Send in the Drones

From the BBC:

In his proposed system, UAVs will be launched immediately to monitor the unfolding disaster from the air.
They will provide real-time footage to disaster responders on the ground, who can request specific information from the drones using hand-held electronic devices.
They might ask, for example, 'how stable is this building's roof?' before entering to look for victims.
"We could also have robots on the ground, that would go into areas too dangerous for humans," says Prof Jennings.

of course, unless you have them nearby, they aren't going to be much help...