Continuation of 1.3.
c. Preparation of reports
Reports should be periodic and should reflect changes and new conditions in the emergency situation.
The frequency with which reports are prepared will depend on how the situation unfolds, although at the beginning, they should be issued at a minimum every 48 hours. Situation reports (SITREPs) should contain up-to-date and accurate information on the following areas:
Health SITREPs
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d. Emerging technologies and information management
The advent of new applications on the Internet—primarily the growing popularity of social networks--has made it easier to collaborate and exchange information quickly in disaster situations. These massive communities of users with shared relationships or mutual interests have become very active in recent disasters. During the earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and Japan, many people were able to get news of family members and friends thanks to massive exchange of information through these networks. Access to valuable tools like Google Earth and Google Maps (use these links) lets health professionals develop personalized tools to identify places such as shelters, health facilities, areas of impact and interventions, etc.), with the additional advantage that these programs can be used in conjunction with other platforms such as YouTube and Picasa. View this Powerpoint presentation on social media in emergency situations. Learn more about the topic in the article Social Media and Disasters: Current Uses, Future Options, and Policy Considerations. Consider the opportunities and challenges that social media presents in an article about lessons learned in using social media in disaster relief.
Another technology that contributes significantly to information management is GPS (the global positioning system), which uses the global satellite navigation system that makes it possible to determine the location of an object, person, building, or particular area within a few meters. This technology can be extremely useful, since it makes it possible to georeference almost any location of interest, such as place of impact or intervention, services, shelters, and supply points, as well as an enormous quantity of reference items that are useful in monitoring and controlling operations.