As I read the NYT and WSJ, I see similar stories that the Big Data Smart Phone era reduced the suffering caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma as people used their phones to "trade with each other" such that private first responders saved many people. Permit me to ask an economics question, should the suppliers of rescue services be compensated?
They will receive praise but should they receive money? Uber drivers are paid. What is the difference between Uber and disaster relief?
Titmus vs. Hayek
Who is the Great Titmus? He argued back in 1970 that paying for stuff such as blood leads suppliers to recoil and supply less. What would Hayek say?
If an App programmer created a disaster market place "Uber", would more people be saved or would fewer? How would surge pricing work? Who should be allocated the scarce rescue services during a crisis? If the supply curve is elastic, will more first responders be available during the surge? Do the potential first responders place themselves at risk during a disaster by sticking around rather than evacuating?
Do markets work in the middle of a crisis?