Douglas Troy, Anne Carson, and Jean Vanderbeek’s article, “Enhancing Community-Based Disaster Preparedness with Information Technology,” was the third most downloaded article from Disasters Journal in 2008. The article was downloaded 1,313 times as compared to 1,738 times for the top download.

Community Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) refers to a specific form of local-level capacity building and represents increasingly important elements of vulnerability reduction and disaster management by leveraging knowledge and capabilities of community-based disaster responders. The mission is accomplished through research and service. Research activities focus on strategies to identify, organize, and locate community resources for disaster response through the use of information technology.

The RDC provides leadership in the development and application of information systems in community-based disaster response. Service activities include leadership in CBDP by providing community-based responders, such as local Red Cross chapters, with information technology solutions, training, and technical support. Current research, funded by a National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine Information Systems grant, includes the development, testing and deployment of the Community Disaster Information System (CDIS). The CDIS system provides community-based responders, such as local Red Cross chapters, with a comprehensive database of disaster-related health and human services.

Doug is a professor and chair of computer science and software engineering; Anne Carson and Jean Vanderbeek are both assocate professors of nursing.