Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 NZ Red Cross Pacific Satellite Communications Remote Communications Disaster Assessment Surveys

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Remote Communications  The Problem:  During a disaster, normal (cellular) communications are not available or fail  Requirements:  Works during disasters  Is economical to operate  Is easy to use  Uses familiar technologies  Can be used for other purposes during “normal” times

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Remote Communications  Iridium satellite phone :  Works during disasters  Make and receive telephone calls  Send and receive text messages (awkward)  Expensive to operate  inReach satellite communicator:  Works during disasters  Send and receive text messages  Much cheaper to operate than Iridium  Awkward to used on its own  Can be used with a smartphone

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Situation 1: Cellular OK at Headquarters Option 1: inReach Phone Mobile phone at Headquarters inReach at remote location

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Situation 1: Cellular OK at Headquarters Option 2 : Phone + inReach Phone Mobile phone at Headquarters inReach + Smartphone at remote location

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Situation 2: No Cellular at Headquarters Option 1: inReach inReach inReach at Headquarters inReach at remote location

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Situation 2: No Cellular at Headquarters Option 2: Phone+ inReach at each end inReach + Smartphone at Headquarters inReach + Smartphone at remote location

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Situation Data on Situation Information for Decision Making Response Gather Data Deliver Relief Decide Response Data Analysis TheReliefCycle Disaster Assessment

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Disaster Assessment Surveys  Problems with paper surveys  Long time before data is available  Accuracy of data  Requirements  Works during disasters  Speeds up the process  Makes the data more accurate  Is economical to operate  Is easy to use  Uses familiar technologies  Can be used for other purposes during “normal” times

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 RAMP (Rapid Assessment using Mobile Phones) Surveys  Data collected using low cost, familiar and widely- available mobile phones  Questionnaires are based on paper versions  Near instantaneous data analysis at any place  Can be used for other purposes (e.g. health surveys) during “normal” times  BUT:  Relies on Cellular or Wi-Fi to get data into system

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Standard RAMP utilises two technologies Mobile phone to collect data Standard mobile phones used to collect data. Data sent over cellular or Wi-Fi Web-based software Standard computers used to  develop forms and  receive and analyse data

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 How does Standard RAMP work ? 1. Survey questionnaires created using web-based software 2. Questionnaires downloaded to mobile phones 3. Data is collected (no internet or phone connection required) 4. Survey data is transferred via internet or phone connection to a web server 5. Survey results can be instantly downloaded from web server for analysis

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Extended RAMP adds a third technology, Satellite Transmission Mobile phone to collect data Standard mobile phones are used to collect data Web-based software Standard computers used to develop forms and to receive and analyse data inReach to transmit data Text over Iridium satellite system used to send data

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 How does Extended RAMP work ? 1. Survey questionnaires are created using web-based software 2. Questionnaires are downloaded to mobile phones 3. Data is collected (no internet or phone connection required) 4. Succinct Data software on phone compresses data to reduce communications costs 5. Compressed data is transferred (via internet, phone OR satellite) to an SD web server for decompression 6. Decompressed data is transferred to a web server 7. Survey results can be instantly downloaded from web server for analysis

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 How does Extended RAMP work ? 1. Develop Survey on Website 2. Collect Data 3. Send data over Cellular or Satellite 4. Analyse data5. Data Reports

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Similarities with traditional surveys  Survey form content can be virtually identical  Key indicators  Question order  Permitted answers  Training of surveyors continues to be an important part of producing quality data

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 An Extended RAMP Kit Survey Kit (with volunteer)  Smartphone  inReach Communicator  Battery to recharge above  Waterproof housing, cables, etc. Charging Kit (at forward base)  Multi-standard Charger  Solar Panel  Battery being charged

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 How to Use RAMP – Magpi Questionnaire  Before You Leave:  Turn on Tablet (small button on right)  Unlock the tablet (swipe upwards)  Run Magpi  Log in using the user name and password you have been given  NOTE: Make sure you tick Keep me logged in  In the Field  Click the questionnaire that you have been told to use  Start filling in the Questions  When finished choose the appropriate option from the menu

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 The Magpi Menu Add New RecordFill in another questionnaire Upload DataUse to send data via Wi-Fi / Cellular Export to SuccinctUse to send data via Satellite (only appears if SD is installed) Review AnswersUse to check your answers Go back to Last Question Use to check your answers Go to Form ListUse to select a different form

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Sending Data Back via Wi-Fi or Cellular  Select Upload Data on the Magpi menu  Look for a message saying that upload has been successful  Shortly the data will appear on the Magpi website

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Sending Data Back via Satellite – 1  Take your inReach and tablet outside and make sure:  both your tablet and inReach are switched on;  both Magpi and Succinct Data are running on your tablet;  your inReach has a clear view of the sky.  Select Export to Succinct on the Magpi menu  Look for a message that upload has been successful  The tablet should also buzz to indicate success  Your inReach will start sending your data to the satellite  Listen for high pitched beeps from the inReach (typically 2 per record) as it sends your data  Shortly your data (less photos) will be on the Magpi website

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Sending Data Back via Satellite – 2  When you return to Wi-Fi or Cellular coverage:  Click the questionnaire that you have been using  Select Upload Data on the Magpi menu  Look for a message saying that upload has been successful  This will send to the Magpi website:  any unsent records; and  the photos associated with the records you sent by satellite.  Magpi will stop telling you it has unsent messages.  Shortly your data (with photos) will be on the Magpi website

Saving lives, changing minds. Emergency Appeal IFRC Drought response 2013 Potential Developments  Remote Communications  Add (Succinct Data?) compression to transmission & reception  Disaster Assessment  Allow multiple phones to share (using Serval Mesh?) a single inReach communicator  Add thumbnail pictures to Satellite transmission  General  Use Smartphone apps and/or inReach to replace custom hardware and software