Ivar Svare Holand, Peter Mozelius, & Trond Olav Skevik. (2021). A structured and dynamic model for emergency management exercises. 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. 186–197). Blacksburg, VA (USA): Virginia Tech.
Abstract: Emergencies are management challenges, and emergency exercises that involve multiple collaborating parties is a means towards mastering them. Such exercises are often conducted in a virtual training environment based on complex disaster scenarios. The reported study was carried out using a requirement-focused design approach. The aim was to describe and discuss a relevant design for lean, dynamic, and cost-efficient emergency management exercise systems. Data were gathered from a literature study and analyses of earlier emergency management projects in which the authors had participated. Despite the complexity of many current emergency management exercises, the scenarios usually involve only the response phases and have a linear structure that hinders both didactic aspects and the software structure. The conclusion drawn from the study is that an emergency management exercise model should focus on managing the activities that correspond to alternatives that unfold from a dynamic scenario. Finally, the authors recommend the principles of alternate reality games as a way towards more dynamic and cost-efficient emergency exercise systems.
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Kevin D. Henry, & Tim G. Frazier. (2015). Scenario-Based Modeling of Community Evacuation Vulnerability. In L. Palen, M. Buscher, T. Comes, & A. Hughes (Eds.), ISCRAM 2015 Conference Proceedings ? 12th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Kristiansand, Norway: University of Agder (UiA).
Abstract: Evacuation models can be used to determine evacuation capacity, by estimating the time required for evacuating populations to leave areas exposed to a hazard. Disaster management practices and evacuation modeling are generally carried out to prepare for ?worst-case? conditions. However, hazard severity is highly variable. Performing evacuation modeling for multiple hazard scenarios may provide flexibility and a comprehensive understanding of evacuation capacity. A case study was undertaken to analyze the merit of scenario-based evacuation modeling. Results demonstrate a difference in clearance time between maximum and historic tsunami scenario modeling. During a smaller-scale event, allowing the maximum scenario population to evacuate can add congestion and inhibit evacuation of at-risk populations. Managing evacuation can improve evacuation efficiency by preventing unneeded congestion. Results show that traditional worst-case-scenario modeling may lead to overestimation of time needed to evacuate. Planning under such a scenario may increase risk to smaller-scale hazards.
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Tina Comes, Brice Mayag, & Elsa Negre. (2015). Beyond Early: Decision Support for Improved Typhoon Warning Systems. In L. Palen, M. Buscher, T. Comes, & A. Hughes (Eds.), ISCRAM 2015 Conference Proceedings ? 12th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Kristiansand, Norway: University of Agder (UiA).
Abstract: Warnings can help prevent damage and harm if they are issued timely and provide information that help responders and population to adequately prepare for the disaster to come. Today, there are many indicator and sensor systems that are designed to reduce disaster risks, or issue early warnings. In this paper we analyze the different systems in the light of the initial decisions that need to be made in the response to sudden onset disasters. We outline challenges of current practices and methods, and provide an agenda for future research.
To illustrate our approach, we present a case study of Typhoon Haiyan. Although meteorological services had issued warnings; relief goods were prepositioned; and responders predeployed, the delivery of aid was delayed in some of the worst hit regions. We argue for an integrated consideration of preparedness and response to provide adequate thresholds for early warning systems that focus on decision-makers needs.
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Florian Brauner, Thomas Münzberg, Marcus Wiens, Frank Fiedrich, Alex Lechleuthner, & Frank Schultmann. (2015). Critical Infrastructure Resilience: A Framework for Considering Micro and Macro Observation Levels. In L. Palen, M. Buscher, T. Comes, & A. Hughes (Eds.), ISCRAM 2015 Conference Proceedings ? 12th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Kristiansand, Norway: University of Agder (UiA).
Abstract: The resilience mechanisms of Critical Infrastructures (CIs) are often hard to understand due to system complexity. With rising research interest, models are developed to reduce this complexity. However, these models imply reductions and limitations. According to the level of observation, models either focus on effects in a CI system or on effects in a single CI. In cases of limited resources, such limitations exclude some considerations of crisis interventions, which could be identified in combining both observation levels. To overcome these restrictions, we propose a two-step framework which enables to analyze the vulnerability of a CI and as well in comparison to other CIs. This enhances the understanding of temporal crisis impacts on the overall performance of the supply, and the crisis preparations in each CI can be assessed. The framework is applied to the demonstrating example of the functionalities of hospitals that are potentially suffering from a power outage.
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Thomas Münzberg, Tim Müller, Stella Möhrle, Tina Comes, & Frank Schultmann. (2013). An integrated multi-criteria approach on vulnerability analysis in the context of load reduction. 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. 251–260). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Load reduction is an emergency measure to stabilize an electrical grid by decoupling some supply areas to balance the demand and supply of electricity in power grids. In the decoupled areas, power outages may cause important consequences, which may propagate further via the network of interdependent infrastructures. Therefore, support is needed to choose the regions to be decoupled. This paper describes an approach to analyze the risk triggered by load reduction that can be used for disaster management and load reduction scheme optimization. The core of our work is the vulnerability assessment that takes into account the consequences of load reduction on economy and society. The approach facilitates participatory decision support by making the vulnerability of regions especially in urban transparent.
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