Text 5627 to report hazards in Christchurch – 'smart' website links people with what they need after earthquake

PRESS RELEASE
Released by Julie Starr for eq.org.nz
Wednesday 23 Feb, 2011

Text 5627 to report hazards in Christchurch – ‘smart’ website links people with what they need after earthquake


CrisisCommons has launched a ‘smart’ website , eq.org.nz, which allows people affected by the earthquake in Christchurch to report on damage and hazards they see in their neighbourhood – and find out where they can get petrol and accommodation and other practicalities such as which shops and banks are open and when.

“We want to make it easy for people to find things, like where they can buy soap or where roads are blocked,” said Wellington-based Tim McNamara, one of the site’s creators. “And to report non-emergency stuff that'll help their fellow citizens – where are they and what do they see?"

It’s easy to submit reports to the site by texting 5627 (free on all networks), by emailing eqnzfeb@gmail.com, or by submitting a short form on the website. Alerts let people know when a new report has been posted in their neighbourhood.

Eq.org.nz was launched yesterday (Tues 22/02/11) afternoon and has already become a hub for hundreds of information links and offers and requests for help circulating on the web.

Today, Google added its Person Finder service to eq.org.nz and the site also added a service that matches requests for and offers of accommodation.

“We’re also now collaborating with the Student Volunteer Army. They'll be texting in information about the city over the next few days. People should be able to text in things like 'have bricks that need clearing in lounge, [address]' and they'll be linked up with people who can help.”

The site has a team of volunteers filtering the reports it’s receiving and checking accuracy - so people can see at a glance whether the report has been verified and when it was last updated.

The group are being supported by a small team of volunteers that provided a similar service after the Haiti earthquake and the recent floods in Queensland, Australia.

“We’ve had some great corporate support for the site,” said McNamara. Ko-ordinates has sponsored space for the site, Telecom and 2 Degrees have helped out, Catalyst IT have lent staff to the volunteer list and Victoria University of Wellington has donated a computer lab for the volunteers to base themselves in.

The website has been built by Rob Coup of Ko-ordinates and Tim McNamara using software developed by Ushahidi, a group who helped Kenyans report on post-election violence in 2008 and now offer software designed to help large populations collect, visualise, map and share information.

Ends

CONTACT DETAILS

Members of the website team are available for print, radio and TV interviews and to further explain or verify information about the site.

If you would like to talk to someone at eq.org.nz, please email Julie Starr at Julie@allaboutthestory.com or call her on +64 21 828 568 and she’ll put you in touch with the right person.


QUICK FACTS


What things should I report to eq.org.nz?

Things you have seen first-hand (not just heard about on the radio or Twitter) like:

- roads/tunnels/bridges/highways open/closed/blocked/damaged
- shops/ATMs/supermarkets/pharmacies that are open
- the state of welfare/triage centres & hospitals
- areas of flooding/burst pipes
- places people can access phones/internet/food/coffee/shelter/water/supplies/aid/medics
- details on what is happening with flights/transport in or out of chch
- photos, media
- accommodation

How can I report to eq.org.nz?

Text it to 5627. (It’s free on every network)
Email it to eqnzfeb@gmail.com
Post it on the site: http://eq.org.nz