C⁴I for Humanity is:

A Non-Government, Non-Profit, Relocatable, Modular System with support personnel which supplies Communications, Command, Control, Computer, and Intelligence aid to Humanitarian Missions for Disaster Relief.

We are currently organizing into what will eventually become a charitable non-profit organization.

We hope to provide:

1. A cloud-based Command and Control Infrastructure to help coordinate relief efforts during disasters, recovery efforts after, and preparedness before.

   • A centralized disaster coordination system for use by organizations, volunteers, and victims of any disaster
   • A trained volunteer pool to staff an off-site call center
   • Best Practices white papers for disaster preparedness and coordination.
   • After action reports on disasters

2. A Liaison service to help facilitate coordination among various government and non-government organizations involved in disaster relief and recovery.

   • Volunteer pool who can connect to and from each organization
   • Contacts within each organization who can serve as a direct point of contact
   • Established protocols and Best Practices for coordination

3. An emergency, mobile communications infrastructure that can be deployed on the ground to establish communications between relief workers and those in need. 

   • Telecommunications hub(s) with satellite internet or direct connection to local infrastructure
     • Deployed close to ground zero.
     • Provides cached data and limited gateway to coordination database
     • Ideally fits in a suitcase and deployed by local vehicle.  Powered by 12v DC.
   • Remote mesh nodes (Solar/battery powered, provides WiFi, VOIP, connection to the local hub(s).

Origins

It all began in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Brian Chabot was one of many volunteers working to help the relief efforts.  In seeing how everything worked, he came up with the ideas which would eventually become C4I for Humanity.

As time passed, those ideas expanded and refined.

In the wake of the earthquake in Haiti on January 12th, 2010, he heard a report from the devastated country that there was plenty of relief, but due to poor communication and coordination, it was slow in getting to the people.

The lesson had obviously not been learned from Katrina and now, more lives were in danger when a good coordination system could have saved the day.

A few days later, Brian was telling this all to with his friend, Brian Ashley when the idea struck that since no one was doing this job, perhaps we should step in and do it.

Thus was born the idea.

The next day or so, in talking with colleague, Johnnie Peebles, Jr., Brian and Johnnie came up with the name: “C⁴I for Humanity”.  Brian registered both “c4i.me” right then and there.

Several disasters have come and gone where C⁴I for Humanity could have helped, if we were established.

And this brings us to now.

It’s our turn to step in and fix this problem.  Many people are working to new tools to help in crisis relief.  We’ve had many of the tools for years, but no one has used them.  Until now.

We’ll do it.

Will you help us?