HISG : Global Information Center

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Global Information Center

Systems that Serve a Purpose

HISG's Global Information Center (GIC) serves as an information sharing and processing nerve center during large-scale disaster response and other humanitarian relief work. Staff at the GIC have worked extensively in the past few years to incorporate new technology into disaster relief and community development projects. Listed below are a number of projects HISG is currently working on to put cutting-edge technology to use for those in need-

Open source software development
Secure email servers
Secure but easy to use information sharing platforms
FLEX software development
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone systems to enable cheap and rapid communication

In addition to building these tools to serve the needs of humanitarian workers, HISG's Global Information Center offers internships for students to learn more about these tools and gain invaluable experience building custom-made solutions to real-world problems.

Information Sharing During Disaster Response

The GIC is a crucial piece in allowing HISG to help organizations from the private sector become involved during large scale disasters. The private sector is made up of businesses, faith-based organizations, educational institutions, civic groups and non-profit organizations. Volunteers from these five groups provide a vast majority of the workforce in disaster response and recovery operations. Emergency responders from the public sector, like police officers and firefighters, make up less than 1% of the population. Unfortunately, there is no system in place to coordinate the efforts of the private sector and connect them to government operations. The GIC fills that void, processing large amounts of information to provide a clear picture of urgent, real-time needs and helping to identify any critical needs that are not being met. The Global Information Center has launched a separate website, www.IDRN.info (International Disaster Response Network), for communication during disaster response initiatives.

Trained to FEMA Certification

The entire staff at the Global Information Center has completed and been certified in FEMA incident command and emergency operations center training. Several volunteers participated in the training as well, and have assisted at the Global Information Center during disaster events. HISG staff at the GIC has also participated in training sessions with local volunteer organizations.