The first 72 hours after a disaster is the most frightening. The entire environment seems to have been shifted, shuffled, turned upside down. Nothing is as it was. People are panicking and the only thing more scary than being alone is imagining if your family members are alone.
In that first 72 hours the physical hunger and pain cannot compare to the emotional hunger and pain of being separated, unsure of the well being of your loved ones.
Using the technology that is readily available to us, I am proposing a voluntary registry system for residents of regions prone to natural disasters. The simple informations needed for a family: each members name, photo and finger print.
In case of a disaster, separated individuals would report to any aid center and set up an alert within the registry system notifying other members of their location. When a second member accesses the virtual family umbrella to search for others, they can regroup with ones that have already informed the family of their location.
This system, using existing facial recognition software and finger print technology would lend itself to help both the young and old, the injured and hurt. Portable devices would also allow helpers to trek into the disaster site to assist stranded individuals.
The software can be translated to a mobile application. This will allow volunteers and third party helpers to download the software, access the cloud-based data, pair their camera function and finger print reader with face and print recognition software, and help reunite separated individuals with their family. By putting this bespoke piece of technology into the hands of thousands and millions of volunteers, we are enabling them to help the recovery process during the first 72 hours after a disaster and beyond.