Amro Al-Akkad, & Zimmermann, A. (2012). Survey: ICT-supported public participation in disasters. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: In an increasingly networked society citizens at disaster sites utilize information and communication technology (ICT) to communicate needs or to share information. In order to understand better emergent possibilities and implications of applying ICT for supporting public participation in disasters, we surveyed 57 respondents regarding several key user aspects as perceived usefulness, socially related issues, or deployment. Surprisingly, our results show a clear tendency to use a disaster specific application instead of using everyday services as facebook or Twitter. However, such application poses the risk to loose its focus fading slowly away after once downloading it. Further study is needed to understand if these results are representative regarding public society. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Laura Ardila, Israel Perez-Llopis, Carlos E. Palau, & Manuel Esteve. (2013). Virtual reality training environment for strategic and tactical emergency operations. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 140–144). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: The application of Information and Communication Technologies in emergency management environments is a challenging research topic; particularly, the applicability of C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems specifically designed for these environments. A key aspect in emergency management is the training of operatives at all levels, from intervention to operational, including tactical command and control. Virtual reality is widely used for training and learning purposes, but the interaction of real and virtual worlds with new standards (i.e. MPEG-V), going a step further from the traditional approach to create virtual environments based in expensive simulation dedicated equipment and allowing data streaming between both worlds, has not yet been exploited in training for emergency management. This paper proposes an architecture for a C4ISR training system providing interoperability between real and virtual worlds using the MPEG-V standard and allowing simultaneous and real time training of both real and virtual units.
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Sherri L. Condon, & Jason R. Robinson. (2014). Communication media use in emergency response management. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 687–696). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: The communications of emergency response managers were tracked during simulated catastrophic events at a university campus in the Washington, D.C. region. Local, state, and federal response managers interacted with each other and with students using a variety of communication media in order to investigate the utility of new communication channels for emergency response management. Students and emergency managers interacted using a Twitter-like platform and a portal built with Ushahidi crowd-sourcing software. The emergency managers also used a chat interface that included private instant messaging, telephone, and the county's existing emergency web portal. Their media use was analyzed along with the functions of their communications, and the patterns that emerged are described and quantified.
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Simon French, Naomi Chambers, Duncan Shaw, Alan Boyd, Russell King, & Alison Whitehead. (2012). A scoping study of R&D needs in emergency planning in UK healthcare systems. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: Driven by events such as terrorist outrages and pandemics, the 21 st century has seen substantial changes in how countries plan for and manage emergencies across health care systems. Aside from changes in the pattern, type and scale of emergency, emergency preparedness must respond to developments in medical knowledge and treatment, and in information and communication technologies, particularly social networking. This report describes a scoping study of research and development (R&D) needs with regard to emergency planning in health care undertaken by the authors in the UK. We discuss the design of the study, difficulties in its conduct and, via a reference to the published final report, indicate its conclusions. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Starr Roxanne Hiltz, Linda Plotnick, & Rosalie J. Ocker. (2011). Learning about Emergency Management Information Systems through Partially Distributed Team projects. 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: What are effective ways to train students for designing Emergency Management Information Systems and for working with distant partners on EMIS projects? This paper describes the results of a project whose goal is to assess the effectiveness of Partially Distributed Teams (PDTs) as a pedagogical strategy. A PDT is one type of distributed team, in which two or more co-located subgroups use information and communication technology to collaborate on a task. Much of emergency management involves cross-organizational and often cross-national collaboration in this form. Students need, but lack, learning experiences focused on how to work effectively in such situations. This field study involved more than 700 students from universities in eight countries, working in 80 teams on an EMIS software requirements task. Results indicate that students report positive learning experiences, with international students in international teams reporting the most positive experiences. There are also significant differences among universities.
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Ulrich Meissen, & Agnès Voisard. (2008). Increasing the effectiveness of early warning via context-aware alerting. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 431–440). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The effective implementation of early warning is one of the best investments for disaster prevention and mitigation. In the last decade, we have witnessed strong efforts and progress towards better risk detection, monitoring and prediction. However, the best warnings are ineffective if they cannot be distributed in a timely way and targeted to people at risk. With the evolvement of new Information and Communication Technologies, we have new opportunities and face new challenges for improving classical warning processes. Based on our experience and research results from two user-centered hydro-meteorological Early Warning Systems (EWS) we present an approach for context-aware alerting that can increase considerably the effectiveness of warning. Furthermore, we introduce an applied evaluation model for the effectiveness of an EWS.
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Babajide Osatuyi, & Michael J. Chumer. (2010). An empirical investigation of alert notifications: A temporal analysis 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: As the deployment of situational awareness mechanisms such as geothermal sensors, use of social network sites, and information and communication technologies (e.g., cell phones) become increasingly widespread to emergency responders, the problem of alert analysis has become very important. Broadcast of large amounts of alerts sent back to command centers for processing may impair the ability of analysts to connect dots that may otherwise adequately enable them to make informed decisions in a timely fashion. This paper investigates trends and patterns embedded in alert notifications generated over a given period of time in order to uncover correlations that may exist in the data. Data for this study are obtained from the National Center for Crisis and Continuity Coordination (NC4). We employ classical time series analysis to understand, explain and predict trends and patterns in the data. This work presents results obtained thus far in the quest for the effect of passage of time on alert patterns. Implications of this work in practice and research are discussed.
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Christian Reuter. (2013). Power outage communications: Survey of needs, infrastructures and concepts. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 884–889). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Crisis communication during power outages poses several challenges. Frist, the causes of power outages are often events such as severe weather, which also lead to complications. Second, power outages themselves lead to limitations in everyday life. Third, communication infrastructures, that are necessary for crisis communication, are often affected. This work focuses on the communication of the organizations responsible for recovery work (emergency services, public administration, energy network operators) to the public affected by the power outage. Therefore this paper investigates the perception and the information demands of citizens and communication infrastructures in different scenarios. Taking the users' needs into consideration, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based concept for crisis communication, which combines general information with location-specific and setting-specific information was implemented as a prototype smartphone application and evaluated with 12 potential end users. ICT-based concepts can gain acceptance, however they should be understood as supplemental for some target groups and in some scenarios.
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Sophia B. Liu, & Leysia Palen. (2009). Spatiotemporal mashups: A survey of current tools to inform next generation crisis support. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Developments in information and communication technology (ICT) have adjusted the opportunities for spatial and temporal representations of data, possibly permitting the simultaneous visualization of how different regions and populations are affected during large-scale emergencies and crises. We surveyed 13 crisis-related mashups to derive some high-level design directions to guide the design and testing of next generation crisis support tools. The current web mashups offer a new way of looking at how crises are spatiotemporally ordered. However, since all technology is constrained by limitations of design choice, examining the limits and possibilities of what current design choices afford can inform attributes of what next generation crisis support tools would require.
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Jeannette N. Sutton, Leysia Palen, & Irina Shklovski. (2008). Backchannels on the front lines: Emergent uses of social media in the 2007 Southern California Wildfires. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 624–631). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Opportunities for participation by members of the public are expanding the information arena of disaster. Social media supports “backchannel” communications, allowing for wide-scale interaction that can be collectively resourceful, self-policing, and generative of information that is otherwise hard to obtain. Results from our study of information practices by members of the public during the October 2007 Southern California Wildfires suggest that community information resources and other backchannel communications activity enabled by social media are gaining prominence in the disaster arena, despite concern by officials about the legitimacy of information shared through such means. We argue that these emergent uses of social media are pre-cursors of broader future changes to the institutional and organizational arrangements of disaster response.
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Marcus Vogt, Kieth Hales, & Dieter Hertweck. (2011). Optimizing ICT portfolios in emergency management: A modular alignment approach. 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: Today's society is exposed to an increasing number of disasters and large scale emergencies (e.g. earthquake in Haiti, global swine flu, or manmade disasters like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico). Information and communication technology (ICT) can help to prevent and mitigate the effects of threatening situations if applied appropriately. In industry ICT governance methods and portfolio management techniques have become important tools to successfully align ICT with business goals. However, the domain of emergency management (EM) has to deal with unpredictable situations, multi organizational collaborations and ad-hoc teams, conditions which make conventional existing methods less useful. Based on a qualitative analysis of several European and Australian EM organizations and government agencies this paper discusses a modular approach to optimize ICT portfolios in Emergency Management organizations in order to achieve strategic ICT alignment.
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