Drs. Bennett Gayle and Yuan will present their study on Disaster Tech: Can we leverage new and emerging technology to increase disaster preparedness? March 26th 2024 3:30p at the National Hurricane Conference in Orland Florida.
Abstract: The culture of disaster preparedness is lacking, and efforts designed to enhance individual and household preparedness have shown little to no improvement. There are few one-sized-fits-all preparedness approaches that have observed successes. There is very little evidence that people are aware of their most frequent local hazards and when they are aware they are woefully prepared. This influences warning, response, and recovery, especially among the most vulnerable. Rapid dissemination of messages via personal technology (such as mobile phones) is great, though there are still gaps in getting people to heed the messages they receive. New concepts and tools are likely needed to change the culture of preparedness, which will hopefully reduce risk among those most at risk. This presentation explores the possibility of leveraging new and emerging technology to increase disaster preparedness. For example, can personal intelligent devices, smart cars, smart appliances, or virtual reality be effectively used in this space? In this study, we launched a nationwide survey to assess current disaster preparedness levels of respondents, their current use of emerging technology, and their willingness to use these newer technologies for preparedness. Preliminary findings will be shared during this presentation.
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