Develop and Test a Tool for Training Research Responders in Emergency Operations

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant The United States government has invested billions of dollars to develop effective disaster preparedness and response strategies Missing from ongoing disaster operations is the ability to collect data and conduct research in real time in order to better inform ongoing response and recovery efforts as well as future events Although much of disaster preparedness training has focused on first responders and some training for second responders little is yet available to train Research Responders RRs The Disaster Research Response Project DR developed by NIEHS in collaboration with the National Library of Medicine NLM is charged with providing readily available data collection tools and response protocols as well as a response network of trained research responders familiar with those tools TREO Training Research Responders for Emergency Operations is an innovative online learning product that specifically addresses how RRs can be integrated into disaster operations Researchers can use the tool at their convenience either in advance or as just in time training before deployment into a disaster area For our Phase I effort in depth interviews will guide the development of TREO followed by usability testing of the prototype as well as a pre and post assessment of RR knowledge gains at the conclusion of training and three months later We also suggest conducting demonstrations for other emergency response personnel to provide an indication of the applicability of TREOandapos s game like environment to meet the training needs of other responder populations This tool will contribute to shifting the paradigm of how novel training technologies can drive disaster preparedness by using virtual worlds to teach RRs how to integrate safely and productively into any type of disaster operation The potential for commercial application of TREO goes well beyond the NIEHS network of RRs to include schools offering disaster management curricula public or private research organizations independent researchers and state and local agencies that may conduct or contract for research on natural or intentional disasters PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE The involvement of research scientists as part of a disaster response effort is imperative to improve response and recovery operations and ensure the health and safety of responders as well as surrounding communities TREO Training Research Responders in Emergency Operations is an innovative online learning product that specifically addresses how research responders can be integrated into disaster operations This product will include a disaster scenario built out in Second Life which provides a three dimensional virtual environment where participants can learn about disaster operations response frameworks operational hazards and standards and ethics of collecting data during an emergency response