Title

Resiliency-Focused Workforce Training

College Station, TX

College Station, TX from MetroLab Network

Contact

PROJECT LEAD

Robin Murphy

CONTACT INFO

  • robin.r.murphy@tamu.edu

THE IDEA

The College Station team implemented a program to train at-risk youth to use drones and marine vehicles to gather and analyze data for community pre-disaster mitigation efforts.

THE CHALLENGE

Each year floods, hurricanes, and wildfires in the US cost hundreds of lives and $125B in economic losses, with disproportionate impacts on people of color and low-income communities.

Low-cost ($1-12K) unmanned aerial systems (drones) and unmanned marine surface vehicles (robot boats), coupled with advances in artificial intelligence and geospatial software, could revolutionize how communities prepare, prevent, and minimize losses. However, Texas emergency managers currently lack the workforce and knowledge to investigate and implement these technologies in a meaningful way.


THE TEAM

Research Partners:

  • Texas A&M
  • Texas A&M Galveston
  • Institute for a Disaster Resilient
  • Texas
  • TEEX, TEES
  • Plus consortium of universities

Civic Partners: 

  • Texas Division of Emergency
  • Management 
  • Texas A&M Forest 
  • Service 
  • Bryan Fire Depart. 
  • Galveston Economic Dev. Partnership 
  • Houston ISD
  • Galveston ISD 
  • Bryan ISD  
 

THE APPROACH

The team developed a program for at-risk youth from the Bryan, Houston and Galveston Independent School Districts to train with local emergency managers and leverage a broader disaster science research to use drones and marine vehicles to gather and process data for pre-disaster mitigation efforts.

THE IMPACT

  • The team engaged with 39 students and five teachers in four high schools, in addition to three student summer internships.
  • The team held a one-day meeting at Disaster City with emergency managers from Texas Department of Emergency Management, Texas A&M Forest Service, Brazos Valley Office of Emergency Management, teachers and students from four high schools, and academics.
  • Prototyping teaching FAA Part 107 drone licensing exam as after-school program for 12 students.
  • 1-Day Workshop for K-12 teachers.