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User Guide for Missing Person Registry Module

Introduction

The Missing Person Registry is an online bulletin board of missing and found people. It captures information about the people lost and found, as well as information about persons seeking them, increasing the chances of people finding each other. For example, if two members of a family are looking for the head of the family, Sahana can connect those two family members during their search, ideally leading to family reunification.

Sahana's system is self-contained in this regard, but there is recognition that interchange of evacuee and patient-tracking information with other non-Sahana systems would be useful as future enhancements.


Simple Scenario

  1. Reporting Person 1 first reports a missing person, such as “dad”.
  2. Independently, another family member ( Reporting Person 2) is looking for dad and reports dad's last-known-location and other details to Sahana, including ultimately finding him.
  3. Reporting Person 2 checks in with Sahana, and finds that dad has been found by Reporting person 1. Through Sahana the three can arrange to meet up.

Functionality Provided through the Main Menu of the Missing Person Registry

  • Search for a person
  • Report a missing person
  • Edit a missing person
  • Report a found person
  • List missing people
  • List found people

Search for a Person

In the “Search” window, the user can try to find someone, assuming that person had been reported to the system as missing or found.

To search for a person, enter

  • Any known identifying number for the individual ( such as identity card number, passport number, or driving license number )
  • Any part of the person's name ( such as first name, family name, nickname )

Select “All Incidents”, if you want to search for a person associated with all disaster incidents covered by the Sahana installation.

Then click “Search”. The results is a scrollable table with details about all the candidate missing and found people that match your search criteria.

Search Result Details

There may be more than one individual that matches the search criteria. For a given individual, a row of information has these columns:

  • Person

Shows name and optional photo.

  • Details

Shows any descriptive information that can help in identification.

  • Associated People

Shows each person who reported on or wants to know about the person being sought. If there's an additional person interested in the missing individual, add that person to this list with the “Associate another person” link.

  • Missing Details

Shows details, such as time and location last seen.

  • Actions

Shows the current status ( e.g., Missing, Alive & Well, Injured ). If you find a missing person, report that by using 'Click to change to found'. Also, you can assign a given individual to another incident by following the link “Assign to more incidents”.

Report a Missing Person

Before adding a person to Sahana's Missing Person Registry (MPR), please confirm that that person is not already listed in the MPR by using the search function provided.

If not, to newly register a missing person, use the “Report a Missing Person” page. Input all details available that you wish to share about that individual in the relevant fields. Only the full name is compulsory. It is also possible to upload a photograph of the missing person, making identification easier. When done, click “Next”.

In the next window, Sahana asks for information about the “reporting person” (that is, you, or the person on whose behalf you are entering information). This will:

  • allow notification should the missing person be later reported found.
  • cover the situation where the person who is reporting also a victim of the disaster. The details given here can help to associate the reporting person with relatives.

Set “Have you reported anyone?” to the appropriate value, depending on whether the reporting person has previously reported anyone to Sahana MPR:

  • No, then fill in available information about the reporting person in the relevant fields, and click “Next”.
  • Yes, then input the reporting person's name and relationship to the missing person in then relevant fields, and click “Next”. Then Sahana will show a list of names that match with the name given as the reporting person. Select the correct reporting person by clicking the link “Select”.

This process may be repeated if there are more than one missing persons to report.

Edit a Missing Person

In the “Edit a Missing Person” page, a user can update information about a person entered previously into Sahana.

First, the user must find the person whose information needs to be updated. To perform this, input any identification number or any part of a name in the relevant fields. Also select “All Incidents” if you need to search in all disaster incidents. Then click “Search”. The list of matching persons will appear. This step is the same as “Search for a Person” above.

If you need to update details of missing person, click on the name of the person. Then Sahana will show a form filled with previously entered data. Change relevant fields as required. It is also possible to upload a new photograph for that person. When done, click “Next” to apply changes.

In the next window, Sahana shows a list of persons (Trackers) seeking that person. If you do not need to change anything here, just click “Next”. If you need to remove a tracker, click link “Remove Tracker”.

If you need to add new tracker, click link “Add a Tracker”. Then you will get a window to enter information about the new tracker. Set “Have you reported anyone?” to the appropriate value, depending on whether the tracker has previously reported anyone to Sahana MPR:

  • No, then fill in available information about the tracker in the relevant fields, and click “Next”.
  • Yes, then input the trackers's name and relationship to the missing person in then relevant fields, and click “Next”. Then Sahana will show a list of names that match with the name given as the tracker. Select the correct tracker (or reporting person generally) by clicking the link “Select”.

If the new tracker has not reported any person to Sahana MPR before, Set “Have you reported anyone?” to No then fill all the information available about reporting person in relevant fields. Then click “Next”.

To view details about a tracker, click on the tracker's name. Sahana will show a window with a summary about that tracker.

To edit details of that tracker, click the link “Click to edit”. Then edit the information about that tracker ( just like editing a missing person ). Then click “Next”.

After making any changes to trackers and clicking “Next”, Sahana will show a summary page with the new information, and will ask for confirmation to apply these changes. To apply changes, click “Next”.

Report a Found Person

Use the “Report a Found Person” page to announce the finding of a displaced person earlier reported as missing. Steps need to report a found person are similar to those to report a missing person.

Reports

List Missing People

The “Reports/List Missing People” menu item bring up the “Missing People” page, listing all missing people in the Missing Person Registry, with their photographs [in what order?].

To edit a missing person's entry, click on the person's name. Sahana will bring up the “Edit Missing Person” page; steps to edit this page were described earlier.

To assign a missing person to another incident, click on “Assign to more incidents”, select another another incident and click “Add”.

List Found People

From the “Reports/List Found People” menu item, the “Found People” page lists all the now-found people contained in the Missing Person Registry, with their photographs. The functionality of “List Found People” is same as “List Missing People” except, of course, it lists persons found. Specifically, one can edit a found person's entry or assign a given person to different incidents, using steps essentially the same as for “List Missing Person” described above.


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