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Background
Bushfires devastate our communities. They come with substantial health and economic costs. According to a recent study from Monash University, bushfires are projected to cause around 2,400 deaths and nearly 8,600 years of life lost between 2021 and 2030. The healthcare costs are estimated to be about $110 million, while the total economic impact is expected to be $17.2 billion.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0146280622003139?via%3Dihub)
In 2018, the Australian Government recognised the need to reduce disaster risk in supporting communities and economies be resilient. They invited all states and territories, local government, and key private sector representatives to work together to co-design and develop the Australian Disaster Preparedness Framework and the Australian Disaster Risk Reduction Framework.
A key finding was that preparedness and disaster risk reduction is a shared responsibility, in which all sectors need to be involved. It highlighted the need shared and defined responsibilities, cultural change, integrated action, inclusive engagement, continuous improvement, data-driven decision making and leadership.
The question is, how do we currently empower individuals and communities to do their part and could we be doing more to support them? There are myriad resources available to individuals which can be confusing and overwhelming However, pertinent to the ecosystem are situational awareness apps.
If we analyse today's apps, most have been designed to support users monitor their environment for active fires. They can see information about current incidents such as if its a prescribed burn or bushfire, they can see details about the ignition start date and time, and which agency has responded to the event.
But what if we were to offer a more personalised experience that supports users across their end-to-end journey? What if we were to curate relevant data and offers timely insights and recommendations based on their circumstance and location? What if we were to surface insights and recommendations that are meaningful and which contain clear calls-to-action?
What if we harnessed the inherent community spirit that lives and breaths in emergency situations and empowered communities to work together to support each and those who might be vulnerable?
What if we guided those impacted by bushfire events to relevant Government services and resources during the event and during their recovery?
What if we helped Australians connect in with their environment and community to make life-saving decisions?
Our Challenge
To put it succinctly, how might we empower individuals, businesses, local communities and stakeholders across the bushfire emergency ecosystem to make critical decisions and take the most effective action throughout every stage of the bushfire emergency journey?
Introducing Haven
We have an exciting concept to showcase. It's called Haven and it's designed to protect and unite individuals, businesses and local communities during bushfire emergencies. Our goal is to introduce Haven to Australian communities in time for next year's bushfire season.
Who is Haven for?
Individual: An individual may interact with the app with the expressed intention of using the app to prepare for a bushfire event, to monitor for bushfires, to know the best way to evacuate, and to identify and apply for Government services and funding during the emergency and in the recovery and rebuild stage. They may be a citizen, visitor, or business owner/employee.
Carer: A user may wish to look after someone like an older parent or person with a disability. They can be their eyes and hears and ensure that person is prepared and supported throughout the bushfire emergency journey.
Buddy: Users may also like to nominate that they would to support a vulnerable person and be their dedicated "buddy" across the bushfire emergency journey.
Frontline volunteer: Users may opt to be a volunteer and support a tactical workforce aimed at supporting evacuation efforts.
Sponsor: Users may opt to be a sponsor - providing much needed support such as food and water supplies, temporary accommodation, and accommodation for pets. Sponsors may be individuals or businesses in surrounding areas (not directly impacted by bushfire).
Government agencies: Users may be Government employees working for agencies tasked with supporting disaster preparation and recovery efforts, responding to emergency events, providing health services, and policy makers tasked with developing funding and grant programs.
How does it work?
Onboarding + Dashboard
There are multiple options for signing up. Sign up with email, Google, Facebook, or Apple account. Potentially, the could sign in using their Gov ID or state-based Government account.
The onboarding flow captures data to inform the personalisation of the experience. They can be a user, a carer, an aid seeker, or a volunteer.
Using the location provided by the users, our AI will analyse the data and send relevant materials to help them get prepared and stay safe if they live in a bushfire-prone zone.
Users can create a contact list so that they can keep in touch and check in with each other during an emergency event.
The mobile app dashboard highlights the Daily Bushfire Danger Level and notifies users if any action is needed. It's a snapshot that succinctly shows meaningful data such as air quality, surrounding LGA bushfires, past bushfires, wind speed, and more.
Map + Personal evacuation assistant
When the bushfire danger level is high, users will be notified and provided with a checklist to help them prepare for evacuation.
They can view a map to check for any bushfires near their location and see AI-calculated data, such as the fire’s distance, bushfire spread speed, and wind direction, to better understand the current situation.
Additionally, they can follow an evacuation route predicted by our AI to reach a safe place.
Users are prompted to check in to let authorities, contact list, and community that they are safe.
Community
A key goal for Haven is to harness the inherent community spirit that lives and breaths in emergency situations and empower communities to work together to support each and those who might be vulnerable.
A user can at a glance see how many volunteers there are in their community, how many individuals may require assistance in an emergency event. They can find or become a volunteer themselves, report an incident and ask the community questions.
Dashboard for Government agencies
Haven is more than just an app for citizens and visitors. It's designed to surface data, predictions and recommendations to help Government agencies make better informed and timely decisions through generative AI - whether its related to ensuring the right skills are on the ground at the right time, or if its about forecasting funding required to support recovery efforts.
Future Opportunities
This is only just the beginning for Haven. The ambition is to support all individuals, businesses and local communities navigate the uncertainties posed by emergency events.
The goal is to ensure all Australians and local communities are prepared and equipped for natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, earthquakes, and bushfires, major and minor security incidents such as terrorist attacks, and future pandemics. Haven. It's peace of mind in your pocket.
Evidence of work
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bIccw052HSAcYXtdKfel-5sQZ9B1azuK
https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVKhwhe74=/?share_link_id=70242237250
https://digital.atlas.gov.au/datasets/digitalatlas::historical-bushfire-boundaries-3/about
https://digital.atlas.gov.au/datasets/10992a67b43149fc9addc2b0a3ba5d4d_0/explore
https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/128021538
Go to Challenge | 15 teams have entered this challenge.
Go to Challenge | 29 teams have entered this challenge.
