Sahana Alerting and Messaging Broker (SAMBRO)

INTRODUCTION

Under a well-developed disaster management system, the Disaster Management Organization(s) of a Country should be aware of and should map every significant emergency incident or risk in the country. Disseminating such information among multiple agencies with disparate systems can be complicated. ​Multi-Agency Situational-Awareness (MASA) platforms facilitate the integration of silo-ed Organizations and dilutes inter-agency rivalry at every level of a National warning and incident management system. Such a platform that incorporates the ​Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard is far more likely to interoperate with National and International warning systems. Moreover, the CAP content standard lays out emergency policies and procedures for streamlined information sharing among multiple agencies.The ​World Meteorological Organization, ​International Telecommunication Union, and ​OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) are advocates of CAP and continue to promote the adoption of the warning standard. Sahana Alerting and Messaging Broker (SAMBRO) is essentially a Sahana Eden template designed for Multi-Agency Situational-Awareness. Moreover, it adopts the CAP standard for Sahana to interoperate with other warning systems.

OBJECTIVES

1. Deliver the SAMBRO platform to share a common operating picture to improve coordination among multiple-agencies 2. Introduce standards for interoperability to foster common policies and practices 3. Deploy support and continue to improve the Sahana technology for integrated risk assessment, warning, and incident management 4. Make the SAMBRO a superior Sahana product developed and maintained by the Sahana Centre for Excellence Asian Institute of Technology Geoinformatics Centre 5. Provide training aids for system administrators, implementers, emergency managers, and other users to easy interact with SAMBRO 6. SAMBRO to function as stand alone computing device (e.g. laptop and an IVR or GSM-modem) as well as hosted on an intranet or the internet

DESIGN

Blueprints list

• General CAP Broker blueprint lays down the design parameters for the generalized SAMBRO
• Maldives Blueprint for deploying CAP on a Map project for the National Disaster Management Centre of Maldives
• Myanmar Blueprint for deploying CAP on a Map project for the National Department of Meteorology and Hydrology of Myanmar
• Philippines Blueprint for deploying CAP on a Map project for the National Disaster Management Centre of Philippines
• CAP Mobile App for publishing and subscribing to alerts

Eden Modules

• Discussion of mandatory and specific to SAMRBO Eden modules table

User Interfaces

The SAMBRO GUI design page is here

Common Operating Picture

PROJECTS

1. CAP on a Map

Duration: January 2015 to June 2016

Overview

The aims to Improving Coastal Resilience through Multi-agency Situational Awareness in the Maldives, Myanmar and the Philippines. It involves deploying SAMBRO in the respective countries with a USD 300,000 grant made possible through the ​UNESCAP Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness.

Partners

​Myanmar Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH)	​Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Atmospheric Services Administration (PAGASA)	​Maldives National Disaster Management Center (NDMC)	​Asian Institute of Technology Geoinformatics Center	​United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Workshops

15 to 17 April 2015	Maldives kickoff workshop
19 to 21 May 2015	Philippine kickoff workshop
15 to 17 July 2015	Myanmar kick-off workshop
31 Aug to 12 Sept	Training of Master Trainers

Blogs

• ​Improving Coastal Resilience throug Multi-agency Situational Awareness
• ​CAP on a Map project kickoff in the Maldives
• ​Philippines is ready, set, go with CAP on a Map
• ​Few weeks after the workshop Myanmar faces massive floods
• ​Training of Trainer workshop: final day with ESCAP
• ​One week after, SAMBRO users asking for more of Sahana
• ​Training of SAMBRO Trainers
• ​CAP Implementation Workshop 2015: Rendering Agents Setting the Course

REFERENCES

• SAMBRO User Guide
• CAP Blueprint
• ​World Meteorological Organization
• ​International Telecommunication Union
• ​OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards)
• ​Threat and Risk Community use cases, standards process, resources, etc.
• ​NIEM Emergency Management Model - National Information Exchange Model data structure and attributes