Integrated Resource and Logistics Management through Secure Information Sharing for Effective Emergency Response

1. Introduction A disaster, either natural or man-made, can occur at any time and place. In either case, it leads to an emergency situation which must be promptly and appropriately responded to. In the USA, as in many parts of the world, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and even private sector companies may cooperate and coordinate the response. Indeed, while the primary response to an emergency situation is coordinated by the public sector, many of the supplies crucial to recovery such as food, fuel, building supplies flow through private (retail and wholesale) channels. These large commercial suppliers employ sophisticated supply chain and logistics systems, which track the availability and location of their inventory. Unfortunately, this information is only available anecdotally to officials responsible for coordinating the recovery effort which leads to a less effective recovery effort.