Adam Shatzkamer   •   over 15 years ago

Submission: Community-Based Interoperability

Interoperability is not limited to the ability to communicate across response disciplines whether at the management or tactical levels. True interoperability means the ability to work together, communicate, and cooperate throughout communities affected by disaster. Community-Based Interoperability is one was to implement true interoperability. Work with communities: CERT teams, other community groups, government services, emergency managers and responders to achieve true interoperability. Encourage communities to train together, to exercise together, to develop and lead projects together for the betterment of the community. Whether conducting terrorism response exercises, presenting fire safety information to school children, or even helping seniors or the disabled shop for groceries, every community event or interaction provides an opportunity for those that will have to cooperate in the wake of a disaster to get to know each other's personalities and operations. By involving the entire community at every possible juncture, the community will become that much more resilient to disaster by building capability to assist one another not matter what the situation. Build systems to coordinate all community service activities across disciplines. Have the police chief attend local rotary meetings, publish a newsletter outlining upcoming events, invite the local little league leadership to participate in fire department fundraising, etc. And make sure to include all members of the community including those that may be on the margins of society. Don’t forget to use social media to your advantage either! A Twitter account or a Facebook page can work wonders towards getting neighbors excited about getting to know and helping neighbors. When local seniors participate in washing fire trucks and the firefighters help on clean-up day at the local park, you’ve created unmatched opportunities to build relationships pre-disaster that will pay back in dividends should a disaster occur. True interoperability will be achieved when the community works together, thinks together, and acts together to solve everyday issues. Building community-based interoperability allows neighbors to understand each others needs and get to know one another on a daily basis; these relationships are the building blocks of successful disaster response. Not only does community-based interoperability lead to disaster resilience, but it also betters everyday life for community members. Achieving this true interoperability leads to absolute resilience and will ensure that a community can bounce back from disaster and that no member of the community is left behind.