StEER Responses
Response Model
In 2022, StEER transitioned to a tiered response model with three levels, each with a specific personnel model and associated products.
RESPONSE POLICY
StEER responses are led by the following personnel groups:
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VAST: Virtual Assessment Structural Teams focus on compiling relevant information from public sources and social media immediately after the event. They may also continue to support the evaluation and processing of data collected by StEER in the field. StEER members at all levels are welcome to participate in the VAST.
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FAST: Field Assessment Structural Teams are responsible for collecting data to document a hazard event’s impact. In this work they may engage a range of assessment technologies, including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs), mobile applications for performance assessments, LiDAR imaging technologies, and vehicle-mounted panoramic imaging systems.
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Response Coordination: Events are coordinated and supported by StEER’s Directors working closely with StEER’s Research Associates.
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Data Librarians: Data is subjected to a rigorous Data Enrichment and Quality Control (DE/QC) process led by a distributed team of students working with StEER’s Research Associates.
StEER products encompass the following major classes:
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Event Briefing: a discontinued product that was used to provide some commentary on events for which a Level 1 response with a Virtual Assessment Structural Teams (VAST) was not activated.
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Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (PVRR): this is the primary product of a Level 1 response, prepared by our Virtual Assessment Structural Teams (VAST) based on available third party data, including news reports and social media posts.
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Early Access Reconnaissance Report (EARR): this is the primary product of a Level 2 response, based on data collected by the Field Assessment Structural Teams (FAST). In its earlier forms, this may have included in-depth forensic assessments, but under the current tiered response model, these are synopses of the observations during rapid imaging campaigns using surface-level panoramic imaging platforms, usually mounted on vehicles.
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Datasets: These include the entirety of the data collected by a Field Assessment Structural Team (FAST) at Level 2 or 3 responses, and also include a Data Report with full documentation.
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Journal Papers: These are peer-reviewed archival publications on StEER’s operations and more recently data papers used to document Field Assessment Structural Team (FAST) datasets collected in Level 3 responses.
ACTIVATION & ESCALATION CRITERIA
The decision to activate and subsequently escalate is evidence-based and conducted in accordance with our Activation & Escalation Criteria.
PHASING OF TIERED RESPONSE MODEL
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 3
RESPONSE
LEVEL
PERSONNEL MODEL
PRODUCTS
Major hazard event with potential to generate new knowledge
VAST (Virtual) assembling available data and media
Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (PVRR)
Major hazard event with evidence of the ability to generate new knowledge
FAST - 1 (Scout) with rapid imaging capability
Early Access Reconnaissance Report (EARR), Curated dataset
Major hazard event with identified knowledge gaps
FAST - 2 (Field Investigation) with in-depth assessment capability
Data Paper, Curated dataset
EVENT
VAST
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2
VAST
VAST
FAST
FAST
LEVEL 3
TIMELINE
Response Archive
Access to archived products and data from any of StEER’s past responses can be accessed in one of two ways: geospatially by clicking on the location pin in the interactive map or through the searchable annual catalog. Please refer to StEER’s attribution guidelines when using any of StEER’s products or data.
Note that when StEER realigned its response model in 2022 certain products like Event Briefings have been discontinued. Responses that culminated only in an Event Briefing are classified as Level 0 responses.
61
Number of Event Responses
2018-2023
INTERACTIVE RESPONSE MAP
Clicking on any pin in this interactive map will provide additional detail on that response and access to associated products and data. Please refer to StEER’s attribution guidelines when using any of StEER’s products or data.
Events are color coded by hazard type:
● Earthquakes; ▲Tsunamis; ■ Hurricanes; ◆ Other Windstorms; ● Earthquakes & Tsunamis; ● Earthquakes & Typhoons
ARCHIVED RESPONSE CATALOG
Peruse this database of archived responses at each of these levels to access archived products and data, organized by year or by using the search bar to query by event name, hazard class or other keywords. Please refer to StEER’s attribution guidelines when using any of StEER’s products or data.
Note that all events predating the transition to the tiered response model are mapped to the three levels above, as appropriate.