Faster And Better Emergency Response Through Satellite Telecoms

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

The system will be tested in two different exercise scenarios, one African and one European. The second scenario simulates a terrorist attack in the centre of a European capital. The resulting confusion leads to traffic jams and saturation of the mobile telephone network. The work of the many civil protection and health operators, who are all entering the scene at the same time, is hindered by a lack of coordination and field information, particularly on decontamination measures and treatment protocols. HEWS will give civil protection authorities the ability to supply this information and coordinate the field teams correctly.

by Staff Writers
Paris, France (ESA) May 10, 2007
When emergency teams are well informed and governments can coordinate their efforts, lives and property can be saved. The Health Early Warning System, a project supported by ESA, is intended to bring this benefit to Europe. Extreme natural phenomena like tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes have featured prominently in the news. So, too, has the rapid spread of new diseases such as SARS and avian flu.

By identifying and mapping occurrences of these problems sooner, agencies can relieve suffering more quickly and contain a situation more efficiently. That is why ESA is supporting the Health Early Warning System (HEWS), which will improve the performance of emergency service end-users.

HEWS offers these users a wider, real-time perspective of events and how to manage them. It integrates knowledge of a particular threat or disease and brings it to remote areas, even if they are in an extreme state of disorder. It helps with logistical support and reduces the need to carry large amounts of heavy equipment to trouble spots.

A pan-European solution
HEWS works by setting up a communication network via satellite to survey and monitor risk indicators. It allows communication between teams in the field and with command centres. Data from many locations can be collected, stored and processed. It can then be quickly analysed and distributed to the users who need it the most. HEWS is an open platform, built using a modular approach, so the widest variety of users can implement it.

What will make HEWS critical to disaster relief agencies is that it is satellite based. Disasters may disrupt or even destroy local infrastructure - but satellites are immune to their effects.

Two scenarios
The system will be tested in two different exercise scenarios, one African and one European. In the first, a suspected case of an infectious disease is reported. Field teams will be deployed by the local Ministry of Health, international organisations and NGOs.

The scenario will require them to assess the current situation and deploy a mobile laboratory. Based on field reports, a practice emergency will be declared. HEWS will provide real-time reporting from the various locations and provide insight into how the epidemic is developing. A response will then be organised and feedback provided to mobile teams on road access, water, food, drugs, and medical disposables.

The second scenario simulates a terrorist attack in the centre of a European capital. The resulting confusion leads to traffic jams and saturation of the mobile telephone network. The work of the many civil protection and health operators, who are all entering the scene at the same time, is hindered by a lack of coordination and field information, particularly on decontamination measures and treatment protocols. HEWS will give civil protection authorities the ability to supply this information and coordinate the field teams correctly.

HEWS is the work of a consortium of three companies, Instituto Nacional de Sa�de and Tekever S.A., both from Portugal, and Ridgeback s.a.s. from Italy. The project is co-financed by ESA as part of the Health and Telemedicine via Satellite Programme.

Email This Article

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Bridges Will Rock Safely During Quakes With New Design

Buffalo NY (SPX) May 10, 2007
Bridges that "dance" during earthquakes could be the safest and least expensive to build, retrofit and repair, according to earthquake engineers at the University at Buffalo and MCEER. The researchers recently developed and successfully tested the first seismic design methodology for bridge towers that respond to ground motions by literally jumping a few inches off the ground.

ENERGY TECH Papua New Guinea Islanders Drive Their Cars On Coconut Power New Materials Might Revolutionize Hydrogen Storage Small Fuel Cells Market Thrives On Government Support And Demand For Reliable Backup Power A Russian Comeback To Central Asia More Than A Pipe Dream	CIVIL NUCLEAR Twenty Years Of Yucca Mountain Research Now Available For Scientific Review Southern Company Plans To Sell Interest In Proposed Nuclear Plant Bush Rings Manmohan To Discuss Nuclear Deal And WTO Talks Thorium Reactors Integral To Indian Energy Independence
BLUE SKY Widespread Twilight Zone Detected Around Clouds Rand Says Further Study Warranted On Save The World Air Technology Noxious Lightning AIM Heads For Orbit	WOOD PILE Indigenous Groups Seek Millions From Credit Suisse Over Timber Deal Indonesia Fastest Forest Clearer In World WHRC Scientists Creating National Biomass And Carbon Datas How To Manage Forests In Hurricane Impact Zones
FARM NEWS Netherlands Refuses GM Corn Shipment From US New Knowledge Improves Rice Quality Plant Pathologists Fighting Global Threat To Wheat Supply Light Sticks May Lure Turtles To Fishing Lines	CAR TECH Intelligent Cars As Fuel-Efficient As Hybrids China Automobile Dream A Nightmare For Climate Change Driverless Car Goes On Show In London Made In USA Losing Cachet
AEROSPACE Australia Fears Jet Flight Guilt Could Hit Tourism Nondestructive Testing Keeps Bagram Aircraft Flying New FAA Oceanic Air Traffic System Designed By Lockheed Martin Fully Operational NASA Seeks New Research Proposals	NUCLEAR SPACE Could NASA Get To Pluto Faster? Space Expert Says Yes - By Thinking Nuclear NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement