Grants
Community Response Grids (CRGs)
Community Response Grids (CRGs) are web-based systems that integrate Internet and mobile technologies to facilitate response in large-scale emergency situations by enabling residents to report information, responders to disseminate instructions, and empower residents to assist one another. CRGs incorporate multiple communication platforms-landlines, computers, cell phones, and PDAs-and communities' social networks to promote community safety and response.
Building upon research in human-computer interaction, social networks, policy, trust, and information needs in emergencies, researchers from the Center for Information Policy and Electronic Government and the Human Computer Interaction Lab (www.hcil.umd.edu) are developing a prototype CRG for the University of Maryland campus (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Sample initial World Wide Web screen from University of Maryland CRG prototype
As information sharing, communication, and coordination are among the greatest impediments to effective response to disasters, CRGs will bring significant benefits to governments, communities, responders, and residents faced with natural disasters or terrorism by harnessing the power and presence of technology and of social networks. For more information, see: http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/911gov
Funding:
Qu, Y., Jaeger, P. T., Preece, J., Shneiderman, B., Fleischmann, K. & Wu, P. F. (Co-Principal Investigators). (2007-2008). University of Maryland Community Response Grid: Building Emergency Response Infrastructure. Funded by the Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Maryland. $40,421.
Related publications:
Bertot, J. C., Jaeger, P. T., Langa, L. A., & McClure, C. R. (2006). Public access computing and Internet access in public libraries: The role of public libraries in e-government and emergency situations. First Monday, 11(9). Available: http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue11_9/bertot/index.html.
Bertot, J. C., Jaeger, P. T., Langa, L. A., & McClure, C. R. (2006). Drafted: I want you to deliver e-government. Library Journal, 131(13), 34-39.
Jaeger, P. T., Fleischmann, K. R., Preece, J., Shneiderman, B., Wu, F. P., & Qu, Y. (in press). Community response grids: Facilitating community response to biosecurity and bioterror emergencies through information and communication technologies. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism.
Jaeger, P. T., Langa, L. A., McClure, C. R., & Bertot, J. C. (2007). The 2004 and 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes: Evolving roles and lessons learned for public libraries in disaster preparedness and community services. Public Library Quarterly, 25(3/4), 199-214.
Jaeger, P. T., Shneiderman, B., Fleischmann, K. R., Preece, J., Qu, Y., & Wu, F. P. (in press). Community response grids: E-government, social networks, and effective emergency response. Telecommunications Policy.
Shneiderman, B., & Preece, J. (2007). 911.gov: Community response grids. Science, 315, 944.
Wu, P. F., Preece, J., Shneiderman, B., Jaeger, P. T., & Qu, Y. (2007). Community response grids for older adults: Motivations, usability, and sociability. Proceedings of the 13th America Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS'07), Keystone, Colorado, USA.