CrisisCamp NZ has been coordinating http://eq.org.nz in response to the New Zealand earthquake. This email explains what the site has been doing and how to help if you would like to.
About Eq.org.NZ
- a diabetic has thanked us for telling her where to get her insulin
- parents finding out where they can buy food
- reporting that some petrol stations that only have diesel left, so don’t go there
We are importing data directly from the Christchurch City Council’s mapping team. This means that the site provides the same information that the council does. The site is becoming a central hub for all of the community’s needs. We need volunteers to ensure that progress continues. We have reached roughly 150,000 visits to the site in less than two days.
How to help
A useful webpage for learning about what we’re doing: The best webpage is http://wiki.crisiscommons.org/wiki/Christchurch_NZ_Earthquake_21.02.2011#Volunteers.
For people outside of Wellington, it means monitoring official sources, news media and unofficial sources for information. You can then submit that data to the site as a messages.
For people based in Wellington, it means donating roughly an hour every couple of days for the next few weeks. Volunteers act as moderators for incoming messages. We would like to do most of the moderating in Wellington, so that people can be in the same room when possible. This makes coordination much easier.
Messages can come in through several media:
- by free txt to 5627
- by email eqnzfeb@gmail.com
- by tweeting with #eqnz hashtag
- by web form http://eq.org.nz/reports/submit
Optimal Usability for providing space for training, staff & co-working:
- 5pm – 8m (tonight)
- 5pm – 11pm (Fri)
- 11am – 8pm (Sat)
- 11am – 8pm (Sun)
You can also help by organising a CrisisCamp. Crisis camps are co-working events that help build http://eq.org.nz and support its infrastructure.
Some projects that require volunteer teams:
- creating screencasts of how to use http://eq.org.nz
- creating printed maps for distribution within Christchurch welfare centers
- customizing iPhone and Android applications that have been built for Ushahidi (the technology behind http://eq.org.nz)
These projects are listed on the CrisisCommons wiki. http://wiki.crisiscommons.org/wiki/CrisisCampNZ#Projects. If you would like to form a group and participate, please indicate on the wiki. Please also follow the instructions on the page to connect with everyone else around the world assisting with the project.
Who is helping
The site has been assisted by many organisations. Some of the biggest examples, in no order, are:
- Victoria University of Wellington for providing one of its computer labs so volunteers can add to the site
- CrisisCommons’s international community for providing the initial site and support to the New Zealand team
- Koordinates for providing backend support to the site
- Telecom NZ, Vodafone NZ & 2 degrees for providing free txt 5627
- Catalyst IT for providing over a dozen staff & facilities to provide the core information service
- 2degrees for providing me with $300 credit on my phone to help co-ordinate the site’s development
- Kestrel Group for providing expert advice and liaison with Canterbury’s civil defence authorities
- Google.org Crisis Response and the Google Sydney office, for providing its engineers & infrastructure
Great update Tim, please keep them coming!