THE EVENT-DRIVEN DATA DELIVERY (ED3) PROJECT: AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR DISASTER-RELATED DATA SHARING

Event-Driven Data Delivery (ED3) is an information technology framework that is being developed for use in disaster response. The ED3 system facilitates collection and distribution of event-specific geospatial data, models, and geotagged social media information within pre-determined spatial and temporal parameters based on the end users’ area of interest. ED3 is being developed by the Information Technology and Systems Center, the Global Hydrology Resource Center, and the Atmospheric Science Department at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, in collaboration with the Geological Survey of Alabama to provide swift access to data and information for disaster events. Those involved in disaster response need to quickly identify and acquire available event data and information. The ED3 framework will integrate with existing systems for pre-planning the acquisition, processing, and production of data before the disaster occurs.

The ED3 team is developing a framework that will allow users to pre-define data requirements in the form of event albums. ED3 monitors authoritative event notification systems for alerts, warnings, or occurrences of events, matches them with existing users’ subscriptions and then executes the subscriptions to dynamically access, process, package and deliver data to the user. Event albums aggregate relevant data from science data, authoritative agencies, news media sources, and social networks. The aggregated event albums can be shared with multiple users and systems for disaster response, and persist for post-event analysis and research. Access to album contents via GeoRSS feeds facilitates integration with many existing systems.

ED3 benefits those responding to natural disasters including landslides, tsunamis, and earthquakes by aggregating and providing near-realtime access to data from authoritative sources such as USGS, NWS, and NASA. ED3 enables professionals to spend less time searching for data and more time conducting analyses needed for assessment, response, and recovery. This technology could potentially provide budget-restricted municipalities and organizations with the framework needed to develop their own basic common operating picture for disaster management. ED3 services will be available to all levels of government and non-government groups.