Alessio Malizia, Pablo Acuña, Teresa Onorati, Paloma Díaz, & Ignacio Aedo. (2009). CAP-ONES: An emergency notification system for all. 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: In this paper we present an ontology-based system for managing emergency alert notifications. Our purpose is to generate emergency alerts that are accessible to different kinds of people, paying special attention to more vulnerable collectives like impaired people. By adapting alerts to different devices and users we can allow Emergency Management Systems (EMS) to communicate with collectives like blind or deaf people whom otherwise will be unreachable by usual channels. Moreover, if we consider the constrains imposed by the nature of the emergency situations we can also improve the information transmission to cope with situational disabilities (e.g. smoke during a fire can cause low vision problems). We centered our system architecture on two characteristics: The first one is an ontology that codifies knowledge about accessibility, devices, disabilities, emergencies and media so the alert notification can be tailored according to different parameters; the second one is the use of an open standard like the CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) that enables our system to interoperate with other existing systems.
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Art Botterell. (2006). The common alerting protocol: An open standard for alerting, warning and notification. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 497–503). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: This document describes the OASIS Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard, review its history and current status, and propose some directions for its future application and development. This XML content standard specifies a canonical data model for alerting, warning and notification messages. By abstracting the essential elements of effective warning messages from the underlying delivery technologies, CAP simplifies the integration of diverse warning delivery systems and provides a simple template for the creation of alerts and warnings. CAP is being used in a variety of warning systems and applications, but its full potential has yet to be exploited.
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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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Maurice McGinley, Andrew Turk, & David Bennett. (2006). Design criteria for public emergency warning systems. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 154–163). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: This paper describes the development of a public emergency messaging system in Western Australia. A set of design criteria were identified by a review of relevant published literature, a survey of current practice in Australia, and consultation with local stakeholders. The system should support: Multiple Recipients, Multiple Channels, Multiple Hazards, Multiple Stakeholders, Multiple Senders, Multiple Platforms, and Write Once Message Composition. A prototype system was built according to these design criteria, based on the Common Alerting Protocol version 1.0. The design was validated in trials simulating messages sent during a tropical cyclone and a bushfire. A total of 56 trial participants from identified stakeholder groups were surveyed with regard to their experience of the prototype system. Overall, the prototype system functioned successfully and participants reported high levels of satisfaction. The paper describes this research project and the initial stages of the subsequent development of a production system, called APECS.
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Gordon Gow, Peter Anderson, & Nuwan Waidyanatha. (2007). Hazard warnings in Sri Lanka: Challenges of internetworking with Common Alerting Protocol. 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. 281–293). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: There is a growing call for the use of open source content standards for all-hazards, all-media alert and notification systems. This paper presents findings on the implementation of Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) as a content standard for a community-based hazard information network in Sri Lanka. CAP is being deployed as part of the HazInfo project, which has established last-mile networking capability for 32 tsunami-affected villages in Sri Lanka in order to study the suitability of various Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) for a standards-based community hazard information system. Results to date suggest that the basic internetworking arrangement at lower technical layers has proven to be reasonably robust and reliable but that a key challenge remains in the upper layers of application software and content provision. This is evident in the apparent difficulties faced when implementing CAP messaging over multiple last-mile systems that include commercial satellite and terrestrial network technologies (C/L/X-Band, GSM, and CDMA in modes of voice and text). Lessons learned from silent tests and live exercises point to several key bottlenecks in the system where the integrity of CAP messages is compromised due to problems associated with software interoperability or direct human intervention. The wider implication of this finding is that content standards by themselves are not sufficient to support appropriate and timely emergency response activities. Those working with content standards for hazard information systems must consider closely the interoperability issues at various layers of interconnectivity.
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