Disaster Watch & Disaster Routine Task Monitor
Note: Screenshots taken from the DisasterWatch server on Discord Application, implemented at Zamboanga del Norte Province.
On August 2023, another innovative approach was launched by the Bureau of Fire Protection Zamboanga del Norte under the leadership of the newly installed Provincial Fire Marshal, FSUPT ELIAS L BAGUIO III (DSC) during his first month of stay. This was the vision and theory of FSUPT BAGUIO III that was visualized and turned into reality by FO2 Florin, they named it DisasterWatch.
DEFINITION
WHAT IS DISASTER WATCH? A Disaster Watch Discord server within the context of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-OPFM ZN is an innovative and collaborative platform established in August 2023 to monitor and address hydro-meteorological hazards. This server serves as a crucial tool for the BFP, allowing them to gather, disseminate, and respond to real-time information related to weather-related disasters such as storms, floods, and other hydro-meteorological events. It is an integral part of the BFP’s efforts to enhance disaster preparedness, response, and community engagement.
At its core, the Disaster Watch Discord server within the BFP functions as a dynamic information hub. It provides firefighters, emergency responders, and community members with up-to-the-minute alerts, forecasts, and reports directly from meteorological agencies and experts. This ensures that the BFP remains well-informed about the evolving nature of hazards, allowing them to strategize and allocate resources effectively in anticipation of or in response to impending disasters. This real-time monitoring feature is essential for making timely decisions that can potentially save lives and mitigate damages.
A unique advantage of the Disaster Watch Discord server is its capacity to handle a variety of media and information formats. Through the server, BFP personnel can access visual data from other websites like satellite imagery, radar maps, warnings and etch, enhancing their situational awareness and enabling more informed decision-making. This capability is invaluable in conveying the scale and severity of ongoing disasters, aiding BFP efforts to coordinate responses and allocate resources efficiently.
Accuracy and reliability are paramount in the BFP’s operations, and the Disaster Watch Discord server upholds these principles. All information shared on the server is carefully vetted and sourced from reputable meteorological institutions and experts. This ensures that BFP personnel can trust the information they receive, enabling them to make critical decisions with confidence.
OBJECTIVES
Develop a Comprehensive Information Hub:
- Create a dedicated Discord server for the Disaster Watch project to serve as a central hub for hydro-meteorological hazard information.
Organize channels for different types of hazards (e.g., typhoons, localized weather disturbances, daily weather monitoring) to ensure focused discussions and resource sharing.
Real-time Data Integration:
- Integrate real-time data feeds from reliable sources (e.g., meteorological agencies (DOST-PAGASA, DENR-MGB) and NDRMC to provide up-to-date information on ongoing and potential hazards.
- Implement regularly updated hazard-related data, alerts, and warnings.
Community Engagement and Education:
- Foster a community of users interested in hydro-meteorological hazards by encouraging discussions, sharing experiences, and providing a platform for learning.
Early Warning System:
- Develop a system to send out real-time alerts and notifications to Discord users based on the severity and proximity of hazards to their geographical location.
- Provide guidance on preparedness measures and evacuation procedures through automated messages and resources.
Collaborative Resource Sharing:
- Allow users to share relevant articles, research papers, videos, and other resources related to hydro-meteorological hazards in designated channels.
- Curate a repository of reliable information that users can access for reference and further learning.
Partnerships and Networking:
- Establish collaborations with meteorological agencies(PAGASA), environmental organizations(DENR-MGB), researchers, and disaster management authorities(DRRMO) to enhance the accuracy and credibility of information shared.
- Invite experts to participate in discussions and share insights on the platform.
User Feedback and Improvement:
- Regularly gather feedback from users to identify areas for improvement and to tailor the platform to their needs.
- Actively respond to user suggestions and implement enhancements to enhance the user experience and platform functionality.
CATEGORIES/CHANNELS
When setting up a Disaster Watch on the Discord platform to monitor hydro-meteorological hazards, it’s important to organize categories and channels that cater to various types of information and interactions. Here’s the list of channels created to effectively monitor and communicate about these hazards:
- Information: Contents Basic information of Disaster watch
- Alerts/Warnings: This channel will serve as the primary source of official
- Announcements from authorities, providing updates on hazard alerts, precautionary measures, and emergency instructions.
- Resources and Preparedness: Provides links to PAG-ASA and MGB websites and downloadable guides and SOP
- Weather Updates: Dedicated to sharing meteorological forecasts, radar imagery, and satellite data from reliable sources.
- Guidelines for Typhoons, Localized weather disturbances, and daily weather monitoring channels: A channel where guidelines, checklists, and tips for disaster preparedness, including emergency kits and evacuation plans, can be shared.
- City/Municipal Fire Stations: Every fire station has its own channel where they can report local hazard observations, unusual weather conditions, or potential threats. As well as their action taken based on the guidelines. In this channel also, the situation report, deployment plan, and related report will be submitted also This can help in tracking rapidly changing situations
- Emergency Assistance: This channel will be used for Fire Stations requesting assistance during disaster events.
- Comments and suggestions: A space for the members/personnel to make a suggestion/comment to improve disaster watch and share their experiences, offer support, and exchange information.
On the other hand, this project established a modified version when FSUPT ELIAS L BAGUIO III was transferred to BFP Region 4a, CALABARZON, as the City Fire Marshal of Lucena City Fire Station. A newer version is named “Disaster and Routine Monitoring—Lucena CFS.” One significant additional function during its modification is to monitor responses to fire incidents and other routine or daily activities in the fire station.
ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVES
Routine Activity Monitoring • Monitor daily activities and routine operations at the Lucena Fire Station. • Ensure effective oversight and management of routine fire station activities.
