HELP: Handheld Emergency Logistics Program for Generating Structured Requests in Stressful Conditions

Large-scale disasters usually entail serious damage to life and property. Effective response to such disasters requires rapid reaction and efficient, accurate processes. Since disasters often strike without any prior warning, first responders have very little time to train and prepare for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations. These operations can span from several weeks to several months. This puts first responders in rather stressful conditions; they may not be trained to handle the task they have to, fatigued, and working in rather austere conditions. We are developing a system called HELP - Handheld Emergency Logistics Program – to enable first responders to rapidly request resources without the need for advance training. HELP runs on commercial-off-the-shelf mobile phones and tablets. We focus on the first responder's ability to use HELP in stressful conditions by minimizing the chance of error, reducing the need to pull information from memory, minimizing manual data entry, and by providing multiple redundant modalities for performing the same action. We present the design principles and architecture of HELP in this paper.Disclaimer: The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the United States Government.