Crisis-related information exchange hub

A method of managing crisis-related communications amongst a plurality of entities, the method comprising:

• storing, in a repository, data regarding entities and indicating relationships between entities, each relationship comprising an indication of a first entity, an indication of a second entity, an indication of whether the first entity is available to receive information from the second entity, an indication of whether the second entity is available to receive information from the first entity, and additional information describing the relationship between the first and second entities;
• determining that the first entity has entered a new location;
• identifying, by a hardware processor, at least one other entity relevant to the new location as a candidate for being related to the first entity;
• generating, by a hardware processor, a relationship between the first entity and the candidate;
• receiving, from devices of a plurality of originating entities, crisis-related information items, each crisis-related information item including metadata and information;
• analyzing information items to determine whether the information items include certain metadata attributes, the metadata attributes including:
• an originating entity's identity, an originating entity's geographical location, one or more geographical locations corresponding to the information item, a time the information item was originated, an urgency of the information item, a type of the information item, and one or more groups of specified recipient entities;
• identifying, for each information item, a corresponding set of recipient entities based on the metadata attributes determined to be included in that information item and the relationships stored in the repository;
• determining that a firewall is between the SCS and a particular recipient entity in the corresponding set of recipient entities;
• in response to determining that the firewall is between the SCS and the particular recipient entity, establishing a connection with the particular recipient entity responsive to receiving a polling request from the particular recipient entity;
• composing, for a given information item, a new message associated with the given information item;
• and
• transmitting the new message to the corresponding set of recipient entities using one or more telecommunication networks, wherein the new message is transmitted to the particular recipient entity through the established connection.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions for providing personnel crisis communications management, the computer program instructions when executed causes one or more computing systems to:

• store, in a repository, data regarding entities and indicating relationships between entities, each relationship comprising an indication of a first entity, an indication of a second entity, an indication of whether the first entity is available to receive information from the second entity, an indication of whether the second entity is available to receive information from the first entity, and additional information describing the relationship between the first and second entities;
• receive, from devices of a plurality of originating entities, crisis-related information items, each crisis-related information item including metadata and information;
• determine that the first entity has entered a new location;
• identify at least one other entity relevant to the new location as a candidate for being related to the first entity;
• generate a relationship between the first entity and the candidate;
• analyze information items to determine whether the information items include certain metadata attributes, the metadata attributes including:
• an originating entity's identity, an originating entity's geographical location, one or more geographical locations corresponding to the information item, a time the information item was originated, an urgency of the information item, a type of the information item, and one or more groups of specified recipient entities;
• identify, for each information item, a corresponding set of recipient entities based on the metadata attributes determined to be included in that information item and the relationships stored in the repository;
• determine that a firewall is between the SCS and a particular recipient entity in the corresponding set of recipient entities;
• in response to determining that the firewall is between the SCS and the particular recipient entity, establish a connection with the particular recipient entity responsive to receiving a polling request from the particular recipient entity;
• compose, for a given information item, a new message associated with the given information item;
• and
• transmit the new message to the corresponding set of recipient entities using one or more telecommunication networks, wherein the new message is transmitted to the particular recipient entity through the established connection.