Helpful Organizations The “Helpful Environment” involves the creation and use of task-centric virtual organisations involving people, government and non-governmental organisations, automated systems, grid and web services working alongside intelligent robotic, vehicle, building and environmental systems to respond to very dynamic events on scales from local to global. Examples of current “Helpful Organizations” are: ISCRAM – IAEM – MPAT – SAHANA –

ISCRAM Events: International Conference annual conference for scientists and practitioners Seattle, WA, May 2-5, 2010 ISCRAM China Conference Summer School ISCRAM Community: on the web on Facebook, etc. mailing list iscram.org facebook.com/ group.php?gid=

The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), which has members in 58 countries, is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the goals of saving lives and protecting properties during emergencies and disasters.

Our Vision IAEM shall be recognized as a premier international organization of emergency management professionals. Our Mission The mission of IAEM is to serve its members by providing information, networking and professional opportunities, and to advance the emergency management profession. IAEM Councils IAEM-Asia, IAEM-Canada, IAEM-Europa, IAEM-International, IAEM-Oceania, IAEM-Students, IAEM-USA. What is emergency management (EM)? Emergency management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Mission of EM Emergency management protects communities by coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters. Vision of EM Emergency management seeks to promote safer, less vulnerable communities with the capacity to cope with hazards and disasters. Principles of EM Emergency management must be: comprehensive, progressive, risk-driven, integrated, collaborative, coordinated, flexible and professional.

MPAT – Multinational Planning Augmentation Team www1.apan-info.net/mpat

What is MPAT? A cadre of military planners... From nations with Asia-Pacific interests Capable of rapidly augmenting a multinational force (MNF) headquarters (HQ) Established to plan and execute coalition operations In response to military operations other than war (MOOTW) / small scale contingencies (SSC) Objectives & Methods Improve Speed of Multinational Crisis Response Improve Multinational Force Interoperability Increase CTF Mission Effectiveness Unity of Effort A Multinational Program Maintains a cadre of MNF planners: skilled in common crisis action planning procedures; available to rapidly augment a CTF HQ during a crisis; Develops habitual relationships among MPAT cadre. Meets periodically to: share information & develop CTF HQ procedures (MNF SOP); practice CTF HQ activation, formation, & planning processes; Includes interested nations, International Organizations (IOs), Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), & United Nations (UN) agencies.

Sahana is a Free and Open Source Disaster Management system. It is a web based collaboration tool that addresses the common coordination problems during a disaster from finding missing people, managing aid, managing volunteers, tracking camps effectively between Government groups, the civil society (NGOs) and the victims themselves.

Sahana is an integrated set of pluggable, web based disaster management applications that provide solutions to large-scale humanitarian problems in the aftermath of a disaster. Our aspirations are as follows: –Primary: Help alleviate human suffering and help save lives through the efficient use of IT during a disaster –Bring together a diverse set of actors from Government, Emergency Management, NGOs, INGOs, spontaneous volunteers and victims themselves in responding effectively to a disaster –Empower the victims, responders, volunteer to better enable them to help themselves and others –Protect victim data and reduce the opportunity for data abuse –Provide a Free and Open Source solution end-to-end available to everyone Successful deployments: –Tsunami - Sri Lanka Officially deployed in the CNO for the Government of Sri Lanka –AsianQuake - Pakistan Officially deployed within with NADRA for the Government of Pakistan –Southern Leyte Mudslide Disaster - Philippines Officially deployed with the NDCC and ODC for the Government of Philippines –Sarvodaya - Sri Lanka Deployed for Sri Lanka's largest NGO –Terre des Hommes - Sri Lanka Deployed with new Child Protection Module –Yogjarkata Earthquake - Indonesia Deployed by ACS, urRemote and Indonesian whitewater association and Indonesian Rescue Source –New York City – Pre-deployed in support of the City of New York’s Coastal Storm Plan –Peru Ica Earthquake Deployed for the Government of Peru –Chendu - Shizuan Province Earthquake Deployed by Chendgu Police