ATLANTA, Ga. – Juvare, the owner of WebEOC and EMTrack, was among a select group of companies invited to the White House to attend a workshop with local, State, and Federal agencies to discuss information sharing during hurricane events. Juvare, along with Esri, Google, and AT&T participated in the daylong event of panel discussions and breakout sessions sponsored by the Executive Office of the President.
Cy Cole, Director, Juvare and a nationally known resiliency and preparedness expert, participated in the workshop and noted three primary themes that emerged from the formal and informal conversations during the day:
- Geographic Information Systems are one of the primary sources of information used during disaster planning and response. The ability to visualize data aids in decision making.
- Mobile devices are critical to the response community. Information providers should assume that their data will be used primarily on mobile phones and tablets connected via a wireless network.
- It is difficult to share information efficiently during disasters. The obstacles run the gamut from technology problems to policy and governance issues.
The issues that emerged from the workshop align well with the work being done at Juvare. Based on experiences with WebEOC and EMTrack, Juvare is developing the new gold standard for community resilience solutions.
Sharing information quickly and easily among government agencies, businesses, and private citizens during an emergency is a core capability of the new solution. Rather than having to manage a confusing array of websites and sign-ons, Juvare will have a simple portal connection available that provides access to the important information you need during a disaster, regardless of where that information may reside.
The information framework created by Juvare will consolidate information from private businesses as well as government agencies to provide the precise information you need when you can only make a decision once, and you need to make that decision in a hurry. The information will be displayed in a visual format that is easy to understand and is actionable, no matter what type of device you are using to view the information.
The issues that emerged from the White House workshop underscore the value and importance of being connected to a community that shares information well and in a timely manner. Accomplishing that goal takes all of us a step closer to realizing Juvare’s vision of resilient communities that are precise, vigilant, and connected.
