for the success of it. The first is to narrow the scope to nothing but the 'Warning System'. Otherwise we may try to create an all encompassing solution which may never be realized.
It would be similar to a situation where a car is designed and some may suggest that before the car we need to have good roads or others may suggest we must design a car suiting all terrains. Ultimately we may end up developing roads or have a monster vehicle without any practical use.
The second is within the scope of 'Warning System' we must allow every possible idea to be generated without any limitations or restrictions. It could be a very crude indigenous system or a sophisticated space age system. But all must be welcome, even though selecting, integrating, and prioritizing would be necessary.
The challenge is how we could have a 'Warning System' which integrate simple systems with the complex. If we think we can't, better drop dead. Because the common link in all systems is the humans and their capability to communicate verbally or otherwise.
We do not have to wait. We can start the 'Warning System' at family level. Each family can think of how they could warn the other members of the family in an emergency or disaster.
How the father and mother will contact each other, how the parents will contact the children, how the children will contact the parents and each other etc. This is not something new to any family. But we must consciously look at the existing system of communication and strengthen the weak points in the link.
Each school can have its own warning system, where principal, staff, students and parents can contact each other. Once again you cannot expect all schools to have the same resources. Therefore each will have their own workable warning system.
Each religious organization can have its own warning system to warn the devotees as well as the local community.
Each business can have its own warning system to warn its customers, staff and owners.
Each public gathering place can have its own warning system to warn those who are in the vicinity.
Each department or branch of public and private organizations can develop their own warning system according to the resources available. Must not wait until all departments or branches can do the same thing.
Once they are in place links must be established to pass warnings from one department or branch to the others. These various systems of different capabilities must be cascaded ultimately to the highest level of the public or private organization up to the government or specially setup independent body for this purpose.
The communication systems within the hierarchy of these sub systems must be two way whenever possible. Primarily reporting of unusual observations must flow upwards and warnings must flow downwards.
Each of these warning systems can work at different levels of capability. For example, one might only receive a warning from a known organization and warn its own organization. Another might receive information on threats/hazards from its own organization, evaluate it, and warn others within the organization.
There may be others who could do both. At the highest level there can be an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based warning system. It must have the capability of accepting information from the following.
* Warning systems of other countries.
* Warning systems of international/regional organizations.
* Warning systems of public/private organizations.
* Warning from general public.
This system must evaluate the threats/hazards by an expert panel in real time. This won't be an easy task, but can start with whatever possible.
This is one area where automation using ICT can help. Automation of processes is essential, how crude it may be for the success of the warning system as time is critical from receiving information to disseminating warning. This will make the difference in saving lives, property and repercussions.
Warnings issued by the systems can have formats similar to following.
1. (...who...) Warning! possible (...what...) in (...which...) area. Immediately (...action...) Example: Government Warning! possible Earthquake in Ratnapura area. Immediately evacuate from the area.
2. (...who...) Warning! (...what...) in (...where...) area. Immediately (...action...) Example: XYZ Hotel Warning! Fire in Kitchen. Immediately move to the Pool area.
These warnings must be issued in multiple languages whenever possible.
Whatever the level of warning system, guidelines for designing and setting up warning systems, training on the use of the systems along with testing must be a continuous process.
Whatever the organization or social group, they will reap immediate benefit due to an established communication system, which may be used for purposes beyond issuing warnings alone.
The government or the independent body setup for this purpose or standards organizations can issue a 'Star Rating' according to a preset criterion for the warning system within each organization.
This would add value to the organization similar to '5-Star' hotels or 'ISO Certified' organizations and there will be an incentive for the organizations to develop better warning systems.
Let's not wait for the next hazard or disaster. We can have the warning systems at family level, community level, organization level and finally the government can integrate all these warning systems into a complete system.
