Emergency Response Organizations
If someone said the words "bucket brigade" to you, would they have any meaning at all? Kids today are probably not learning about the old days when neighbors served as their own fire departments, organizing these bucket brigades, dipping buckets full of water from a well, a trough or a stream and then handing in a line to fight blazes. It was not efficient by today's standards but it was what they had at the time.
Today, thanks to the internet, emergency help can be as near as your keyboard, organized so well that a click of the mouse can put you in touch with the right group, whether you are in need of help or are interested in being the one to give assistance to others. It doesn't matter how big or small your assistance is, because anything is better than nothing in the face of a storm. If you are going to give, it is important to know exactly where your strengths are. If you do not have the time or energy to give directly, you may be able to give money or other items. If you do not have the cash to donate, there is another option. You can offer to give organization to the group. You can build a web site that will give all of the relevant details.
As the person who will be charged with this very important task, you should learn the basics of How to create a web site, especially if you have never done so before. Because of its importance in the emergency response chain, this web site should be as simple and straightforward as possible. The first page should list names and numbers of people to call in particular situations as well as that information for local police departments, fire and emergency medical personnel. Additional information about how to provide help should also be listed. Make sure that your web site is giving several options for assistance, so that people who may not be able to help financially can still make a contribution. Information for where to take donations such as clothes, blankets, food and baby supplies should be included in a prominent location.
These web sites are a wonderful addition to the emergency response network, because many people check the internet for any information on emergency and catastrophes first. The people who are providing relief need to make sure that there is someone who is relaying information to other groups, coordinating out of town work crews and keeping curious onlookers from coming to a highly dangerous and already very chaotic scene. The crews might also use these web sites as a way to relay information back to their own families, especially if phones are overloaded and they cannot make personal phone calls. Since there are so many ways the web sites are used, they become more and more important. Learning how to get one up and running quickly and maintaining it until the emergency is cleared up is vital.
(Thanks for the guest-post Sam Peters)
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Today, thanks to the internet, emergency help can be as near as your keyboard, organized so well that a click of the mouse can put you in touch with the right group, whether you are in need of help or are interested in being the one to give assistance to others. It doesn't matter how big or small your assistance is, because anything is better than nothing in the face of a storm. If you are going to give, it is important to know exactly where your strengths are. If you do not have the time or energy to give directly, you may be able to give money or other items. If you do not have the cash to donate, there is another option. You can offer to give organization to the group. You can build a web site that will give all of the relevant details.
As the person who will be charged with this very important task, you should learn the basics of How to create a web site, especially if you have never done so before. Because of its importance in the emergency response chain, this web site should be as simple and straightforward as possible. The first page should list names and numbers of people to call in particular situations as well as that information for local police departments, fire and emergency medical personnel. Additional information about how to provide help should also be listed. Make sure that your web site is giving several options for assistance, so that people who may not be able to help financially can still make a contribution. Information for where to take donations such as clothes, blankets, food and baby supplies should be included in a prominent location.
These web sites are a wonderful addition to the emergency response network, because many people check the internet for any information on emergency and catastrophes first. The people who are providing relief need to make sure that there is someone who is relaying information to other groups, coordinating out of town work crews and keeping curious onlookers from coming to a highly dangerous and already very chaotic scene. The crews might also use these web sites as a way to relay information back to their own families, especially if phones are overloaded and they cannot make personal phone calls. Since there are so many ways the web sites are used, they become more and more important. Learning how to get one up and running quickly and maintaining it until the emergency is cleared up is vital.
(Thanks for the guest-post Sam Peters)
