Emergency Communication

Improving dissemination of information and creating self-organizing teams that can communicate via cell phones.

Task Analysis

Goal: Send message

• subtasks
• specify group/person for message (could be everyone)
• specify location and radius from location (could be current location)

Goal: View Messages

• subtask
• view all messages
• view messages for specific group

Goal: Send message to existing group

• subtask
• specify group
• specify location and radius if applicable
• precondition
• group already exits

Goal: View location of members in group

• subtask
• see location of individual members from a group on map
• get directions to specific member

Goal: Create a group

• subtask
• message members who should be in group
• specify name

Goal: Add self to group

• subtask
• subscribe to a group via message to form group
• preconditions
• need to have received message for group (unless creating a new group)

Scenarios

Scenario 1: Police in LA need to alert local police about missing girl at a specific location

A girl has recently gone missing at Fairfield Mall and police are sure that she’s likely within 30 miles of the mall.

They want to alert all police within 30 miles of the mall to keep a look out for the girl and give a description of

the perpetrator. Police who get the message and will be following the case can subscribe to that thread and

message other police with leads.

Scenario 2: Ad hoc medical center setup during Katrina is running low on supplies

This medical team is running low on blood and bandages, they need to quickly get some more from one of the

other centers that are close by. They message all other medical teams within a 5 mile radius. Other medical teams

are able to see the location from where the message was sent and deliver needed supplies.

Scenario 3: Teacher wants to communicate with children after earthquake at school

An earthquake has occurred in San Francisco and Mrs. Finke at Frostwood Middle School needs to communicate

with her students and find out where they are. They’ve prior setup a group on their cell phones, so she is able to

message them all at once and view each students location.

Concerns

• reliability of information
• should any individual be able to message general public
• what kind of privacy should individuals have