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Elina Valtonen, Ronja Addams-Moring, Teemupekka Virtanen, Antti Järvinen, & Mikael Moring. (2004). Emergency announcements to mobile user devices in geographically defined areas. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2004 – 1st International Workshop on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 151–156). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: When emergency announcements (EA) to a population in a crisis area are needed, avoiding single points of failure in the EA sending and forwarding systems is essential. We present a new concept, an extension to existing EA sending systems, which is based on real-time location information about mobile devices. Such a solution would increase the EA sending systems' robustness through redundancy and technology diversity. At the same time, these mobile emergency announcement (MEA) sending systems would increase the percentage of the threatened population that can be reached fast. The proposition is based on a set of requirements for EA sending systems, the most important of which turned out to be ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the EA information content. We found our preliminary results too optimistic: current GSM networks should not be used for sending EAs, as it is quite possible to forge SMS text messages, even to multiple GSM phones in a specific target area. The next generations of mobile phone networks (3G/UMTS and 4G) seem more promising, due to their packet-oriented architectures, as each data packet can be stamped with verifiable information about the source of the data. However, the development of communications networks with features compatible with MEA sending will demand that both authorities and independent experts take an active, early role in networks design right beside the commercial organisations. © Proceedings ISCRAM 2004.
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Ronja Addams-Moring. (2007). Tsunami self-evacuation of a group of western travelers and resulting requirements for multi-hazard early warning. In K. Nieuwenhuis P. B. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Intelligent Human Computer Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM 2007 Academic Proceedings Papers (pp. 83–92). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper describes the experiences of a West-European project group in Sri Lanka in March 2005, during a tsunami threat. They had previous disaster related knowledge and used both local guidance, global media and contacts back home, but could not get adequate information about how much time they had, how likely a tsunami was, or which countries had ordered evacuations. Their decision to evacuate was based on their own reasoning and influenced most by one trusted local resident. Their mobile phone communication with their relations in Europe created a de facto ad hoc mobile emergency announcement (MEA) system. Their decision to return relied heavily on the ad hoc MEA text messages, as local authorities had not yet issued an all-clear. The findings underline the importance of multiple early warning languages and delivery channels and suggest that when relevant, 'event onset time' should be explicit in early warning.
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Ronja Addams-Moring, Markku Kekkonen, & Shushan Zhao. (2005). A simple taxonomy for mobile emergency announcement systems. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2005 – 2nd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 309–316). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Mobile communications networks and devices can be and have been used by authorities to warn and instruct the general public during crises. However, our understanding of how mobile technologies could best be used for emergency announcements (public warnings) is currently limited. To clarify one part of this field of study, we define and describe a simple taxonomy for mobile emergency announcements (MEA) systems. The taxonomy has three categories: preplanned MEA systems, ad-hoc MEA systems and semi ad-hoc MEA systems. Differences in functional, security and other requirements were found between MEA systems belonging to different taxonomy categories, both concerning how each category of MEA systems can meet the common requirements, and concerning which requirements are the most important for each category of MEA systems. The differences between the categories were especially clear for these requirements: the understandability and credibility of the MEAs and the security of a MEA system.
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Yrjo Raivio, & Ronja Addams-Moring. (2006). Mobile emergency announcements with really simple syndication (RSS 2.0). In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 164–171). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Broadcasting methods, such as the radio, the television and sirens, have been the main choices for delivering emergency announcements (EA)-Also called public warnings, emergency alerts or citizens warnings-during the last 60 odd years. Unfortunately, broadcast EAs do not reach all people, and the reason for the EA and the actions required can remain unclear. Today, the high penetration of personal mobile phones offers new options to authorities. As a result, a new research and implementation area, Mobile Emergency Announcement (MEA), has emerged. The GSM Short Message System (SMS) is already deployed for MEA delivery. Simultaneously, in the World Wide Web (WWW) a novel news delivery technology, called Really Simple Syndication 2.0 (RSS) is spreading. This paper describes a concept for how RSS can be harnessed for MEA use. First, MEA requirements are briefly reviewed. Second, the eXtended Markup Language (XML) based Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) and the syndication protocol RSS 2.0 are presented. Third, the central implementation issues are presented. Finally, the proposed solution is critically reviewed.
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