Emergency communication is on the minds of utilities, but they might not be able to handle it effectively. “A woman at the conference told us she had amassed more than 2000 files on her computer about emergency communications,” said Tom Rockaway, director for the University of Louisville’s Center for Infrastructure Research. “What’re the odds that she’ll find what she needs if something happens?”

Rockaway’s group teamed up with SUPA’s Center for Hazards Research to develop a guidebook for small-to-medium sized water and wastewater utilities. Out of this the Emergency Communication Information Management System, eCIMS, was created, with both hard-cover and software versions to allow employees to quickly determine what they need to do and who they need to contact.

“We did both a hardcover and software version because the software version is great until the power goes out,” said David Simpson, director of the Center for Hazards Research. The project was a ground-up look at how this information is currently handled, and resulted in a comprehensive contribution to the field, Simpson said.

It was funded primarily by the Water Environment Research Foundation. It took a little more than two years to complete the project. “While larger utilities will usually have a person devoted to this, the groups we looked at would have someone who’s fourth or fifth priority would be emergency communication,” Rockaway said. “This allows them to find what they need quickly.”

eCIMS is a robust enough program that it could be used in other arenas, Rockaway said. Simpson added that there has been some interest from larger power utilities, which proves to him that the research was both needed and well-received. “While the information wasn’t new, the way we’re able to package it is, and it is much more accessible now,” Simpson said. - story by Patrick Lewis