Going local without localization:Power and humanitarian response in the Syrian war

International aid organizations and donors have committed to localize aid by empowering local actors to deliver and lead in humanitarian response. While international actors do often rely on local actors for aid delivery, their progress on shifting authority falls short. Scholars suggest that while localizing aid may be desirable, the organizational imperatives of international actors and aid’s colonial past and present make it difficult at best. Can localization efforts produce locally led humanitarian response? Adopting a power framework, we argue that localization reinforces and reproduces international power; through institutional processes, localization efforts by international actors allocate capacity to, and constitute local actors as, humanitarians that are more or less capable, funded, and involved in responding to crises in the latter’s own countries. This article interprets aid efforts during the Syria War. In this crucial case, we might expect localization to be “easy” due to the dependence of international actors on local actors because of security concerns and constraints on international access. We draw on fine-grained qualitative data collected through immersive observation and 250 interviews with Syrian and international aid workers in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, as well as descriptive analysis of quantitative data. We reveal the ways Syrians were constituted as frontline responders, recipients of funds or trainings, risk-takers, gateways to access, and tokenistic representatives of the crisis. Our research shows that while the response seemed to “go local” by relying on the labor and risk-taking of Syrians to implement relief, it did not transfer authority to Syrian actors. Findings contribute to current debates in global development and humanitarian scholarship about who holds power within the global aid architecture

Training of Crisis Mappers and Map Production from Multi-sensor Data: Vernazza Case Study (Cinque Terre National Park, Italy)

This aim of paper is to presents the development of a multidisciplinary project carried out by the cooperation between Politecnico di Torino and ITHACA (Information Technology for Humanitarian Assistance, Cooperation and Action). The goal of the project was the training in geospatial data acquiring and processing for students attending Architecture and Engineering Courses, in order to start up a team of "volunteer mappers". Indeed, the project is aimed to document the environmental and built heritage subject to disaster; the purpose is to improve the capabilities of the actors involved in the activities connected in geospatial data collection, integration and sharing. The proposed area for testing the training activities is the Cinque Terre National Park, registered in the World Heritage List since 1997. The area was affected by flood on the 25th of October 2011. According to other international experiences, the group is expected to be active after emergencies in order to upgrade maps, using data acquired by typical geomatic methods and techniques such as terrestrial and aerial Lidar, close-range and aerial photogrammetry, topographic and GNSS instruments etc.; or by non conventional systems and instruments such us UAV, mobile mapping etc. The ultimate goal is to implement a WebGIS platform to share all the data collected with local authorities and the Civil Protectio

Aiding first incident responders using a decision support system based on live drone feeds

In case of a dangerous incident, such as a fire, a collision or an earthquake, a lot of contextual data is available for the first incident responders when handling this incident. Based on this data, a commander on scene or dispatchers need to make split-second decisions to get a good overview on the situation and to avoid further injuries or risks. Therefore, we propose a decision support system that can aid incident responders on scene in prioritizing the rescue efforts that need to be addressed. The system collects relevant data from a custom designed drone by detecting objects such as firefighters, fires, victims, fuel tanks, etc. The drone autonomously observes the incident area, and based on the detected information it proposes a prioritized based action list on e.g. urgency or danger to incident responders

Communications in emergency and crisis situations

In emergency and crisis situations (ECS) like earthquakes, tsunamis, terrorist attacks, it is very important that communication facilities are operative to provide services both to rescue teams and civilians. In ECS it is very common that communication premises are often unable to provide services, either due to physical damages or traffic overload. In such a case there is the need for rapid reestablishment of communication services. In this paper the communication services that can be exploited for ECS mitigation are discussed. The usage scenarios of such services are studied. Following that and looking from a network perspective view an ECS communication network architecture is presented. This architecture aims to provide seamless interoperability of varies communication technologies often present in ECS to provide an ECS communication solution. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

Are low cost accountability, communications, and management systems for emergency first responders using 3G and 4G cellular technologies feasible?

Reliable, easily deployed communication networks are a necessity for emergency responders as the coordination of their efforts and their safety depend on it. As a volunteer firefighter, this researcher is aware of the shortcomings of the current communication technologies presently deployed, and the risks it poses to firefighters. Some studies have proposed deployment of sophisticated hybrid, mesh networks and mobile ad hoc networks that allow for location tracking, environment and personnel vital signs monitoring, and data communications. Unfortunately the cost of these systems and required training in use of the equipment inhibits their adoption and wide scale deployment across the nation\u27s emergency responder agencies. We are surrounded by secure, reliable cellular network technologies that meet our voice and data communication needs, yet current studies focus on building network infrastructures from the ground up and discussing how to address the security and performance issues of their proposed networks. This study proposes the use of the existing cellular network architecture already in place across the nation as a foundation to explore the feasibility of a low cost communication, management and accountability system utilizing 3G and 4G technologies and architecture

Map-based interfaces for common operational picture

Common operationalpicture (COP) map-based interfacesdisplay operational information to support integrationofemergency responders. Such interfacesintegrate different subsystems and present the resulting information into an overview for enabling situation awareness. Literature shows that they are often developed from non-user-centric perspectives and are defined in technological terms that arenot adequately capturing the users’ needs. Therefore,theaim of this particular work in progressis to get insight into the features and the role of COP map-based interfaces currently being used in Norway to (1) examine theircontent, functionality, and design;and(2) to understand how such displays are incorporated into the servicecontext.This studystructuresthe knowledge on map displays that constitute part of the COP services.Using workshopand interviews with the developers and usersof existing COP map services, we identify requirements for a common operational symbology and common operational functionality to improvesuch map services andmake them interoperable.publishedVersio

Epigenetic dysregulation in chronic myeloid leukaemia: A myriad of mechanisms and therapeutic options

The onset of global epigenetic changes in chromatin that drive tumor proliferation and heterogeneity is a hallmark of many forms cancer. Identifying the epigenetic mechanisms that govern these changes and developing therapeutic approaches to modulate them, is a well-established avenue pursued in translational cancer medicine. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) arises clonally when a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) acquires the capacity to produce the constitutively active tyrosine kinase BCR-ABL1 fusion protein which drives tumor development. Treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) that target BCR-ABL1 has been transformative in CML management but it does not lead to cure in the vast majority of patients. Thus novel therapeutic approaches are required and these must target changes to biological pathways that are aberrant in CML − including those that occur when epigenetic mechanisms are altered. These changes may be due to alterations in DNA or histones, their biochemical modifications and requisite ‘writer’ proteins, or to dysregulation of various types of non-coding RNAs that collectively function as modulators of transcriptional control and DNA integrity. Here, we review the evidence for subverted epigenetic mechanisms in CML and how these impact on a diverse set of biological pathways, on disease progression, prognosis and drug resistance. We will also discuss recent progress towards developing epigenetic therapies that show promise to improve CML patient care and may lead to improved cure rates

How the internet of things technology enhances emergency response operations

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a novel paradigm that connects the pervasive presence around us of a variety of things or objects to the Internet by using wireless/wired technologies to reach desired goals. Since the concept of the IoT was introduced in 2005, we see the deployment of a new generation of networked smart objects with communication, sensory and action capabilities for numerous applications, mainly in global supply chain management, environment monitoring and other non-stress environments. This paper introduces the IoT technology for use in the emergency management community. Considering the information required for supporting three sequential and distinct rhythms in emergency response operations: mobilization rhythm, preliminary situation assessment rhythm, and intervention rhythm, the paper proposes a modified task-technology fit approach that is used to investigate how the IoT technology can be incorporated into the three rhythms and enhance emergency response operations. The findings from our research support our two hypotheses: H1: IoT technology fits the identified information requirements; and H2: IoT technology provides added value to emergency response operations in terms of obtaining efficient cooperation, accurate situational awareness, and complete visibility of resources. © 2012 Elsevier Inc

How the Internet of Things Technology Enhances Emergency Response Operations

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a novel paradigmthat connects the pervasive presence around us of a variety of things or objects to the Internet by using wireless/wired technologies to reach desired goals. Since the concept of the IoT was introduced in 2005, we see the deployment of a new generation of networked smart objects with communication, sensory and action capabilities for numerous applications, mainly in global supply chain management, environment monitoring and other non-stress environments. This paper introduces the IoT technology for use in the emergency management community. Considering the information required for supporting three sequential and distinct rhythms in emergency response operations: mobilization rhythm, preliminary situation assessment rhythm, and intervention rhythm, the paper proposes a modified task-technology fit approach that is used to investigate how the IoT technology can be incorporated into the three rhythms and enhance emergency response operations. The findings from our research support our two hypotheses: H1: IoT technology fits the identified information requirements; and H2: IoT technology provides added value to emergency response operations in terms of obtaining efficient cooperation, accurate situational awareness, and complete visibility of resources

Decision support for medical disasters: Evaluation of the IMPRESS system in the live Palermo demo

Abstract Background In medical disasters, coordination, information flows, and decision making are crucial for response and management. Different factors contribute to thwart the response efforts. Some are due to the coordination of the many agencies active in disaster response. Support tools for gathering and analysing data may support task assignment, resource allocation, and acquisition as well as training at different decision levels (in the field and in command-rooms). Validation of Decision Support Systems (DSS) in simulated contexts, simulating real situations, becomes mandatory. In the framework of testing and validation of the IMPRESS project (and of its INCIMOB and INCIMAG tools), one scenario was planned in Palermo, a city of 700,000 inhabitants in the Mediterranean Area of Southern Italy, simulating the sudden liberation of high concentrations of toxic compounds from a fire in Palermo harbor. Emergency Agencies, a real and a simulated Hospital and operators in the field used the system during the response phase. A group of 20 external Observers participated for evaluation purposes. During a joint debriefing session, ad-hoc questionnaires were administered. IMPRESS was useful in improving the execution of important functions during the DEMO; Users agreed about the advantages of the use of IMPRESS tools for conducting crisis activities. INCIMOB use resulted more problematic from an operational point of view. Shortcomings were detected and criticisms were raised due mainly to the lack of training and direct voice communication. Evaluation of DSS in Emergency medicine can benefit from live exercises to highlight weaknesses in both the response system and decision support