Lack of power, internet and cell phone service in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria curtailed nearly all communications on St. John, leaving no way for survivors to contact loved ones. An impromptu stateside alliance stepped in to help. They used Facebook and other electronic and social media to gather information, then posted the status of St. John community members online. On-island, survivors made a list of people that were safe.

In Coral Bay, a poster was created and shared on Facebook. Survivors used any means possible to record and share the names of survivors so that people on and off island would know that their loved ones were safe. A central system, established before an event, to handle the logistics of allowing people to check-in, was lacking and is needed. Based on the lessons learned, the Volunteer Management Long-term Recovery Group is putting together an organized system to account for community members. The mission of St. John Roll Call, A Crisis Safety Check, is to assess and report the safety status of all individuals for use in the event of an emergency. This information system will aid search and rescue efforts, as well as account for and help ensure the wellbeing of all individuals on-island, following a disaster. A website has been established to manage a check-in process. Post-storm, individuals can log-in to check-in as safe. A neighborhood canvasing effort will be undertaken to account for everyone, and names can be uploaded from locations with hardened internet service. St. John Rescue, Love City Strong’s Go Teams, government agencies and other first responder groups will also canvass the island and will be in communication with Roll Call volunteers to identify any further medical or safety issues. The primary goal of Roll Call is to communicate the safety of individuals to their loved ones and identify anyone that is unaccounted for. Community members can establish a profile ahead of time, providing an opportunity to document any vulnerabilities, dependents including pets, etc. Profiles are self-managed so people can mark themselves as safe, as off-island, etc.

IMPLEMENTATION STEPS: 1. Coordinate with current administrators of stateside Facebook roll call groups – Stateside 2. Recruit volunteers based on duties/ job descriptions 3. Develop a zone map to organize neighborhood canvassing. 4. Determine a process to compensate or otherwise incentivize key volunteers 5. Communicate with Love City Strong Go Teams, St. John Rescue and first responders to establish a reporting process 6. Develop a database website and cell-phone applications 7. Develop mobile applications and text message alerts. 8. Conduct an outreach campaign; 9. Secure a grant to make use of Language Line Solutions for translation services

Key Players: St. John LTRT Alignment: HSS, CPCB RSFs Cost: < S100,000 Timeline: < One Years