Addressing Community Inequities and Social Determinants of Preparedness: A Prototype Mobile Application for Hyperlocal Emergency Response Coordination
Keywords:
Emergency preparedness, social determinants, community resilience, disaster response, health equity, mobile technology.Abstract
Social determinants such as income level, education, disability status, and housing conditions shape not only exposure to hazards but also the capacity for recovery (SAMHSA, 2017). Communities with fewer resources often face longer recovery periods, higher mortality, and more profound long-term impacts.
This study presents the design and development of a prototype mobile application intended to support hyperlocal emergency response coordination within United States communities. Grounded in the working thesis that inequities in resource ownership and distribution directly influence community-level emergency preparedness, the project integrates demographic, geographic, and asset-mapping data from publicly available sources. Ivy City, Washington, DC, was selected as the model community due to its diverse population, concentration of vulnerable groups, and complex topographical and infrastructural features. A simulation engine incorporated within the prototype uses community-specific social determinants to estimate probability distributions of emergency outcomes. Findings indicate that the prototype’s modular and replicable design facilitates its adaptation across diverse neighborhoods and that visualizing localized vulnerabilities can support more equitable preparedness planning.
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