Develop and Test a Tool for Training Research Responders in Emergency Operations

 美国政府已经投资了数十亿美元来制定有效的备灾和应对战略。正在进行的救灾行动缺少的是收集数据和进行真实的研究的能力，以便更好地为正在进行的应对和恢复工作以及未来的事件提供信息。虽然大部分备灾培训都集中在第一反应者身上，还有一些培训是针对第二反应者的，但很少有培训研究反应者（RR）的。灾难研究响应项目（DR 2）由NIEHS与美国国家医学图书馆（NLM）合作开发，负责提供现成的数据收集工具和响应协议，以及熟悉这些工具的训练有素的研究响应者的响应网络。TREO-紧急行动研究响应者培训是一个创新的在线学习产品，专门解决如何将RR纳入灾害行动的问题。研究人员可以在方便的时候使用这个工具--无论是提前使用，还是在部署到灾区之前作为及时培训。对于我们的第一阶段工作，将通过深入访谈指导TREO的开发，然后对原型进行可用性测试，并在培训结束时和三个月后对RR知识的获得进行前后评估。我们还建议为其他应急响应人员进行演示，以表明TREO游戏式环境的适用性，以满足其他响应人员的培训需求。这一工具将有助于改变新的培训技术如何推动备灾的模式，方法是利用虚拟世界教驻地代表如何安全和有效地融入任何类型的救灾行动。TREO的商业应用潜力远远超出了NIEHS的RR网络，包括提供灾害管理课程的学校，公共或私人研究组织，独立研究人员以及可能进行或承包自然或故意灾害研究的州和地方机构。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The United States government has invested billions of dollars to develop effective disaster preparedness and response strategies. Missing from ongoing disaster operations is the ability to collect data and conduct research in real time in order to better inform ongoing response and recovery efforts as well as future events. Although much of disaster preparedness training has focused on first responders, and some training for second responders, little is yet available to train Research Responders (RRs). The Disaster Research Response Project (DR2), developed by NIEHS in collaboration with the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is charged with providing readily available data collection tools and response protocols as well as a response network of trained research responders familiar with those tools. TREO--Training Research Responders for Emergency Operations is an innovative online learning product that specifically addresses how RRs can be integrated into disaster operations. Researchers can use the tool at their convenience -- either in advance or as just-in-time training before deployment into a disaster area. For our Phase I effort, in depth interviews will guide the development of TREO, followed by usability testing of the prototype as well as a pre- and post-assessment of RR knowledge gains at the conclusion of training and three months later. We also suggest conducting demonstrations for other emergency response personnel to provide an indication of the applicability of TREO's game-like environment to meet the training needs of other responder populations. This tool will contribute to shifting the paradigm of how novel training technologies can drive disaster preparedness by using virtual worlds to teach RRs how to integrate safely and productively into any type of disaster operation. The potential for commercial application of TREO goes well beyond the NIEHS network of RRs to include schools offering disaster management curricula, public or private research organizations, independent researchers, and state and local agencies that may conduct or contract for research on natural or intentional disasters.