2010
DeMIST (EON) Supports Interagency Exercise
Calytrix Technologies (Australia) has recently supported the development and delivery of a major interagency disaster response exercise in Manila. The exercise was sponsored by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) Asia Bureau and the planning and response was led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The exercise brought together over 100 individuals from 20 different United Nations, government and non-government agencies to test the initial planning response to a major earthquake event in Metro Manila.
The exercise was developed and supported as part of the WFP’s Readiness Initiative which aims to provide support and tools to enhance collective training capabilities across a range of agencies responsible for planning, coordinating and responding to humanitarian assistance crises in the region. Central to the Readiness Initiative is a cutting edge software solution called DeMIST which is based on Calytrix's Exercise and Operations Network (EON) software.
| The DeMIST capability has been developed by Calytrix Technologies to support both operational and training activities for the UN WFP and partner agencies across Asia and other WFP areas of operation. The DeMIST software allowed participants to access a range of planning and situational awareness tools which allow for a rapid, coordinated and focused response to events of this magnitude. |
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The exercise was observed by a number of Philippines’ officials including senior military and Government observers. The scenario was based on the Earthquake Impact Reduction Study of Metro Manila (MMEIRS) project which was implemented from 2002 to 2004 under the collaborative efforts of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Using the DeMIST software, exercise participants were able to rapidly gather and share situational awareness from a range of inputs then use that information to develop initial Emergency Management Operational Plans as well as producing SITREPs to provide external awareness.
Overall the exercise was judged a great success and another important milestone for the DeMIST capability as the WFP looks to extend the Readiness Initiative into other regions such as Africa.
For more information on Calytrix’s Exercise and Operations Network (EON), please contact info@calytrix.com.
For more information on related WFP Readiness Initiative please see here.