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The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has mobilized a database of 400 of the most commonly encountered hazardous substances by first responders. The 40-year old organization - part of the National Institutes of Health - is the largest medical library in world. Called WISER, short for Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders, the free standalone reference tool is compiled from NLM's Hazardous Substance DataBank (HSDB) of 5,000 chemicals.

WISER is available as a download for the Palm, Pocket PC, and Windows platforms; a lot of first responders wanted the software for laptops in their vehicles. WISER is also accessible through a browser, which is how BlackBerry owners would leverage it.

Now on version 2.2, WISER aims to replace paper-based systems and other outdated technologies. The user interface is designed to present the data to the emergency responder in a format that is easy to access and comprehend during an emergency for decision support—assisting in the identification of an unknown substance and providing information on immediate actions necessary to save lives and protect the environment—as well as during disaster-preparedness training.

NLM deputy associate director for Specialized Information Services Division Marti Szczur told PDAStreet WISER was first released in 2004 after a prototyping phase that contained only about 45 chemicals. After receiving good initial feedback, NLM decided to create a version that contained the full 5,000 hazardous-materials list. First responders said they preferred a mobile database with only the most commonly encountered chemicals, however.

"Our objective with WISER has been to utilize the HSDB's existing resource of authoritative data and package it specifically for the emergency-responder community," said Szczur. "The marriage of mobile devices and the WISER application provides critical information in a useful format and enables the user to have access to this data on the site of a hazmat incident."

Primary users for WISER have been fire departments more than government agencys, Szczur informed PDAStreet.

"Mobility tools like Treo smartphones with the WISER application serve to shorten critical response time in crisis situations and provide accurate authoritative information," according to Lieutenant Chip Haake of the Tuscola, Ill. Fire Department. "We have encouraged and implemented use of the Palm solution in order to make sure we're using the latest life-saving technologies for the communities we serve, as well as our own team members."

On a handheld the software can be stored in memory or a memory card. So far the NLM has recorded 11,000 downloads of WISER for the Palm OS alone and 40,000 overall.

For Palm, Inc., WISER used with one of its devices demonstrates the importance of mobility today. “The newest trend in mobile computing is moving beyond e-mail. Palm’s portfolio of products coupled with mission critical applications increase efficiency and responsiveness," asserted Palm's VP of enterprise markets Tara Griffin to PDAStreet. " For example, WISER on a Palm device gives emergency responders the information they need to make quick, life-saving decisions in a matter of minutes.”

The NLM also formats a whole range of additional environmental health data here for PDA and smartphone browsers.