Israeli volunteers engaged in relief efforts after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria are harnessing cloud-based technology to enhance the emergency response, the Times of Israel reported.
The first responders of United Hatzalah, a non-profit emergency medical rescue organization, are sharing real-time data on location, videos and images with the help of Carbyne, an Israeli startup. The technology enables volunteers and emergency responders like police officials, to connect with medical experts and other professional teams in Israel, who offer quick, life-saving solutions to rescuers.
Zohar Eli, United Hatzalah’s director of call centers and technology, told the Israeli newspaper that the advanced video features of Carbyne ensured a clearer view of the situation on ground, helping in better remote consultations with experts.
The technology which combines location services, live video chat, incident mapping, and other communication systems into one dashboard at the call center offers immediate assistance to responders entering turbulent situations.
According to the report, CEO of Carbyne, Amir Alichai said the Israeli volunteers could offer optimised help to the injured owing to the high-quality video and instant transfer of accurate information. “We are touched to see how the use of the technology we have developed helps save lives in the terrible disaster in Turkey.”
Started in 2014 by Alichai, Alex Dizengoff, Yony Yatsun, and Lital Leshem, it has raised $128 million in financing. According to the report, Carbyne’s ‘life-saving’ solutions are utilised by law and order departments and governments in over 120 states worldwide.
Another Israeli startup – Sight Diagnostics – has said it will deploy its blood count devices and test kits at a field hospital in southeastern Turkey.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Saturday said it is working to share its aerial views and data from space to aid relief and recovery workers, as well as improve its ability to model and predict such events.
A team of scientists at the Earth Observatory of Singapore and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory collected images before and after the earthquake and created a ‘damage proxy map’ for Turkey. The agency’s Earth Science Applied Sciences, national and international collaborates make these proxy maps available to the US State Department, the California Seismic Safety Commission, the World Bank and the Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief.