KAPOK DISASTER RESPONSE APP

 
 
© A Fair Resolution, LLC 2026

History

The impetus for developing Kapok:

In the wake of the two devastating hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico and parts of the Carribean and United States in September 2017, we were inspired by the resilience and responses by the community on and off the island and by RNRN/NNU and other unions.

We sought to build a team including those with insights and experience from being involved in the disaster response on the ground and at a distance as well as utilize expertise on online data management for dispute handling to harness technology to assist in future disasters. Thus was born the concept of creating a disaster response app by a multidisciplinary team, working with no budget but a commitment to produce a tool to help save lives.

Two hurricanes hit Puerto Rico within 2 weeks

  • Hurricane Irma Sept 6, 2017 (Category 5: 175 mph/281 km/h)

  • Hurricane Maria Sept 20, 2017 (Category 4:155 mph/250 km/h)

Emergency conditions 1 month later*

  • Insufficient medical & other assistance for many

  • Desperate for H20: using contaminated sources => deaths

  • Hospitals/local doctors’ offices closed, full, lacking basic supplies:  generators, medicine, water; operations by cellphone lights

  • Many stores: no food, water & other necessary supplies

  • 60,000 homes w/no roofs => dangerous black mold => illness

  • 1 million people lacked access to running water

  • 1.8 million meals/day shortfall

Communication conditions 1 month later 

  • 75% of Puerto Ricans were without electricity

  • 40% of telecommunications not restored

  • 50% of cell towers

  • 60% of cell antennas down

  • Most roads impassable

*National Nurses United. “Report on Conditions in Puerto Rico and Call for Immediate Congressional Action.” October 26, 2017.]

COMMUNICTY RESPONSE & RESILIENCE**

In Puerto Rico

  • Repairing, supporting, sharing resources ie: those w/generators became hubs for cell phone charging & storing medicine

From afar

  • Medical & other responders flew in & volunteered: nurses, carpenters, electricians, truck drivers, plumbers, etc.

Use of social media by diaspora: 

  • to find missing loved ones

  • to identify local leaders for public health info dissemination & coordination

RESPONSE TEAMS’ NEED FOR ICTS

  • Communication

    • location of transportation barriers (roads out, flood threats, downed electrical lines)

    • locations visited

    • public health actions taken

    • taught water purification to village leader

    • delivery of medicine, water, etc.

  • Preparation for next day/visit:

    • needs for future visits: supplies & type of personnel

    • tarps for houses, medicine, water, roads & electrical lines to be cleared

  • Records maintenance

  • Increase morale through knowledge of accomplishments

**Much of this information was provided by RNRN, NNU medical responders & hurricane survivor framily members

KApok APP PURPOSe

Kapok IS DESIGNED TO:

Key Features

  • Ability to function without Internet

  • Collect, organize, & store text and map data:

    • locations visited

    • services & supplies delivered

    • needs at locations

    • contacts (ie: community leaders)

    • personnel and resource tracking

    • where teams are going, when, who is in them

Kapok design team:

  • multidisciplinary and multilingual

Kapok trees, Puerto Rico (photo by Cesar Lizasuain, 2018)

Kapok trees, Puerto Rico

(photo by Cesar Lizasuain, 2018)

Contact for Kapok: Kapok@afairresolution.com