Amelie Grangeat, Floriane Brill, Stephane Raclot, & Emmanuel Lapebie. (2016). Mapping of Areas Presenting Specific Risks to Firefighters due to Buried Technical Networks. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings ? 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Abstract: Vehicles or freight cars on fire below a bridge or inside a tunnel are exceptional events and imply difficult intervention conditions for firefighters. A buried technical network like high voltage electricity line, gas or steam pipeline around such a fire causes additional specifics risks. Vulnerability areas for firefighters are defined as zones where both factors exist: a difficult incident area – like tunnels or bridges over roads/railway lines ? together with a specific risk like buried networks. These areas require intervention teams with specific emergency response capabilities. The present paper proposes a method developed for the Paris Fire Brigade for vulnerability mapping. Results aim at being used by their decision support system dedicated to the mobilization of intervention teams. On the long term, it could improve the allocation of specific responses capabilities intervention teams as soon as the emergency call is treated. Results are debated from an operational point of view.
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Cecilia Hammar Wijkmark, Ilona Heldal, & Maria-Monika Metallinou. (2021). Experiencing Immersive VR Simulation for Firefighter Skills Training. In Anouck Adrot, Rob Grace, Kathleen Moore, & Christopher W. Zobel (Eds.), ISCRAM 2021 Conference Proceedings – 18th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 913–921). Blacksburg, VA (USA): Virginia Tech.
Abstract: Virtual Reality (VR) technology has gained interest for training in many domains, including firefighter education and training. However, there is hesitation in accepting immersive VR technology, especially for skills training. This paper examines the results from a field study investigating how first-time users experience immersive VR comparing with hot fire live simulation (HF-LS) training, a training involving several human senses. This study included nineteen firefighter students, eight instructors, and seven experienced firefighters using a VR technology simulating fire, smoke, heat, and via haptic feedback hose and pressure experiences. Data investigating user experiences were collected through questionnaires and observations. The results show that experienced firefighters valued the training using this VR technology higher than students. Further findings illustrate a difference between different user groups regarding expectations on the realism of simulated representations. For example, the visual realism of the smoke and the fire was more appreciated by experienced firefighters than students and instructors.
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Florent Castagnino. (2019). What can we learn from a crisis management exercise ? Trusting social media in a french firefighters' department. In Z. Franco, J. J. González, & J. H. Canós (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management. Valencia, Spain: Iscram.
Abstract: This paper sets out the methodology and the temporary results of an ongoing research project on the use of social media in crisis management (in France). It discusses the benefits and limits to use an emergency crisis exercise for research purposes. It describes an observation protocol and a coding method that could be replicate to survey further exercises. Some possible processing of the observation data is exposed, and further visualizations of the data are still in progress. One of the first analytical results tackles the way Var?s firefighters consider social media information. For now, social media seem to be regarded as questionable because they do not easily fit into the organizational routine. At the same time, the awareness of the need to use social media is quite strong. On the analytical level, the paper tries to use sociological concepts to describe and explain some results.
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Gilbert Huber, Angela Righi, José Orlando Gomes, Paulo Victor Rodrigues de Carvalho, Caio Lemos, & Kézia Emydgio. (2016). Firefighting emergency response exercise ? an analysis of standardization and resilience. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings ? 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Abstract: This work aims to analyse an emergency response tabletop simulation exercise undertaken as part of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) State?s Fire Department?s officer training program and conducted at Rio de Janeiro State?s Command and Control Center (CICC). Eleven groups of three officers acting as one played the roles of unit commanders. The exercise concerned the use of a set of SOPs and our research sought to identify sources of resilience and brittleness. From an initial scenario, the inserts escalated the action so as to require the commanders? responses to exercise 12 different SOPs, many simultaneously. This provided the context for the simulation´s main goal, which was to exercise and verify the knowledge, use, and suitability of the procedure related to the management of operational events of larger scale, duration, or complexity. Data collection and analysis followed cognitive task analysis methodology and included audio and video recording of the simulation and parts of its two preparation workshops. The simulated exercise showed the relationship between standardization and resilience. Not all of the expected SOPs set were utilized, in part due to the exercise design, in part due to gaps in participants? knowledge of SOPs, and in part due to acknowledged limitations of SOPs to deal with all cases real world contexts. This need for adaptation is an aspect increasingly present in complex systems, such as the one studied here, as the unexpected variability arising from the interaction between the many different elements that compose them can exceed the capacity of the SOPs to deal with it. Knowledge and analysis of the need for adaptation can contribute on different fronts: (i) better training for more conscious and safer recognition, planning and implementation of adjustments; (ii) the design or reformulation of SOPs better able to deal with real activity by considering aspects revealed by brittleness; and (iii) artefacts design to support these demands for recognition and enforcement, ensuring increasingly resilient, efficient and secure systems.
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Ilona Heldal, & Cecilia Hammar Wijkmark. (2017). Simulations and Serious Games for Firefighter Training: Users' Perspective. In eds Aurélie Montarnal Matthieu Lauras Chihab Hanachi F. B. Tina Comes (Ed.), Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Informatin Systems for Crisis Response And Management (pp. 868–878). Albi, France: Iscram.
Abstract: Simulation and serious games (SSG) are advocated as promising technologies supporting training in emergency management (EM). Based on an investigation of SSG use for fire fighter training in nine countries, this paper is examining key elements and success factors that can counteract potential obstacles and challenges of SSG implementation. Data comes from interviews and observations with users and responsible managers from user organizations. By contrasting the different incentives and views regarding the SSG use, this paper contributes to a better understanding of SSG integration into organizational practices. Only by connecting the local, organizational strategies and user requirements with technical values and concrete examples can the SSG usage be experienced as successful. This connection requirement is by far not obvious since values are formulated differently by the main stakeholders and the benefits at one organization are not necessarily the same as at another. In this context, the added values of SSG solutions need to be more explicitly connected to the goals of traditional classroom and live training.
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Jose M. Nadal-Serrano. (2010). Towards very simple, yet effective on-the-go incident response preplanning: Using publicly-available GIS to improve firefighters' traditional approach. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Incident response preplanning has an increasing importance in today's Fire Brigades incident response. This paper presents some concepts that could be easily applied, supplying the firefighters with a simple, yet reliable tool that can be configured to include data available at the time of resource activation. This early information and the route map to the incident can be of big help for firefighters if presented in a convenient way. Offline (paper) backup solutions and the need for APIs that may be used to exploit geographic data are also discussed. Finally, a proof of concept setup is developed using GoogleMaps[TM] for the case of the City of Madrid, Spain.
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Markus Quaritsch, Robert Kuschnig, Hermann Hellwagner, & Bernard Rinner. (2011). Fast aerial image acquisition and mosaicking for emergency response operations by collaborative UAVs. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Small-scale unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have recently gained a lot of interest for various applications such as surveillance, environmental monitoring and emergency response operations. These battery-powered and easy-to-steer aerial robots are equipped with cameras and can promptly acquire aerial images. In this paper we describe our system of multiple UAVs that are able to fly autonomously over an area of interest and generate an overview image of that area. Intuitive and easy user interaction is a key property of our system: The user specifies the area of interest on an electronic map. The flight routes for the UAVs are automatically computed from this specification and the generated overview is presented in a Google-Earth like user interface. We have tested and demonstrated our multi-UAV system on a large fire service drill. Our system provided a high-resolution overview image of the 5.5 ha large test site with regular updates, proved that it is easy to handle, fast to deploy, and useful for the firefighters.
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Toshihiro Osaragi, & Noriaki Hirokawa. (2019). Simulation Analysis of Fire Hydrant Usability Levels after Large Earthquake. In Z. Franco, J. J. González, & J. H. Canós (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management. Valencia, Spain: Iscram.
Abstract: Since large earthquakes can disrupt water supply networks, it is essential to gain an understanding of the expected
usability of fire hydrants in post-quake firefighting activities. In this study, data about water supply networks was
collected and a water outage simulation model was constructed in order to predict the likelihood that individual
fire hydrants would become unusable in the wake of a large earthquake. The water outage simulation model was
integrated with a previously developed urban zone damage simulation and a fire department activity simulation
in order to carry out a simulation-based analysis of the 23 wards of Tokyo, after which a quantitative analysis of
the relation-ship between use of fire hydrants and the number of buildings lost to fire was performed. This analysis
revealed the benefits of hardening water lines against earthquakes, fire hydrant usage variations depending on
locality, and the benefits of using water pressure sensors to identify usable fire hydrants.
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Marcel Van Berlo, Richelle Van Rijk, & Eric F. T. Buiël. (2005). A PC-based virtual environment for training team decision-making in high-risk situations. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2005 – 2nd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 195–200). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Live team training of firefighters has several disadvantages. Firstly, it is costly because many team members and training staff are involved. Secondly, not all team members have the same competency level, and some individuals may just not be ready to train in a team context. Thirdly, live training in high-risk situations is difficult and dangerous. Consequently, critical situations can not be trained adequately. Following a scenario-based and a rapid prototyping approach, we are designing and developing a pc-based virtual training environment to train individual firefighters in making decisions in a team context operating in high-risk situations. This individual training program can better prepare the firefighters for live training, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of these team-training exercises. In this paper we describe the training-method, we outline how this is technologically implemented and discuss how we are planning to test the prototype.
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