Corps’ program receives top honor

Information software developed by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center that was used during the 2011 spring flood has received the 2012 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Innovation of the Year Award.

ERDC’s mobile information collection application software, or MICA, was used during the spring 2011 Mississippi River flood to digitally photograph and send field data to emergency command centers, improving response times and eliminating paperwork and data input.

The computer software comes loaded on a Smartphone and uses a standard camera, global positioning satellite, compass, WiFi and computer processing capabilities.

It is being used by the Detroit Fire Department to locate and identify abandoned homes, and the Corps’ Jacksonville, Fla., District is testing it as part of ongoing wetlands restoration projects.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency also is considering its use in improving communications between federal, state and local emergency authorities.