Disaster Information Service Idea Finalist in Competition to Inspire a Better World Through Media

Disaster Information Service Idea Finalist in Competition to Inspire a Better World Through Media

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The images that filled televisions and computer screens in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake were difficult to endure. MiCAST offers the ability to communicate with residents in real-time if a disaster of that magnitude happens in the United States. The disaster in Haiti demonstrates the need to get critical information to people before, during and after a natural disaster is essential to saving lives, protecting property and speeding recovery.

The approach to communicating during a natural disaster, the Mobile Information Crisis Action Support Team (MiCAST), is a finalist in this year's PitchIt! Challenge at the We Media conference in Miami, March 9-11, 2010.

MiCAST is a disaster information service that combines the immediacy of broadcast media with the flexibility of the Internet and cutting-edge social media capabilities to deploy up-to-date, actionable information to the epicenter of a natural disaster.

MiCAST partners with existing resources, such as radio and television stations, governments, responders, and non-profit, charitable and community organizations, to expand their ability to provide critical information.

The MiCAST concept was successfully deployed during the record 2009 flooding of the Red River around Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN.

The MiCAST team developed a dedicated website dedicated and partnered with North Dakota State University students to produce real-time reports using mobile cameras.

The team provided online steaming of live broadcasts and student-produced video reports while on-air personnel distributed flood-related information from student reporters and other sources.

The team's platform received Talkers Magazine's National Community Service Award at June's New Media Seminar in New York City.

Winning entry receives $25,000. Winners announced March 11. If selected, they will use the money for outreach to partners and clients.

More information at www.MiCAST.org. The following developed MiCAST:

MARK PFEIFLE: VP at S4 Inc., former White House deputy national security advisor for communication and global outreach

JONATHAN THOMPSON: Executive VP, S4 Inc., former FEMA external affairs director

PAUL MORREL: former NASA chief of staff, National Security Council communications specialist and Congressional chief of staff

SCOTT HENNEN: President/CEO of Great Plains Integrated Marketing, Fargo, ND and radio host

JAMES DAVIS: Digital Communications Managers, Gibraltar Associates

MATT BURNS: Director, Media Relations, UnitedHealth Group; communication director, 2008 Republican National Convention

CHRIS BROOKS: Online communications specialist

Source: MiCAST

CONTACT: Mark Pfeifle, +1-703-850-6058, mpfeifle@s4inc.com; or Chris
Brooks, +1-609-477-0982, both of MiCAST

Web Site: http://www.micast.org/

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