Crowdsourcing with mobile techniques for crisis support

The responsibilities deployed from the central authorities to local levels acting as first actors of civil protection are a changing pattern in natural hazard management. Prevention and preparedness are long-term goals, rooted in the competence of volunteers, and on the awareness of the citizens as local inhabitants. MAppERS (Mobile Application for Emergency Response and Support) relies on people as “crowd-sourced mappers” through mobiles application. The feedback received from testing and training courses aims to raise participation in a networked disaster response. The goal was to design a mobile application with a real-time dashboard for public citizens and volunteers of civil protection. Two pilot study cases were selected that included trainings on modules, verification of the usability and the quality of the product. The synchronized platform shows the activity of the cloud data collection with a central data dashboard. A first section of the application focuses on floods processes by gathering data from local population, and contributes to awareness and long-term preparedness. The second section of the application tests pre-emergency actions on field with rescue teams, collecting the condition of the hazards.