It is important for people prior to a disaster to store critical information about themselves and their family.  For instance, keeping a copy of birth certificates, passports, businesses may need documents to continue operations after a disaster has occured, people need a place to store contact data for family and friends so that they can easily notify them after a disaster has occured that they are ok, or that they need help.  Additionally, this system could be used by victims to make known their needs for support after a disaster. 

I believe we can meet this information challenge by development of a database and web portal for citizens to use.  In this portal (called the EERSS) individuals and families can log in, create a presence, upload digital copies of important documents, contact data for family and friends, and a means to present their location and any medical or survival needs they have.  In turn, when a disaster occurs, during evacuation, people don't have to worry about getting all their documents together, if they forget something, it will already be stored in the system.  Additionally, it could allow for people to show their location and what support they would need from the Red Cross or other organizations, allowing the organization to find them easily, as opposed to hunting and possibly not bringing in the right supplies.  Bottom line, this system seeks to store critical information for citizens in a secure, non-commercial domain, that they can use during and after a disaster occurs.  Additionally, after a disaster, the system can be used to communicate status to relatives and friends, as well as communicate needs for food, clothing and other supplies.  It would be incumbent upon relief services to also provide a means of access during recovery operations consisting of nothing more than an internet connection and computers.  This system would be accessed from the internet, and does nothing more than provide a secure means to save critical information without commercial exploitation.  Red Cross and other services would need to provide victims with a means of access, and thus people could better communicate with relief organizations their location and needs.