"You could envision a generic case management system . . . and define what the pieces are, where it needs an imaging component, a workflow component, a correspondence component, where it needs to be tied to some investigating tools . . ."

Many recommendations were made for "templates" that could be reused in future emergencies, no matter their cause or location. These ideas are sometimes no more than recommendations to document what was done in New York in the form of detailed checklists, such as the necessary components of a family relief center. One interviewee described the process of inventing the center: defining its multi-faceted mission (comfort, information gathering, crime investigation, assistance applications), sending people all over the City to gather material and resources including comfortable furniture, increasingly scarce American flags (donated by sports teams and museums), tablecloths (obtained from hotels), carpeting, plants, toys, and other items that would make the center as positive an environment as possible for the families forced to be there. In addition, they needed to support the many organizations working in the center and had to secure computers, networks and telephone services, build software, and manage an extensive array of records and information.

An inventory of the existence and capabilities of public spaces was another modest recommendation with potentially big benefits. New York was initiating a bio-terrorism drill at Pier 92 when the Trade Center was struck. The fact that this unencumbered public space was available made it possible to quickly recreate the EOC at that location. Interviewees advised all communities to identify public spaces that could be used in flexible ways, and for high-risk communities to invest in basic communications and computing infrastructure in those facilities that could be activated immediately.

Other recommendations require a larger investment, but could have high payoff when they are needed. For example, the case management system that emerged at the Family Assistance Center was invented on the fly. In hindsight, it is clear that the generic key components of such a system could be built in advance. Core data needs, logical components and workflow, use of various data capture technologies such as imaging of documents, network requirements, security features, and data access protocols could all be created in the shell of a system that could be rapidly deployed when needed.