Damage Assessment Mapping Module: Difference between revisions

'''The Damage Assessment Mapping Module (DAMM)''' for Portland NET is a mobile device-based tool to document and map impacts of a disaster and electronically transmit that information to the [[Portland Emergency Coordination Center (ECC)]]. It is powered by [https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-survey123/overview Survey123] for ArcGIS. It is, essentially, an electronic version of [https://volunteerpdx.net/index.php/NET_Incident_Command_System_(ICS)_Forms#NET_Form_1:_Damage_Assessment_Form NET Form 1] for damage assessment. As a key operational tool for NET, the DAMM serves two important functions:

#<span style="background:#FFFF00">'''Frequent drills with the DAMM during [[blue skies]] will prompt NET volunteers to become more familiar with their neighborhoods and develop the muscle memory needed to gather actionable data.'''</span>

'''Volunteers can use the DAMM even in the absence of internet service,''' though internet service ''is'' required to transmit reports completed by a user. Every NET volunteer and [[ATV]] with a smartphone should download the software onto their device, practice with it, and know how to use it in the field.

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== Loading DAMM Onto A Mobile Device ==

==== Download Survey123 onto a device ====

* Downloading the Survey123 application is easy on a mobile device such as a tablet or phone. Simply go to the app store and search for “Survey123 for ArcGIS”.

==== Getting and opening the survey====

'''Once the Survey123 app appears on the mobile device, you must next load the DAMM survey into the app.'''

# When you click on the link or scan the QR code, you will see a screen that gives you the option to either open the survey in a web browser or in the Survey123 app '''(important:''' scan it with your device's camera and NOT inside the Survey123 app). Select: '''Open in the Survey123 field app.''' You only need to do this step once unless a new version of the survey comes out. If that happens, PBEM will notify you that there is a new survey version and will send you a link. You can then delete the old survey from your device (see [https://volunteerpdx.net/index.php/Damage_Assessment_Mapping_Module#Deleting_Outdated_Surveys Deleting an outdated survey] in this article).

# After you open in the Survey123 field app, you will see the welcome screen. On the welcome screen, select '''Continue without signing in.''' This is particularly important because the most common question we get is: "how do I sign in?" You do not sign in.

# To begin a new site report and begin entering data select Collect on the next screen. The survey will appear and you can input your observations.

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== DAMM Safety ==

[[File:DAMM.photoicon.jpg|alt=Icons for taking or browsing to/selecting a photo on a mobile device. Click to enlarge.|thumb|'''''Figure 3:''''' ''Icons for taking or browsing to/selecting a photo on a mobile device. Click to enlarge.'']]

Photos are one of the best ways to demonstrate the extent of damage sustained from an incident. Incident commanders, insurance adjusters, FEMA representatives, and property owners will all get a better idea of conditions with photographs. Keep in mind that you are preserving evidence, not winning photography awards. The built-in camera from a mobile device will capture details. Also, the auto-generated watermark will add a timestamp and coordinates to each photo that will link your photos to the location.

[[File:Fig. 3 House with watermark.jpg|alt=Figure 4: Photo of house with DAMM watermark.|thumb|'''''Figure 4:''''' ''Photo of house with DAMM watermark. Click to enlarge.'']]

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== DAMM Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ==

===== Q: Is there a way to auto-populate the "Observer Details"... =====

...(i.e. person reporting, NET Team, NET ID Number, Incident type, Incident name) on the survey, so i don’t have to enter them every time?

===== Q: I'm viewing the dashboard and it's loading very slow (about 30 seconds). Can it be sped up? =====

===== Q: On the dashboard, why do my observations appear a small distance from where I took them? =====

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== DAMM Project History ==

The DAMM began as an idea proposed in November 2020 by Brian Patrick Brady, a GIS consultant acquainted with members of Arnold Creek NET. With feedback from NET focus groups, Brian developed several versions of the DAMM before releasing a working version in 2021. Version 6 is available starting in 2023 and brings new functionality to DAMM including: auto-populating Fire Management Areas (FMA), annotated Images, Spanish Translation and other design elements to improve the user experience. The [https://pdx-net.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html PDX-NET] ArcGIS Online account is hosted through a nonprofit organization, not the City of Portland.

The name of the DAMM was coined and suggested by Pleasant Valley NET volunteer Steve Mitchell. Since Jeremy Van Keuren basically has the brain of an eleven-year-old, that's the name that stuck.

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