Nonprofit Organizations Inspired to Develop Communications Tech for Use in Crisis

Mountain View, CA — For the first time, volunteers with communications and technology experience will be invited to join in a coordinated movement to use their skills to help relief teams respond to crises.

On September 19, HumaniNet, in partnership with Inveneo, Green WiFi, and a group of other nonprofit organizations and business partners, will hold the first “Silicon Valley Simulation Day” to demonstrate new technologies that can help relief teams to communicate and manage information in a crisis.

The arrival of Hurricane Ernesto in late August signaled the beginning of a new round of possible disasters, a reminder of the destructive force of Katrina in 2005. The experience and reports from the South Asia tsunami and a growing list of natural disasters have inspired a network of nonprofit organizations and tech experts to do something that has not been done before: get ready to help with communications and other vital technologies.

Technologists who are interested in supporting relief teams as volunteers in a crisis are welcome to attend. Sim Day is free and open to the public, but attendees are asked to register in advance or at the event, which will be held at the Intuit campus at 2550 Garcia Road, Building #5 in Mountain View, CA.

Advance registration for Sim Day can be done at www.humaninet.org or by emailing name and organization to info@humaninet.org. Agenda and directions are also posted on the Web site.

Silicon Valley Sim Day will feature:

• A crisis communications center that utilizes satellite communications, low-power computers, and wireless networks to provide Internet access and voice communications.
• Map-based “situational awareness” tools for managing critical information in relief conditions — used in the Katrina efforts.
• Solar-power computers designed for power-out conditions, austere environments, and underserved communities.
• “Green” telecommunications networks that can be rapidly deployed in devastated areas.
• Demonstrations of other successful technologies available to emergency relief teams.
• Speakers on emergency response capacity building and volunteer action in support of emergency teams.
• Networking opportunities for tech and operations managers, program officers, and other nonprofit leaders.

Telenor Satellite Services is the event sponsor and will have on hand a variety of satellite communications systems that enable highly mobile voice, data, and broadband communications solutions.

Sim Day attendees will also learn about TechReach International (www.techri.org), an initiative to recruit and mobilize technology volunteers for supporting relief operations. This initiative is being organized by Dr Don Bruce, a member of HumaniNet’s board of directors.

“For several years, and especially after Hurricane Katrina, we have heard from many technology and communications experts who wanted to help the on-site teams, but did not know where to start,” said Gregg Swanson, HumaniNet founder. “TechReach will be a way for these people to get engaged - and the relief community can certainly use their help.”

“Mobile satellite communications have proven in recent emergencies to be an essential tool for emergency responders, relief and recovery workers, and for businesses trying to keep their operations functioning during crisis situations,” said Bo Norton, vice president of Channel Sales for Telenor Satellite Services, Inc. “Facilitating the delivery of timely and reliable communications via satellite is of critical importance in emergency situations because, in many instances, satellite offers the only effective means of coordinating relief operations among the responders on location and the organizations providing support.”

For more information on Silicon Valley Sim Day, please contact Dr. Don Bruce of TechReach International at 831-375-0256 or donaldbru@gmail.com.