Case Study: American Red Cross achieves faster, more accurate hurricane damage assessments with Trimble Nomad handhelds and RDMS

American Red Cross Uses Trimble Technology and RDMS to Speed Hurricane Disaster Relief

The American Red Cross, the U.S. leader in disaster response, sought to replace its slow, paper-based “street sheet” damage assessment process with a faster, more accurate electronic system to better prioritize relief after large-scale events. Paper forms required hand-keying into the Client Assistance System, were subject to legibility errors, and delayed situational awareness during emergencies like Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

The Red Cross partnered with Global Relief Technologies and deployed Trimble Nomad handhelds running GRT’s RDMS, enabling volunteers to capture GPS-tagged assessments, photos and structured data in the field and upload them in near real time. The solution produced dramatic results—about 28,000 damage assessments in under three weeks—eliminated manual data entry, improved accuracy and geospatial analysis, sped decision-making, and was well received by volunteers; the Red Cross is expanding the program and training capacity.

American Red Cross