By Robert Brehl
FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – Open data and open government may sound like an oxymoron or worse – some sinister Orwellian plot to control the masses.
But, in reality, open data is a term referring to using technology and bringing together many relevant and disparate bits of public information in a timely manner to improve communities – and even save lives.
Case in point is San Ramon, California. Last year, the fire chief was lunching in a deli when he heard sirens. The emergency crews arrived next door where a man had a heart attack and 911 was called.
Trained in CPR, the fire chief knew he could have been aiding the heart attack victim precious minutes sooner if only he had known.
That experience got him thinking about an app for mobile phones that could alert volunteers trained in CPR when 911 is called for an apparent heart attack. Any trained person nearby to the call’s location could arrive before paramedics and other emergency crews.
“Using the term ‘hacking’ in the title may be a marketing ploy to grab attention, but the connotations of the word really don’t apply to what we’re all trying to do here,” says Shawn Peterson, a T4G developer
In less than one year, more than 40,000 accredited CPR people, living and working in San Ramon, have signed up for this app.
“We’re crowd-sourcing Good Samaritans,” Fire Chief Richard Price proudly says. And that is just one open data idea.
Open data applications can range from life-saving to mundane, but useful; like garbage collection timetables, reporting and repairing potholes and burnt out street lamps, hospital wait times, equitable property tax assessments, fuel consumption in various vehicles and much more.
“The potential for open data is tremendous,” says Patrick Lacroix, Managing Director – Leadership & Productivity Improvement, T4G Limited, which is hosting the Dec. 3 event in its Fredericton office at 77 Westmorland St. Between noon and 4 p.m. “The idea is to explore the potential of sharing information and databases to improve citizen engagement, accountability and government services.”
In cities around the globe there will be events awkwardly called “Hackathons” on Dec. 3 where all sorts of people will meet to talk, share information, collaborate and pull together useful data collected with the public’s money. It only makes sense that citizens get a chance to better utilize the information they’ve already paid for.
In essence, International Open Data Day is a global village gathering of citizens around the world to write applications, liberate data, create visualizations and publish analyses using open public data. It is also intended to show support for the adoption of open data policies by the world's local, regional and national governments.
“Using the term ‘hacking’ in the title may be a marketing ploy to grab attention, but the connotations of the word really don’t apply to what we’re all trying to do here,” says Shawn Peterson, a T4G developer who has crunched data and pulled together an easy-to-use website called www.propertize.ca that allows people to compare property taxes in New Brunswick to ensure their assessment is fair.
“There’s all this great data out there and available but it’s not easy to get at. Our goal is to pull together as much public data as possible to improve people’s lives as much as possible, while at the same time protecting individual privacy,” Peterson says.
Who’s invited and what’s the goal of the event Dec. 3 at T4G’s office?
- Anyone with ideas and who wants to learn more about open data is invited;
- Discussions will be around how our governments can do more to release open data;
- Engage local non-profits and companies in the uses of open data for their products and missions;
- Meet & network with people in Fredericton and exchange ideas with cool people around the world at other International Open Data events;
- Find out about apps being created, and get to play around with them;
- Help out with parts of the conceptualization, creation, design, advertisement and testing of apps;
- Partake in open tutorial sessions around using open data, like learning how to customize google maps to show the data you want to show.
If you wish to attend, RSVP to Patrick.Lacroix@t4g.com by November 30.
Will an open data app as dramatic as the San Ramon CPR app come out of the Fredericton event? Who knows? Anything is possible, especially when so many bright minds gather in the same room.
About T4G
We design, develop, and implement technology solutions to help customers run their businesses better. Our philosophy is based on The Intelligent Application of Technology™, which uses a project-based approach to solve business problems & deliver measurable value.
T4G was founded in 1996 as an innovative, creative, customer-driven and fiscally-responsible organization. Today we have offices in seven cities across North America serving customers in Retail, Travel and Hospitality, Energy, Financial Services, Professional Services, Health and Life Sciences, Government and Communications.
Beyond business, we are active participants in our communities. In 2007, T4G created the Future Focus Foundation. This registered charity supports organizations that focus on children’s education & learning, and also demonstrate a high social return on investment.
For more information: www.t4g.com