Mobile Electronic Devices, Automated Analysis Capabilities, and the Impact on Command and Control During Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief Operations

Abstract

A widely-shared and common command and control (C2) system with mobile device integration is overwhelmingly seen as a benefit to agencies who doctrinally conduct disaster relief operations. Without a sharable C2 architecture, decentralized agencies experience challenges sharing information and collaborating. Mobile devices are a critical component in the architecture. They improve the timeliness and accuracy of field assessments, increase productivity, help reduce manpower requirements, and ultimately help contribute to more effective operations. Operational effectiveness often translates into lives saved, reductions in human suffering, and more efficient resource allocation. Cost benefit analysis suggests that mobile adoption and widespread utilization under an overarching architecture leads to a positive net social benefit under most circumstances.