Communications of the ACM
Time for a High-Tech Version of the National Guard
Individuals in Hoboken, N.J., scrambled to recharge their cellphones and laptops in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Credit: Rebuild Hoboken Relief Fund
Just as the National Guard can be called upon to provide emergency relief, there are thousands of technology professionals who are willing and able to volunteer their skills to rebuild crucial technology infrastructure in emergencies, write U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and NY Tech Meetup chairman Andrew Rasiej. However, they say the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency has been reluctant to accept the assistance of private sector outsiders who do not have credentials and have not been vetted or trained to work with them.
Former Senator George Allen proposed legislation to establish the National Emergency Technology Guard (NET Guard), which would create a citizen corps of professional technologists, similar to the National Guard. Although the proposal was incorporated into the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the statute's authority has never been used.
Historically, private volunteers have helped recovery efforts following hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and forest fires, but they could be more effective if they were allowed to work directly with government agencies. NET Guard teams could work with federal, state, and local officials on emergency communication plans that could be launched even before a major storm hits, or immediately after an unexpected disaster.
From The Wall Street Journal
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