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New multimedia simulation on volcanic
eruptions
PAHO and a number of organizations
in Colombia and Ecuador have been working to improve health
preparedness for volcanic emergencies. Now, multimedia software
has been developed to enable health Emergency Operations Centers
(EOC) to conduct simulation exercises.
All simulation exercises
require a good script and PAHO enlisted the help of vulcanologists
to prepare realistic scenarios of simulated events. The next
step was to design and develop the software to place students
in situations in which they must solve problems or react pragmatically.
This new simulation software has advantages over traditional
paper-based exercises in that the computer interface, with
video images, radio spots, photos, written reports and other
documentation, immerses the user in a situation that is as
close-to-reality as possible, without being exposed to the
actual risks of a volcanic eruption. To conduct the simulation
exercise properly, the software must run on nine individual
computers that have been connected to a local area network.
As participants progress
through the exercise, they are forced to interpret and act
on a large volume of information, both qualitative and quantitative.
They can then measure the results, negotiate and discuss their
decisions. As in real disaster situations, decisions are generally
taken in a climate of uncertainty, where there is only a partial
understanding of the actions of colleagues and other entities
participating in the exercise. During the process, participants
test their knowledge of preparedness measures along with communication
and negotiation skills.
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This tool not only allows
users to learn more about the behavior of volcanoes, the characteristics
of the threat (lahars, pyroclastic flows, ash and gases) and
the potentially adverse effects on health, but also to appreciate
the complexity of the decisions that an EOC must take and
the importance of coordination and communication, both internally
and between sectors. The exercise promotes the health EOC
as a key preparedness and emergency management tool and lets
the players “live” the importance of forming and
maintaining an updated situation room that provides information
and analysis for decision making.
The exercise ends with
a joint evaluation by all the participants: evaluators, observers,
and the players themselves. Most of the 50 people that have
already field tested the software in workshops in Colombia
and Ecuador said it was an extremely helpful learning experience
that allowed them to evaluate their knowledge and decision-making
skills and improve teamwork in stressful situations. Their
evaluations of the script, the software, and the methodology
will be used to adjust a subsequent version of the simulation,
which will be field tested in Central America later this year.
This multimedia simulation
exercise is currently available in Spanish only, and was developed
in the framework of a DIPECHO project financed by the European
Commission Humanitarian Office. For more information, contact
Ricardo Perez, rperez@ecu.ops-oms.org.
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