Managing the aftermath of emergencies

Easy, versatile disaster recovery and victim support solutions for local authorities and corporate clients, from LAN2LAN

Every emergency, whether it is a minor flood or a major terrorist incident, has a long aftermath. After the cameras have gone, the people affected have to rebuild their lives, practically and emotionally. Congrego provides a robust solution that is easy to deploy, and easy for anybody to use.

Dependable platform
Congrego is built on proven, secure IBM technology, which is currently in use by the US and British armed services. It has an open standards architecture that allows it to be integrated easily with any existing organisational infrastructure. Drawing on the capabilities of solutions such as Lotus Quickr collaboration technology, and Sametime messaging and conferencing, it enables organisations to create and deploy the online resources needed to help with the unfolding aftermath of an emergency.

Public and private collaboration
For members of the public or employees affected by an incident, Congrego can present a clear, intuitive interface. Even people who are not used to communicating online have found the Congrego portal easy to use.

At the same time, Congrego can be used to create a private and secure online environment for the teams involved in dealing with the incident, including local authorities and the emergency services. They can be given access to all the resources they need, including collaboration and document management functions, through a portal that is invisible to unauthorised users.

Essential services
When any kind of emergency incident occurs, the people affected by it have two key needs:

• Information and advice on what they should do, and what help is available
• Mutual support and direct help from others affected by the incident

Congrego can be used to meet these needs while the incident is unfolding, and long after the first impact has passed.

The crucial factors in dealing with incidents of this kind are consistent messaging and ease of access. Inevitably, rumours and concerns spread rapidly, especially in confusing and fast-changing situations. With Congrego, responsible organisations can substantially mitigate the impact of the uncertainties created in these circumstances, by providing an official site where unambiguous information can be published in a way that is easy to get to.

Long term support
Then, when the immediate need for intervention has passed, victims and support agencies can continue to use the Congrego portal to share ideas, offer support and get access to useful resources. Private areas can be created within the Congrego environment, where those most affected can communicate and help each other away from the prurient scrutiny of the outside world.

Civic duty
For local authorities, this kind of service goes beyond legal responsibility. It is a fundamental duty to provide support and assistance to their constituents in times of greatest need. It is also an area of crucial political sensitivity.

The Civil Contingencies Act of 2004 imposes a specific duty on local authorities to support their constituents during an emergency. In particular, it states that councils should provide online resources to help people find the information and services they need to cope with the impact of the incident. This can be a challenge for local authorities, whose own resources will be at full stretch dealing with incident on the ground.

To take a single example, a number of councillors lost their seats after the flooding in Leeds in 2002. Voters believed that the response of the council to the incidents and their aftermath had been inadequate. A Congrego deployment may have improved communication and understanding on both sides, helping to get resources to the right places more quickly, and giving victims and agencies a clearer voice after the event.

Find out more
Congrego is cost-effective, easy to manage and easy to deploy. It can save money and help to improve service delivery. Above all, it can make life a little easier for people who have experienced the worst that life can bring.