The Real Real Housewives of the Minnesota Red Cross
Our Problem:
Our Solution:
Our solution is organizing Red Cross volunteers after a disaster. We give the volunteers a color coded Tyvek wristband with a QR code on it. The wristbands are color coded based on a volunteer's area of skill. The QR codes link to the Red Cross Volunteer Connections database to access or update the volunteer’s profile.
Current Methods of Organizing People:
- Volunteer Organization is critical in the first 24-72 hours after a disaster
- Current methods for organizing volunteers after a disaster are unreliable, inefficient, and messy, and could be improved.
- In a disaster situation, organization SAVES LIVES!!!
Our Solution:
Our solution is organizing Red Cross volunteers after a disaster. We give the volunteers a color coded Tyvek wristband with a QR code on it. The wristbands are color coded based on a volunteer's area of skill. The QR codes link to the Red Cross Volunteer Connections database to access or update the volunteer’s profile.
Current Methods of Organizing People:
- Sticky notes on a wall - The Red Cross currently organizes volunteers by posting sticky notes on a wall. They find a wall in their disaster area command post, write each volunteer’s name and location on a sticky note, and stick it to the wall. There are some obvious flaws with their system. Sticky notes lose their stick easily especially in a disaster area where dust, water,or debris are present. If a sticky note falls off of a wall, you would lose all record of where volunteers are.
- The Incident Command System - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources uses the Incident command system. This system uses wristbands that are NOT color coded, but have a number on them. The volunteers would be organized into teams of 20 - 25 people that are given a unique, easy-to-remember name. A volunteer’s basic information would be recorded on pads of paper when they arrive at the scene. This system is not computerized, and there could be flaws and issues that come along with recording everything on paper.
- Velcro name tags - The Lakeville Fire Department organizes its firefighters during a fire call using two velcro labels. Each firefighter has two velcro name tags on their fire helmet. When deployed, firefighters stick one of their name tags to a board on the side of their firetruck to indicate that they came on that truck. They stick the other name tag to a board set up where they are working. The name tags allow the Fire Station to know what truck the firefighters came on, what part of the fire zone they were working in, and whether they have returned.
- Numbers pinned on shirts - We watched a piece on NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams about an Israeli medical team treating victims of the Philippine typhoon in November 2013. There were so many victims to organize and treat, that the doctors wrote numbers on pieces of paper and pinned them onto victims’ shirts to keep track of the people.
Our presentation script
Who we Presented To:
Their Feedback:
- Nicole Anderson: Red Cross Workforce Engagement Specialist
- Jen: Red Cross Flood Specialist
- Kelly Rowe: Red Cross Regional Lead for Disaster Assessment
- Megan Mrozek: Red Cross Regional Disaster and Program Officer
- Mike Luedeke: Spooner, WI Fire Safety officer
- Mike Meyer: Lakeville, MN Fire Department Fire Chief
- Scott Duban: Lakeville, MN Fire Fighter
- Terry Duban: Staff Administrator of Lakeville Fire Department
- Torrey Lenertz: Staff Administrator of Lakeville Fire Department
- David Mitchell: Experian Database Administrator
- Mr. Beocher: Century Middle School Science Teacher
- Mrs. Bolson: Century Middle School 7th grade Science teacher
- Mrs. Leonard: Century Middle School 6th grade Language Arts and Communications teacher
- Mrs. Deichelborher: Century Middle School 7th grade Language Arts and Communications teacher
- Mrs. Luurtsema: Century Middle School 7th grade History/Social Studies teacher
- Our parents
- We posted our presentation video on the FTC team 4140 - Fish in the Boat’s facebook page
- The Video Club from Century Middle School
Their Feedback:
- “It is great that you are putting this newer technology on something portable like a wristband.” -Nicole Anderson, Red Cross Workforce Engagement Specialist
- “Your idea is at the forefront of what the Red Cross is doing.” -Nicole Anderson, Red Cross Workforce Engagement Specialist
- “Can we get that fire proofed on the gear? And scan it right from the helmet?” -Scott Bakos, Fire fighter
- “This would be awesome for when they [volunteers] check in, and then you can categorize them by their skill set.” -Mike Meyer, Lakeville Fire Department Fire Chief
- “Can we hire them?” -Mike Myers, Lakeville Fire Department Fire Chief
- “Having a system that can function in this limited resource period is vital to the next few days of the incident.” -Mike Luedeke, Spooner Fire Safety officer