SYSTEM FOR MULTI-PHASE MANAGEMENT OF A NATURAL DISASTER INCIDENT

• US 20120047187A1
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steven J. Daus
• Original Assignee: Steven J. Daus
• Inventors: Daus, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US12/858,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20120047187A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A computerized system for multi-phase management of a natural disaster incident is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the computerized system incorporates a pre-incident risk reduction management module, a crisis response management module, and a restoration and rehabilitation management module to correspond to these three distinct phases of managing a natural disaster incident. This multi-phase natural disaster management system can be utilized by private entities, community groups, state, national, and/or international agencies to assist prevention or reduction of damage to human and natural resources in a particular disaster incident. Furthermore, the multi-phase natural disaster management system can assist or enable protection of lives, health, and safety of community members and disaster incident response personnel. A prioritization model in the pre-incident risk management module can take an empirical or subjective weighting factor in evaluating a particular geographic section to optimize disaster prevention and management.

Claims

1. A system for multi-phase management of a natural disaster incident, the system comprising:

at least one CPU operatively connected to a memory unit;

a pre-incident module operatively connected to a project-specific database (PSD) and a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the pre-incident module comprises a pre-incident module operating program, a pre-incident user interface, a prioritization model user interface, and a prioritization model program for a planning prioritization model, wherein the prioritization model program is capable of deriving a sub-area index value (SAIV), which is a quantitative measure of priority for pre-incident planning derived from an environmental parameter (EP), a weighting factor (WF) parameter, and a quantitative representation of the environmental parameter (QREP) for a specific area from the PSD;

a crisis response module operatively connected to an incident-specific database (ISD) and the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the crisis response module comprises a crisis response module operating program, a crisis response module user interface, and an ISD update interface unit; and

a rehabilitation management module operatively connected to the ISD and the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the rehabilitation management module comprises a rehabilitation management module operating program and a rehabilitation management module user interface.

2. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 1, further comprising a prime database configured to store one or more geo-referenced layers for emergency management and response, wherein each geo-reference layer contains one or more geographic and resource-specific information to be referenced, superimposed, and/or used by a general topographical database for creation of the PSD and the ISD.

3. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 1, wherein the pre-incident user interface allows a user to select a particular risk type from a list of risk types and a set of industry standard management actions associated with the particular risk type.

4. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 1, wherein the crisis response module user interface is capable of taking a general request, a resource allocation request, or an ISD update request from a user.

5. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 4, wherein the resource allocation request involves allowing a user to choose emergency equipment from a list of available equipment, a particular tactical filed condition for viewing, and a specific search area for equipment deployment.

6. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 1, wherein the rehabilitation management module user interface provides pre-incident condition information and post-incident condition information after the natural disaster incident is in a rehabilitation stage.

7. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 1, wherein the rehabilitation management module user interface is capable of recording standardized data in the rehabilitation management module from a user'"'"'s input entry for a potential update in the ISD.

8. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 2, wherein the one or more geographic and resource-specific information include a theme and an attribute specific to the theme.

9. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 2, wherein the project-specific database (PSD) or the incident-specific database (ISD) contains a data-layer set comprising at least some geo-referenced layers derived from the prime database for a specific geographic region requested by a user through a user interface for the system.

10. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 9, wherein the data-layer set of the PSD or the ISD is created in part by clipping and stitching relevant data sets from the prime database.

11. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 1, wherein at least some geo-referenced layers are based on standard USGS map information.

12. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 1, further comprising an ISD update unit which receives and authenticates an ISD update request from a user and processes the ISD update request by updating an operational version of the ISD and storing a record of the ISD update in an incident record.

13. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 12, wherein the ISD update unit also updates any relevant computers associated with the system if local data in the relevant computers require program updates.

14. The system for multi-phase management of the natural disaster incident of claim 8, wherein the theme is a land jurisdiction pattern, road information, vegetation formations, water infrastructure, wildlife habit, geologic or soils hazards, waste disposal infrastructure, energy infrastructure, communications infrastructure, commercial infrastructure, cultural resources, emergency response infrastructure, or emergency services infrastructure, and wherein the attribute is a more descriptive field under the theme.

15. A data processing system for multi-phase management of a natural disaster incident, the data processing system comprising:

at least one CPU operatively connected to a memory unit;

a pre-incident module operatively connected a project-specific database (PSD) and a computer readable storage medium, wherein the pre-incident module comprises a pre-incident module operating program, a pre-incident user interface, a prioritization model user interface, and a prioritization model program for a planning prioritization model, wherein the prioritization model program is capable of deriving a sub-area index value (SAIV), which is a quantitative measure of priority for pre-incident planning derived from an environmental parameter (EP), a weighting factor (WF) parameter, and a quantitative representation of the environmental parameter (QREP) for a specific area from the PSD;

a crisis response module operatively connected to an incident-specific database (ISD) and the computer readable storage medium, wherein the crisis response module comprises a crisis response module operating program, a crisis response module user interface, and an ISD update interface unit;

a rehabilitation management module operatively connected to the ISD and the computer readable storage medium, wherein the rehabilitation management module comprises a rehabilitation management module operating program and a rehabilitation management module user interface; and

an ISD update unit which receives and authenticates an ISD update request from a user and processes the ISD update request by updating an operational version of the ISD and storing a record of the ISD update in an incident record.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, further comprising a prime database configured to store one or more geo-referenced layers for emergency management and response, wherein each geo-reference layer contains one or more geographic and resource-specific information to be referenced, superimposed, and/or used by a general topographical database for creation of the PSD and the ISD.

17. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the pre-incident user interface allows a user to select a particular risk type from a list of risk types and a set of industry standard management actions associated with the particular risk type.

18. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the crisis response module user interface is capable of taking a general request, a resource allocation request, or an ISD update request from a user.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the resource allocation request involves allowing a user to choose emergency equipment from a list of available equipment, a particular tactical filed condition for viewing, and a specific search area for equipment deployment.

20. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the rehabilitation management module user interface provides pre-incident condition information and post-incident condition information after the natural disaster incident is in a rehabilitation stage.

21. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the rehabilitation management module user interface is capable of recording standardized data in the rehabilitation management module from a user'"'"'s input entry for a potential update in the ISD.

22. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the project-specific database (PSD) or the incident-specific database (ISD) are created in part by clipping and stitching relevant data sets from the prime database, and wherein the PSD or the ISD contains a data-layer set comprising at least some geo-referenced layers derived from the prime database for a specific geographic region requested by a user through a user interface for the system.