End of Our Deployment for Hurricane Harvey

On the 25th of August, Hurricane Harvey struck the United States as a Category 4 storm, and wreaked havoc in Texas. The Standby Task Force was activated as part of the DHN (Digital Humanitarian Network) to support First Responder efforts by collecting Search and Rescue as well as Pollution Response data. Our activation has now come to an end, and on behalf of the Core Team and Coordinators, I would like to thank all of the volunteers for the amazing efforts and dedication that you all put in during this deployment.

This was one of the toughest deployments we’ve done, not only because of the scale of the disaster, but also because of the nature of the data collection involved. Collecting SAR data was not easy. During all deployments we have to remind volunteers to take a rest; but never so much as during this one!  

Never have I been prouder to say that I am a part of such a fantastic community of volunteers who will give their all to try and help others in need around the world.

SBTF’s efforts have contributed directly to people being rescued, and it is because of the amazing work put in by you all that responders are recognizing the incredible value of social media. Be proud SBTF volunteers, be very proud!

Now, it’s time to stand down.

The data will continue to be used in the coming days, but our job here is done. The SBTF is back in standby mode – as always please keep an eye on your email and the Slack channel in case of any future activations.

Tagged with: ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*