Topic Summaries

V.I.P.E.R.     https://cop.vdem.virginia.gov/viper/

The Virginia Interoperability Picture for Emergency Response ( VIPER) will allow the VEOC to display information that relates to each other spatially in order to drastically improve the situational awareness of response and recovery coordinators. The system can ingest information from disparate systems, such as WebEOC, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), and the National Weather Service and display it through a GIS interface.

The Use of Social Media During Disasters

More and more people are using social media and other new technology to communicate on a daily basis. This is especially true during disasters. Traditional media still has a role, but Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other new technologies are often the first places people go for information during disasters. Learn how the Virginia Dept. of Emergency Management and other agencies are using the technology to ensure that accurate information is getting to the people who need it.

Lab Machine Status Server  http://is.richmond.edu/security/Downloads.htm

An application developed in house at the University of Richmond.  This project began as a way to monitor the usage of machines in the library and other labs and to provide real-time views of computer availability for the students.  After the events at Virginia Tech, the system was upgraded to provide alerts to those lab machines both visually and audibly.  Previous versions of this open source / GPL project have been installed at several institutions, however the current versions has not yet been released.

Disaster Management Open Platform for Emergency networks (DM-OPEN)

A set of non-proprietary operational web services that acts as a “level playing field” to allow disparate third-party applications, systems, networks and devices to share information in a non-proprietary, open, standards-based format.  DM-OPEN information sharing speaks to something far more versatile  than typical file sharing, or even Common Operational Picture  (COP) sharing.

Telework: The Technology Behind The Decision

Many disaster plans include an option for employees to work remotely during an event.  This discussion will explore why telework is a viable option, and the necessary steps to ensure its success.  Included in this discussion is an exploration if MRTG and NetFlow Analyzer tools as they apply to the template of success.