Bas Lijnse. (2022). Modeling Real World Crisis Management Plans with C2Sketch. In Rob Grace, & Hossein Baharmand (Eds.), ISCRAM 2022 Conference Proceedings – 19th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 404–413). Tarbes, France.
Abstract: When crisis management plans are described in natural language documents, they may contain logical inconsistencies or ambiguities that are not immediately apparent. To allow automated early detection of such errors, they need to be described in a well defined formalism. C2Sketch is a tool for modeling command and control systems that provides such a structure for formalizing (crisis management) plans. However, C2Sketch is in active development and to what extent real-world crisis management plans can be expressed in it is unknown. In this exploratory study the unstructured text of a small sample of publicly available regional-level crisis management plans was translated systematically into structured C2Sketch mission-plans to uncover limitations and opportunities for further development of the tool. The plans contained enough information to largely capture the networks of actors and their tasks therein, but did contain enough operational information to develop complete C2Sketch models from.
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Ana C. Calderon, Joanne Hinds, & Peter Johnson. (2013). Leading cats: How to effectively command collectives. 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. 32–41). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: The purpose of this work is to enhance the understanding of command and control in collectives, paying particular attention to coalition situations when multiple, typically autonomous agencies are expected to work together harmoniously. There are two different approaches to dealing with commands, one approach focuses on individual command components and the other studies the interplay between different commands. This paper is a first attempt at bringing these two views together, with the aim of understanding what is needed for human autonomous systems to work as collectives through command and control systems that achieve their full capability through “command by intent”, while also encouraging and encompassing new agile behaviour both at the individual and organizational level. We have identified key aspects of commands in collectives (both from existing literature and from our own work) and demonstrate our findings in case studies taken from hurricane Katrina, 1995 Oklahoma city bombings, the 2001 attack on the Pentagon, as well as some incidents of lower complexity, such as an oil spillage on a motorway.
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Michael J. Chumer, & Murray Turoff. (2006). Command and control (C2): Adapting the distributed military model for emergency response and emergency management. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 465–476). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: The military use of Command and Control (C2) has been refined over centuries of use and developed through years of combat situations. This C2 model is framed as process, function, and organization, suggesting that emergency response organizations and emergency management structure their non military C2 and subsequent response scenarios within the C2 framework established in this paper.
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Anna Gryszkiewicz, & Fang Chen. (2010). Design requirements for information sharing in a crisis management command and control centre. 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: Good support for information sharing and processing is essential for successful crisis management. A crisis manager handles information from many different sources and collaborates with many different actors. This study is therefore focusing on specifying some needs and requirements for information support systems for crisis management command and control centres. The study is based on case studies and interviews in Sweden with the aim to understand how information processing best can be supported from a crisis manager's perspective. The needs and requirements found in the study can be used in future system design or improvement.
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Magnus Ingmarsson, Henrik Eriksson, & Niklas Hallberg. (2009). Exploring development of service-oriented C2 systems for emergency response. 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: Local emergency-response organizations must maximize their use of existing resources. Therefore, emergencyresponse organizations need appropriate command-and-control (C2) systems to coordinate not only their own resources, but also to take advantages of other local actors. The local nature of response coordination imposes additional challenges for the development of C2 systems. In particular, the C2 systems must support coordination across organizational boundaries at the local level. Service-oriented architectures (SOA) provide new technologies for the development of C2 systems. This approach is based on a set of loosely-coupled services offered by multiple actors rather than a single monolithic system. This work reports the result of a prototype SOA implementation that builds on a previous requirements engineering study for service-oriented C2 systems for local emergency response. The results illustrate how it is possible to develop lightweight C2 systems using state-or-the art Web and SOA technologies. However, there are still remaining organizational and maintainability challenges.
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Ali Khalili-Araghi, Uwe Glässer, Hamed Yaghoubi Shahir, Brian Fisher, & Piper Jackson. (2012). Intelligent decision support for emergency responses. 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: With a coastline touching upon the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Great Lakes and the Arctic Sea, the Canadian MSOCs are faced with a daunting task. They are responsible for both routine duties, including patrolling coastal areas and collecting satellite data, as well as critical missions, such as emergency response and crime intervention. Both kinds of mission require the fusion of data from a variety of sources and the orchestration of myriad heterogeneous resources over great physical distances. They must deal with uncertainty, both in terms of what can be known and also in the outcomes of actions, and must interact with an environment prone to dynamic change. We present the architecture and core mechanisms of a decision support system for marine safety and security operations (Glässer, Jackson, Araghi, When and Shahir, 2010). The goal of this system is to enhance complex command and control tasks by improving situational awareness and automating task assignments. This system concept includes adaptive information fusion techniques integrated with decentralized control mechanisms for dynamic resource configuration management and task execution management under uncertainty. Autonomously operating agents employ collaboration and coordination to collectively form an intelligent decision support system. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Jaana Kuula, Pauli Kettunen, Vili Auvinen, Santtu Viitanen, Olli Kauppinen, & Tuomo Korhonen. (2013). Smartphones as an alerting, command and control system for the preparedness groups and civilians: Results of preliminary tests with the finnish police. 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. 42–51). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Traditional mobile phones have been used for alerting purposes by utilizing their SMS and cell broadcasting features. They do however not suit for demanding alerting and command purposes, for the observation of special forces, rescue officers and civilians, or for the post-evaluation of the operation. Current 3G and 4G/LTE smartphones can do all this, but the empirical evidence is missing. This article reports of the preliminary tests which the University of Jyväskylä has made with the Finnish Police for alerting civilians and for commanding two special groups of the police with smartphones. Smartphones were also used for observing police officers' position and status and for post-evaluating action during and after the operation. The study supports using smartphones for alerting, command and control purposes. Because of external distractions alerts are noticed better at night than in the daytime. In active hours personal alerts should be given not only by a voice alarm but by stimulating 2-3 senses at the same time. Noticing of smartphone alerts might be improved also by using some additional reception device with the handset.
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L.T. Darryl Diptee, & Scott McKenzie. (2012). The systems thinking approach of beyond-line-of-sight command and control. 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: Effective command and control (C2) is necessary to achieve and maintain superiority in military engagements. C2 is well documented in the literature and is a major focus in the military arena; however, the conventional military network topology is increasingly becoming a liability and ineffective in the new age of asymmetric warfare. The beyond-line-of-sight command and control (BLOS C2) concept is a radical shift towards a seamless joint network topology, which will dramatically increase tactical C2 across military service branches, equipment types, and geographical locations. Though BLOS C2 is still in its testing phase, this paper examines the systems thinking approach of BLOS C2 with respect to layered models, adaptation, and synergy. The implementation of the BLOS C2 “tactical Wi-Fi” concept helps fill a Central Command (CENTCOM) capability gap in support of a Contingency Plan (CONPLAN) that provides Navy Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) with a robust force protection system. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Vitaveska Lanfranchi, Suvodeep Mazumdar, & Fabio Ciravegna. (2013). Evaluating the real usability of a C2 system – Short and controlled vs long and real. 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. 62–66). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Command and Control systems (C2) need to be highly usable to efficiently support communication during crisis situations. Short-term usability evaluations are typically carried out because of the cost and time advantage. However, even the most realistic evaluations (simulations) do not reflect the real issues encountered “in the wild”, such as the operators' stress or the multiple foci of attention. In this paper we carry out an experiment to measure the changes in usability of a C2 system between a short-term simulation and a long-term “in the wild” evaluation. We demonstrate that short-term usability measurements can differ significantly from long-term “in the wild” ones. Our results indicate that a different approach to usability assessment is needed when dealing with critical systems, that takes into account the temporal horizon and assesses the system in real-life conditions.
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Ola Leifler. (2008). Combining technical and human-centered strategies for decision support in command and control: The ComPlan approach. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 504–515). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: ComPlan (A Combined, Collaborative Command and Control Planning tool) is an approach to providing knowledge-based decision support in the context of command and control. It combines technical research on automated planning tools with human-centered research on mission planning. At its core, ComPlan uses interconnected views of a planning situation to present and manipulate aspects of a scenario. By using domain knowledge flexibly, it presents immediate and directly visible feedback on constraint violations of a plan, facilitates mental simulation of events, and provides support for synchronization of concurrently working mission planners. The conceptual framework of ComPlan is grounded on three main principles from human-centered research on command and control: transparency, graceful regulation, and event-based feedback. As a result, ComPlan provides a model for applying a human-centered perspective on plan authoring tools for command and control, and a demonstration for how to apply that model in an integrated plan-authoring environment.
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Richard McMaster, Chris Baber, & Tom Duffy. (2012). The role of artefacts in Police emergency response sensemaking. 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: This paper presents a study of the role of artefacts in sensemaking during emergency response. A qualitative study was conducted with two UK Police Forces, with a particular focus on the role of artefacts in the creation and modification of sensemaking frames. This research demonstrates that sensemaking is a key component of emergency response Command and Control and that this activity is distributed across the individuals within the system. Collaborative sensemaking is coordinated via social and organisational means, supported by a range of private (informal) and shared (formal) artefacts, which function as resources for action – cueing frame seeking and frame-defined data collection. The study also reveals the role of narrative in bridging the gap between these two parallel sensemaking processes and raises implications for the further digitisation of the emergency response environment, demonstrating the importance of balancing social and technical factors in the design of ICT for emergency response. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Sofie Pilemalm, & Niklas Hallberg. (2008). Exploring service-oriented C2 support for emergency response for local communities. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 159–166). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The increased impact of natural disasters and terror attacks on our society has augmented the awareness of needs for advances in emergency response. For local communities it is vital to make use of existing resources. Service-oriented technology provides new possibilities for the enhancement of command and control (C2) systems. However, to gain full use of the technology, it must harmonize with the supported organizations and their work procedures. This paper explores the possibilities and usefulness of service oriented C2-systems for emergency response at the local community level. The study was performed in five steps: (1) literature study, (2) interviews, (3) scenario design, (4) prototyping service-oriented C2 systems, and (5) a scenario based evaluation. The results show that service-oriented C2 systems would support and enhance emergency response at the local community level. Still, several issues that need to be further considered remain, not the least the ability of quality assurance of services.
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Jens Pottebaum, Anna Maria Japs, Stephan Prödel, & Rainer Koch. (2010). Design and modeling of a domain ontology for fire protection. 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: The semantics of things represent the central problem of the heterogeneous domain of emergency response. Both the communication between human actors and the interface between information systems face this hurdle with high impact on the efficiency in mission and time critical command and control processes. The integration of applications and information sharing based on semantic technologies promise added value for a solution to this problem. Therefore a model of the domain is essential; this paper contributes a domain ontology for fire protection. The scientific discussion as well as expert interviews built the basis for a new modeling approach. The selection of ontology languages is one of the important design issues presented in this paper.
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Robin E. Mays, Mark Zachry, Murat, A., & Mark P. Haselkorn. (2011). Aligning border security workflow and decision making with supporting information and communication systems. 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: As part of the National Center for Border Security and Immigration (NCBSI) led by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), researchers from the University of Washington, Wayne State University, and UTEP conducted a three-site study of border security operations and the role of command, control and communication (C3) systems in support of those operations. While inevitably bringing some positive capability to the environment, if C3 systems are not consciously aligned with desired practices and decision-making, the implications will not always be for the better. This is especially true of C3 systems in the border security environment because these systems are intimately intertwined with complex and critical workflow and decision-making processes, often in the context of complex and, at times, competing missions.
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Marcel D.E Van Der Lee, & Marcel Van Vugt. (2004). IMI – An information system for effective Multidisciplinary Incident Management. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2004 – 1st International Workshop on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 15–19). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: The field of crisis response and disaster management can be characterized, upon many other factors, by distributed operations, not daily routine work and multidisciplinary aspects. In designing and developing information systems for crisis response these factors need special attention. On behalf of regional emergency services, TNO Physics and Electronics Laboratory designed and guided commissioning of the IMI project (Information System for Multidisciplinary Incident Management). Four regional fire departments in Zuid-Holland decided to develop the information system. The Rotterdam region was selected as project pilot. The IMI-project was carried out with experiences and a background of military command and control where the above three factors also play a major role. In this paper we will elaborate on the reasons behind the design of the functionalities of the IMI-system. © Proceedings ISCRAM 2004.
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