International Medical Corps in Multiple Crises Google Earth, Maps

International Medical Corps in Multiple Crises
Google Earth, Maps and Docs
“Invest in your technology
infrastructure early. Once you
do, you can build from there,
but it is critical to have a strong
foundation from which to build.”
earth.google.com
Travel the world through a
virtual globe
Background
HAITI EARTHQUAKE, JANUARY 2010 - International Medical Corps is a global
nonprofit dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care
training and relief and development programs. International Medical Corps
provides health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in
underserved communities worldwide. We have been a leading responder
to emergencies in more than 65 countries, including the 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami; 2010 Haiti earthquake; 2010 Pakistan floods; the tsunami and
earthquake in Japan in 2011; the crisis in Libya; and the Famine in East Africa.
Google Tools
Our business runs on Google products, particularly during a disaster. Perhaps
most importantly, Google Earth has allowed us to track population movement,
disease outbreak, water and sanitation needs. We use Google MyMaps to
share information and updates about needs in refugee camps, as well as
hospitals and clinics - whether they are functional, where they are located, and
what resources they have available. It is critical to disseminate this information
quickly - to the community, to other remote sites, as well as to partner
organizations who are responding to the crisis.
We also use Google Docs across the organization – at headquarters as well
as in the field - to share information and provide updates in real time about
projects and their progress. In Haiti, for example, we were able to share
information internally about cases of cholera that we were witnessing, where
they were happening, geographic spread of the disease, and our specific
interventions for treating and preventing the spread of the disease. Google
Docs and Google Maps also enabled us to share that information with other
NGOs and UN agencies. While the disease claimed many lives, it could have
been far more deadly if we and the other relief groups had not been able to
identify it so quickly and mobilize a coordinated and effective response.
Tech Tip
Invest in your technology infrastructure early. Once you do, you can build from
there, but it is critical to have a strong foundation from which to build. Make
it interactive - community needs, information and resources change so quickly
during a disaster. And stay connected, track what people are searching for, and
allow for flexibility in your response efforts.
**Please note, names have been disguised to protect the privacy of those
involved in this story.
Visit google.org/crisisresponse to learn more.
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