Citation
(2005), "New hand-held information system for emergency responders", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 14 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2005.07314dab.003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
New hand-held information system for emergency responders
The National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine (NLM) has announced the release of a personal digital assistant (PDA) software tool designed to help first responders when they arrive at a hazardous material (hazmat) incident, such as a chemical spill. The new tool, dubbed “WISER” (Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders), provides critical information on hazardous substances, including physical characteristics, human health data, and containment and suppression information. To aid decision making, users can specify the role they are currently performing at the scene of an incident, and WISER organizes the critical information in a sequence most relevant to a first responder on the scene, a hazmat specialist or an emergency medical specialist.
Operational versions of WISER for Palm OS and Pocket PC, as well as a desktop version for Windows are now available without charge for download. A web-based version is also being developed, and the NLM is collaborating with regional and local emergency response organizations and using their feedback as input for future enhancements. Find out more and download a copy of the software at http://WISER.nlm.nih.gov/
(Natural Hazards Observer, May 2005)