Introduction
Minnesota Bridge Collapse is an incident that took place in 2007 killing that people and injuring about 145 individuals. A number of cars were destroyed and the state economy was highly affected since this bridge was second busiest in the state. The situation was blamed on poor construction or definition of construction materials. The incident called for quick response form the fire brigade and other local disaster response agencies that were able to save lives within the first two hours. This process employed a number of technologies that focused on reducing suffering, protecting property and saving lives (Cip.gmu, 2013).
Identified Technology
The Minnesota bridge incident attracted the use of three different technologies that include transportation technology, emergency dispatch technology and wi-fi technology. Basically, the incident cased transportation crisis since it disconnected two regions that were connected with the second busiest bridge in the state. Different transportation technologies that included the use of plane were necessary to transport casualties to the hospital to within the shortest time possible despite of the bridge breakage. The bridge destruction created a need to direct other travelers on the best route to use to connect between the two regions that were initially connected using the Minnesota Bridge. This called for the use of computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system that aided in the mapping the emergency response vehicle location using global position system. This aided in ensuring that the right routes were taken to the site position and also to the hospital facility that could have aided the casualties. The incident also created communication network congestion such that it was hard to pass information using cell phones from one place to other. Communication is very important during disaster since it is required to alert the authority, disaster response agencies among other bodies and individuals. This attracted the employment of unlimited wi-fi technology to enhance communication and thus easing traffic redirection and emergency response agency communication.
Transportation Technology
Transport is very essential during disaster since it allows the response team to move from their operation center to the disaster site. The transportation means and technology determines how fast the response team will arrive to the site. After the destruction of the bridge, response team required the use of planes to move to the site and to evacuate a number of casualties that were trapped under the bridge or in the river. Air lifting was necessary in some cases especially to those who were trapped in the river. This technology was employed by the local government to ensure effective response.
The use of computer-aided dispatch technology involved mapping different vehicles that contained GPS device and tracking them in the traffic system. This was met to ease navigation and to direct these vehicles on the best routes to take to avoid congestion since transportation system was highly affected by incident. This assisted in ensuring quick transportation of those that were rescued from the disaster site. This technology was employed by the local government who took it upon their roles to save the life of those who were affected (FEMA, 2007).
Wi-Fi is a LAN wireless technology which permits an electronic device to connect or exchange data to the internet by use of 2.4 GHz UHF and % GHz SHF radio waves. Wi-fi technology involved the use of wireless connection that provided enough internet access to the area surrounding the bridge region. Wi-fi technology was enhanced in 2006 by a private company, and thus, to enhance wi-fi network in the region, the company just needed to install a device in the region to fit it in the network. The need for effective communication from the disaster site resulted to the need of extending this technology to other parts of the country. With this technology, disaster management individuals were able to use their mobile devices to communicate with their colleagues, media and those related to the disaster casualties. The installation was funded by the local government and thus it can be termed as a local government initiative. This also assisted in effective communication during re-construction (Escher, 2009).
The three form of technology were basically focused on quick response and saving the life of those that were directly affected by the incident. Enhancing communication assisted in ensuring those that were in the disaster site could communicate with their colleagues in the office or with authority to get more help to assist the casualties or to get more advanced equipment to evacuate those who were trapped where materials on the ground could not reach. The CAD technology was meant to enhance the transportation of the casualties via road despite of the congestion. It was also meant to direct other response group quickly by evading traffic jam. Use of choppers was basically to ensure quick transportation of casualties since they did not need to consider the traffic aspect and they could easily navigate to the best hospital were life was saved.
Conclusion
Technology plays a major role in enhancing disaster management. Basically, disasters interfere with a number of previously established infrastructures, making it hard to ensure effective response. The three technology employed in Minnesota bridge collapse disaster endured saving of life and reduction in the suffering of other individuals.
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