Brian Tomaszewski, David Schwartz, & Joerg Szarzynski. (2016). Crisis Response Serious Spatial Thinking Games: Spatial Think Aloud Study Results. 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: We present work on developing and evaluating a serious GIS spatial thinking game called SerGIS. We conducted a spatial think-aloud study with ten participants new to crisis response who used SerGIS with a coastal city hurricane scenario. Four themes emerged from participant responses: processes of reasoning, tools of representation, overlay and dissolve operation, and geographic information concept learning and knowledge gaps. The first three themes match directly with the spatial thinking theory and evaluation underlying SerGIS. The fourth theme identified addresses GIS and spatial thinking crisis response educational issues. Furthermore, statistical evidence indicates there is likely a relationship between participants from spatially-oriented backgrounds (but with no GIS experience) performing better with SerGIS than participants from non-spatial backgrounds. Finally, we found that with a game scenario based on established disaster management practitioner literature, participants could focus on spatial thinking tasks and not be limited by understanding the game scenario itself.
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Chanvi Kotak, Brian Tomaszewski, & Erik Golen. (2018). 3-1-1 Calls Hot Spot Analysis During Hurricane Harvey: Preliminary Results. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 350–361). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: Hurricane Harvey caused massive damage and necessitated the need for identification of areas under high risk. During Harvey, the city of Houston received more than 77000, 3-1-1 calls for assistance. Due to damage caused to the infrastructure, it became difficult to handle and respond to the crisis. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a vital technology to assist with real-time disaster monitoring. we investigated if a correlation could be found between 311 data calls made during the Hurricane Harvey and aerial images captured during the event, specifically to see if 311 data could be ground-truthed via hot spot analysis. Preliminary results indicate that visual representation of 3-1-1 call data can aid in analyzing the expected areas of high traffic of calls for assistance and plan an effective way to manage resources. Future work will involve more in-depth analysis of combined 3-1-1 call data with satellite imagery using image classification techniques.
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Tayler Ruggero, & Brian Tomaszewski. (2018). Geographic Information Capacity (GIC) Across International Scales: Comparing Institutional Structures of Germany to the United States. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 1153–1155). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: Over the last three decades, the number and severity of natural disasters all across the world has been increasing exponentially (Basher, 2006). This paper intends to consider geographic information capacity (GIC) as it relates to government, government regulated organizations, and international organizations, including the United Nations, and their involvement in disaster risk reduction and management. Specifically, the paper aims to understand similarities and differences and the connection between two governmental disaster management organizations, FEMA in the United States and BBK and THW in Germany. We present a comparative analysis on the two countries in terms of their organizational structures, how their structures affect geographic information capacity and how geographic information capacity is related to disaster risk reduction and disaster response. Future work can make comparisons across more countries, including developing countries, to see what structural changes can be made in government entities to help increase GIC when disaster strikes.
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Varsha Hassan Vishwanath, & Brian Tomaszewski. (2018). Flood Hazard, Vulnerability, Risk Assessment for Uttarakhand State in India. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 362–375). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: The Indian state of Uttarakhand, located in the valleys of the Himalayan Mountains, is severely prone to flash floods. High intense rainfall, slope, river channels are some of the significant factors responsible for flash floods. In this work-in-progress paper, we address these challenges via a geospatial flood risk analysis that utilizes hazard and vulnerability assessments, computed using satellite, hydrologic and demographic data by employing Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The entire analysis was carried out in geosprocesing framework. The resulting maps indicate that flood risk regions have significant correspondence to regions that are highly hazardous and vulnerable. These maps could help in developing better disaster management measures for Uttarakhand. Flash floods still being a globally challenging problem, these methods and results could be used to expand research and improve flash floods prediction and warning systems in many countries.
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Zachary Sutherby, & Brian Tomaszewski. (2018). Conceptualizing the Role Geographic Information Capacity has on Quantifying Ecosystem Services under the Framework of Ecological Disaster Risk Reduction (EcoDRR). In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 326–333). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: The use of ecosystems for EcoDRR is a beneficial and a viable option for community stakeholders. For example, ecosystems can mitigate the effects of hazards experienced in anthropogenic communities. Ecosystem services are the underlying reason for this benefit. EcoDRR is the idea of sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems to maximize ecosystem services and reduce disaster risks and impacts. The use of geospatial technologies to monitor large-scale ecosystems are often subject to Geographic Information Capacity (GIC), or the ability of ecosystem stakeholders to utilize all existing geographic information, resources, and capacities to monitor ecosystem services. Though these tools are useful, currently there is not a tool that specifically quantifies ecosystem services in the context of DRR. The main contribution of this paper is a conceptual framework intended to quantify ecosystem services in the context of EcoDRR.
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