TRAINING TEHRAN TELEPHONE TAXI DRIVERS AS EMERGENCY REPORTERS IN THE AFTERMATH OF EARTHQUAKES

Having on-time and correct information is a necessity for successful emergency response activities in the aftermath of disastrous events, such as major earthquakes. These days, this concept has been very well understood by emergency managers. Even in the case of scenario-based emergency management, the differences between the assumed scenario and the real situations can be drastic due to several uncertainties involved in hazard and vulnerability estimations. Getting correct, appropriate, and timely information about the situation in different parts of the affected area requires thorough monitoring of the city by reliable and trained people who are capable of understanding the extent of adversity in various cases, and reporting it in an efficient manner. Tehran Telephone Taxi Company has around 2000 taxis, which are in service all around the city 24 hours a day through the whole week. Therefore, if the taxi drivers are trained to act as reporters in the aftermath of earthquakes for the emergency management authorities of the city, they can provide these authorities with on-time information in order to help them for timely and appropriate decision-making and action in the disastrous situation. This paper discusses the possibilities and challenges in conducting such training programs. The materials to be trained, the time of training, the qualifications of trainers and trainees, and related training tools and methods are discussed. It is believed that holding these training courses seems quite possible and even necessary for the successful and emergency programs in Tehran metropolis and similar large cities in earthquake prone countries.