Toi Ohomai student's app to help in civil defence emergencies

App developer Brijesh Donda (front) with ITCo co-director, Mark Wilkinson and Toi Ohomai health and safety manager, Jason Pore. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A new app designed by a Rotorua student will allow organisations to find resources such as people, shelter and bulldozers in an emergency.

The app, currently called Asset Support Hub (ASH), asks organisations to identify assets they can contribute in an emergency, whether it be trucks, bulldozers, emergency shelters, trained first-aid staff or people with search and rescue skills.

It's been created by Toi Ohomai student Brijesh Donda who is studying a graduate diploma in Computing and Information Technology.

Donda has been working with Rotorua IT company ITCo on the app as part of a 10-week research scholarship offered in partnership with Callaghan Innovation.

Donda said the app would be able to help manage assets quickly.

"It will make a big difference to the emergency controller who can quickly allocate resources to a particular situation."

Donda, 27, is an international student from India who worked as a software developer before moving to Rotorua to study last May.

ITCo co-director Mark Wilkinson said the app would collate a large amount of up-to-date data which could be quickly viewed.

"It's going to offer a much faster response rather than wasting time trying to find out what resources are available once an emergency event is already under way."

The idea was thought up by Toi Ohomai health and safety manager Jason Pore.

"By speeding up response times in an emergency this app could potentially save lives," Pore said.

Rotorua Lakes Council's primary civil defence emergency management controller, Stavros Michael, said the council was always interested in new ways of providing services such as emergency management.

"It would be interesting to find out more about how the mobile app is intended to work and the research that sits behind its development."

Michael said emergency staff from across the council came together in a civil defence emergency to manage a situation as it unfolded and commandeered resources as needed.

"We already have access to much of what would be needed and have worked with many groups and organisations in the community to ensure provisions such as emergency shelters are available."

Donda is now making final adjustments to the app and expects to be able to demonstrate it by the end of the month.

ITCo employed Donda for 400 hours to work on the app. Donda said working with the company had taught him a lot and would open doors into mobile development.