Title

Low Cost Sensors for Disaster Risk Reduction

Bio

Chris Quin is the Director of Resilient Projects. He holds a master’s degree in Disaster Preparedness and Reconstruction and is a Certified Practicing Project Director. Chris has a keen interest in resilient infrastructure, organisations and communities. He has extensive experience in providing successful disaster risk reduction and resilience solutions to state government, local government, large utilities, and emergency services organisations. Chris has also worked in the response, recovery, and reconstruction effort to major natural disasters such as the North Queensland Monsoon and Townsville Floods, Cyclones Debbie, Marcia, and Yasi, and is an active member of the Queensland State Emergency Service, with multiple commendations from the emergency services and two awards of the National Emergency Medal.

Abstract

Low-Cost Sensors for Hazard Warning and Disaster Risk Reduction
The goal of multi-hazard early warning systems should be Future-focused, Resilient, Adaptive and Networked Communities. Indeed, it should be the goal of any socially-constructed system. Low-cost sensors can be very effective parts of multi-hazard early warning systems (HEWS). Indeed, low-cost sensors can help with many aspects of disaster risk reduction. Because although warning is part of a well-functioning system to help save lives, protect livelihoods, protect property and protect the environment, it cannot be the only part of that system. This is where community continuity can provide an excellent lens into why we do what we do in with early warnings systems and all other infrastructure.
Community continuity is an approach to emergency and disaster management that looks to help the community protect what is important to the community. It takes the tried and tested methods used in business continuity, and applies them at the community scale. This can be both complex and complicated, but it is always worthwhile. The approach of using low-cost sensors in all types of disaster risk reduction allows communities to be less impacted by hazards by protecting the things that the community values (housing, places where goods and services are provided, other infrastructure etc.) and community continuity is all about understanding the community and protecting what the community loves. This presentation will describe some of the latest information from Australia on how sensors are being used to provide early warning, and reduce disaster risk. There will be case studies of where this has yielded good results for communities, and case studies highlighting emergency and disaster events that perhaps haven’t performed as well. Together, these techniques and examples may well excite your imagination and allow you to help protect your own communities, during the best of times and the worst of times.