Elizabeth Avery Gomez, & Murray Turoff. (2007). Interoperable communication: An analysis of SMS text-message exchange. 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. 45–50). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Achieving interoperable communication across governmental agencies and jurisdictions remains a challenge and is simply taking time to implement. Initiatives to support agency interoperability continue. However, community responders remain in need of two-way device quick response tactics. SMS text-messaging is one viable interoperable communication technology that provides a bottom-up approach while offering benefits for everyday use. This research in progress studies the use of a web-based SMS text-message training application, designed to simulate two-way SMS text-message exchange. Speech Act Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior are leveraged to carefully measure SMS text-message exchange. The overarching crisis scenario takes the role of the local community responder. Initial qualitative pilot results are presented and discussed, including next steps for this ongoing research.
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Elizabeth Avery Gomez, Katia Passerini, & Karen Hare. (2006). Public health crisis management: Community level roles and communication options. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 435–443). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Crisis management efforts in the United States public health sector aim to prepare and protect the life of an individual, family or group against a health-related event. These efforts span governmental, nongovernmental and private sectors. The need for coordination between these organizations has never been more apparent. A solution will depend heavily on standardized communication protocols using information and communication technology (ICT). Numerous initiatives are currently addressing the needs of our nation with respect to homeland security and public health, yet remain in the early stages for the nongovernmental sector. The emphasis of our research is at the local level where the governmental sector extends to the nongovernmental sector (NGO), particularly community outreach. Our analysis of the local community suggests focusing on the management of communication during public health crises to better understand the complexities and variations presented in these communities. Leveraging experiences from media-technology literature findings and emergency-response efforts, we seek to identify a framework and tools to enable effective communication for those public health practitioners who serve as front-line responders to public health crises. The major contributions of this research will be to extend the use of information systems and mobile technology to the local United States public health communities to increase effective communication between organizations, while providing a state of readiness for homeland security related events.
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Elizabeth Avery Gomez, & Michael R. Bartolacci. (2011). Crisis management and mobile devices: Extending the usage of sensor networks within an integrated system framework. 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: Crisis response relies on information dissemination and decisions made from real-time data. Sensor networks, especially in an environmental context, are a source of real-time data and used in both military and industrial applications for information gathering. However, sensor data usage for more pervasive system applications, especially mobile applications outside the battlefield, is limited. Mobile devices play key roles in crisis management, but little research exists on their effectiveness under duress. This research extends a previous study on user (responder) preparation in crisis management to mobile device readiness and real-time data acquisition. This paper steps beyond application use to focus on mobile device capabilities and the interface with wireless sensor networks towards an integrated mobile system framework that provides information and real-time decision data for crisis management. In particular, the approach being proposed incorporates novel strategies for maintaining battery life and connectivity among sensors and portable communication devices that are ideally suited for crisis management applications where “staying connected” is critical.
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Rianne Gouman, Masja Kempen, Philip De Vree, Toon Capello, Eddy Van Der Heijden, & Niek Wijngaards. (2007). The borsele files: The challenge of acquiring usable data under chaotic circumstances. 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. 93–103). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Conducting empirical research involves a balancing act between scientific rigor and real-life pragmatics. DECIS Lab researches systems-of-systems, consisting of humans and artificial systems involved in collaborative decision making under chaotic circumstances. An important objective is the usefulness of our results to our major application domain: crisis management. DECIS Lab was involved to set up a crisis management exercise experiment and according measurements regarding an improvement in internal communication at Gemeente (Municipality) Borsele. In this paper the empirical research regarding this experiment, the methodology and its results are briefly outlined. Our main lessons learned concern the interrelationship between scenario, experiment and measurements; the problem of acquiring usable data; and the challenges of conducting grounded research.
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Grace, R., Montarnal, A., Petitdemange, E., Rutter, J., Rodriguez, G. R., & Potts, M. (2023). Collaborative Information Seeking during a 911 Call Surge: A Case Study. In Jaziar Radianti, Ioannis Dokas, Nicolas Lalone, & Deepak Khazanchi (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International ISCRAM Conference (pp. 649–662). Omaha, USA: University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Abstract: This case study examines collaborative information seeking in a public-safety answering point during a 911 call surge that occurred when a man fired an assault rifle at police officers and evaded capture for nearly an hour in March 2020. Overwhelmed by questionable and imprecise reports from 911 callers, telecommunicators and on scene responders began working together to conduct broad and deep searches for the shooter. Whereas broad searches improved the scope of information gathering by identifying multiple, albeit questionable and imprecise, reports of the suspect’s location, deep searches improved the quality of information gathering by investigating 911 callers’ reports using drone, helicopter, and patrol units. These findings suggest requirements for collaborative information seeking in public-safety answering points, including capabilities to conduct broad and deep searches using next-generation 911 technologies, and command and control requirements for triaging these search tasks within inter-organizational emergency response systems.
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Rego Granlund, Helena Granlund, Nilda Dahlbäck, & Björn J.E. Johansson. (2010). The effect of a geographical information system on communication in professional emergency response organizations. 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: This paper describes the basic communication analysis performed in a research project with an ambition to investigate the impact of geographical information system (GIS) on crisis management organizations. The goal is to compare the communication between command and control teams that have access to a GIS with geographical position information (GPS) capability in its command post with teams that only have access to paper maps. The method used is controlled experiments using the C3Fire micro-world. A total of 108 professionals, forming 18 teams, participated in the study. The participating professionals were members of Swedish municipal crisis management organizations. The result shows that the communication pattern connected to giving orders have a different distribution depending on if the teams used GIS or paper maps. The result also shows that the communication volume is reduced if the teams use GIS.
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Tim J. Grant, & Gijs Van Den Heuvel. (2010). Modelling the information sharing process in military coalitions: A work in progress. 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: Coalition partners must share information to work together. Models of information sharing assume that it is a linear, one-way process. As part of a larger project, we studied information sharing in military coalitions. Interviews of 47 officers in NATO R&D organizations showed that one piece of information was often traded for another. This is characteristic of an information market. Security regulations make information a scarce resource, although trust may allow the regulations to be waived. Our observations have consequences for the military Network Enabled Capabilities community in their desire to migrate to a “need to share” security principle. Failing to find a suitable process model in the literature, we outline requirements and identify two possible starting points for modelling the information sharing process in military coalitions.
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Norman Groner, & Charles Jennings. (2012). Describing pipeline emergency response communications using situational awareness informational requirements and an informational flow analyses. 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: The Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies at John Jay College, CUNY, has begun work on developing best practices for hazardous material pipeline emergency response plans. The approach involves modeling a generic goal-based interagency emergency communications system using a two-step process. First, a situational awareness information requirements analysis will describe the informational requirements essential to an effective emergency response. The requirements analysis involves a goal decomposition approach where the information requirements are related to actionable decisions, goals and emergency response roles. Second, an information flow analysis will informational sources and means to provide required information. The same panel of experts will complete both analyses. Once the communications system is described, a separate Delphi group will use a failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) to estimate the criticality of the components described in the situational awareness requirements and information flow analyses. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Guido Te Brake, Rick Van Der Kleij, & Miranda Cornelissen. (2008). Distributed mobile teams: Effects of connectivity and map orientation on teamwork. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 642–650). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Fielded first responders are currently being equipped with support tools to improve their performance and safety. Novel information technology provides opportunities for improvement of task efficiency and situation awareness, but people can get in trouble when data networks fail. In this paper, we examine the effect of glitches in the data network on team performance and look into the strategies people use to cope with these disruptions. Teams of three responders collaborated in a search and rescue task, supported by a map showing their positions and the locations of victims. Data communication required for this support was interrupted, verbal communication remained possible. Two variants were used for the map: a north-up version and a heading-up version that was aligned with the orientation of the responder. Negative effects and changing strategies were found for the condition with interruptions, no differences were found for the two map variants.
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Lucy T. Gunawan, Siska Fitrianie, Willem-Paul Brinkman, & Mark A. Neerincx. (2012). Utilizing the potential of the affected population and prevalent mobile technology during disaster response: Propositions from a literature survey. 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: Despite the growing awareness of the untapped potential of the affected population in a disaster situation, their inclusion in a disaster management is extremely limited. This study aims to survey the literature to see whether utilizing the affected people and prevalent mobile technology can be used during disaster response. The idea is to provide the affected with a way to lead themselves to safety and empower them to serve as distributed active sources of information. This way, those people will reach safety by themselves, while at the same time helping to construct a clear image of the disaster situation without burdening the already overwhelmed emergency services. This study examines knowledge derived from disaster sociology, draws on experience from recent disasters, and extrapolates current technological solutions. By establishing that such a solution is feasible, it offers a basis for empirical studies on a mobile technology that can be used during disaster response. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Olof Görnerup, Per Kreuger, & Daniel Gillblad. (2013). Autonomous accident monitoring using cellular network data. 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. 638–646). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Mobile communication networks constitute large-scale sensor networks that generate huge amounts of data that can be refined into collective mobility patterns. In this paper we propose a method for using these patterns to autonomously monitor and detect accidents and other critical events. The approach is to identify a measure that is approximately time-invariant on short time-scales under regular conditions, estimate the short and long-term dynamics of this measure using Bayesian inference, and identify sudden shifts in mobility patterns by monitoring the divergence between the short and long-term estimates. By estimating long-term dynamics, the method is also able to adapt to long-term trends in data. As a proof-of-concept, we apply this approach in a vehicular traffic scenario, where we demonstrate that the method can detect traffic accidents and distinguish these from regular events, such as traffic congestions.
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Hannah Van Wyk, & Kate Starbird. (2020). Analyzing Social Media Data to Understand How Disaster-Affected Individuals Adapt to Disaster-Related Telecommunications Disruptions. In Amanda Hughes, Fiona McNeill, & Christopher W. Zobel (Eds.), ISCRAM 2020 Conference Proceedings – 17th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 704–717). Blacksburg, VA (USA): Virginia Tech.
Abstract: Information is a critical need during disasters such as hurricanes. Increasingly, people are relying upon cellular and internet-based technology to communicate that information--modalities that are acutely vulnerable to the disruptions to telecommunication infrastructure that are common during disasters. Focusing on Hurricane Maria (2017) and its long-term impacts on Puerto Rico, this research examines how people affected by severe and sustained disruptions to telecommunications services adapt to those disruptions. Leveraging social media trace data as a window into the real-time activities of people who were actively adapting, we use a primarily qualitative approach to identify and characterize how people changed their telecommunications practices and routines--and especially how they changed their locations--to access Wi-Fi and cellular service in the weeks and months after the hurricane. These findings have implications for researchers seeking to better understand human responses to disasters and responders seeking to identify strategies to support affected populations.
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Hans C.A. Wienen, Faiza A. Bukhsh, Eelco Vriezekolk, & Roel J. Wieringa. (2019). Applying Generic AcciMap to a DDOS Attack on a Western-European Telecom Operator. In Z. Franco, J. J. González, & J. H. Canós (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management. Valencia, Spain: Iscram.
Abstract: After a large incident on a telecommunications network, the operator typically executes an incident analysis to
prevent future incidents. Research suggests that these analyses are done ad hoc, without a structured approach. In
this paper, we conduct an investigation of a large incident according to the AcciMap method. We find that this
method can be applied to telecommunications networks with a few small changes; we find that such a structured
approach yields many more actionable recommendations than a more focused approach and we find that both the
onset of an incident and the resolution phase merit their own analysis. We also find that such an analysis costs a
lot of effort and we propose a more efficient approach to using this method. An unexpected outcome was that
AcciMap may also be very useful for analyzing crisis organizations.
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Hans Jochen Scholl, & Sarah L. Carnes. (2017). Managerial Challenges in Early Disaster Response: The Case of the 2014 Oso/SR530 Landslide Disaster. In eds Aurélie Montarnal Matthieu Lauras Chihab Hanachi F. B. Tina Comes (Ed.), Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management (pp. 961–972). Albi, France: Iscram.
Abstract: The larger the scale, scope, and duration of a disaster, the higher is the number of response units. However, with more units involved in the response also the heterogeneity of responder units drastically increases in terms of capabilities, experiences, practices, techniques, tactics, and procedures. As a result, the coordination and overall management of the response becomes an increasingly challenging endeavor. In the response to the 2014 Oso/SR530 landslide disaster in Washington State over one hundred agencies were involved, which presented a huge coordination task for the incident command. This empirical study is exploratory and focuses on the activities and interactions of professional responders, particularly, in the early phases of the response. It amends and complements previous studies on the subject by identifying and describing in detail various challenges in the early response. It also discusses recommendations on how to tackle and potentially mitigate the challenges identified in future responses.
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Thomas Heverin, & Lisl Zach. (2010). Microblogging for crisis communication: Examination of twitter use in response to a 2009 violent crisis in the Seattle-Tacoma, Washington area. 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: This research-in-progress paper reports on the use of microblogging as a communication and information sharing resource during a recent violent crisis. The goal of the larger research effort is to investigate the role that microblogging plays in crisis communication during violent events. The shooting of four police officers and the subsequent 48-hour search for the suspect that took place in the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington in late November 2009 is used as a case study. A stream of over 6,000 publically available messages on Twitter, a popular microblogging site, was collected and individual messages were categorized as information, opinion, technology, emotion, and action-related. The coding and statistical analyses of the messages suggest that citizens use microblogging as one method to organize and disseminate crisis-related information. Additional research is in progress to analyze the types of information transmitted, the sources of the information, and the temporal trends of information shared.
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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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Holzhüter, M., Huhle, G., Reuter-Oppermann, M., Hellriegel, J., & Klafft, M. (2023). Acceptance study on application systems to improve situational incident management through bi-directional communication between citizens and decision-makers in emergencies and crises situations. In Jaziar Radianti, Ioannis Dokas, Nicolas Lalone, & Deepak Khazanchi (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International ISCRAM Conference (pp. 197–207). Omaha, USA: University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Abstract: Efficient hazard prevention and disaster control depend on situational awareness. Situational information is – among others – provided by citizens on the ground. Disaster managers are often reluctant to use such information on a large scale or in a systematic way for fear of being overwhelmed by information overload in a stressful crisis. New information technologies for crisis management are strongly dependent on the acceptance of the people using them and can only be successful as socio-technical systems. Therefore, 354 employees of public and private emergency operation centres as well as members of crisis management teams were asked to assess different information sharing technologies. 504 people from the public responded to an online survey about their willingness to use such technologies. The results indicate a high level of acceptance by both user groups for bi directional communication technologies for situation management and the improvement of situational awareness.
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Huse, L., Schwedhelm, M., & Steinecker, H. (2023). Improving Visibility for Proactive Tactics in Emerging Situations. In Jaziar Radianti, Ioannis Dokas, Nicolas Lalone, & Deepak Khazanchi (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International ISCRAM Conference (pp. 1078–1079). Omaha, USA: University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Abstract: Whether it’s an infectious disease, a natural disaster, a human-made disaster, or a loss in utilities and resources, state and local leaders need visibility into the real-time resources of the entire healthcare continuum from labs, hospitals, long-term care settings, and shelters. By connecting public health and healthcare systems, information, and resources, leaders can be more agile and predictive in where to deploy limited resources before and during an emerging situation. The panelists will discuss how technology and data analytics can be utilized in real-time to resource decisions, bi-directional communication, transparency to stakeholders, and policy development. They will also explore the public health and healthcare continuum for mutual strategy, predictive modeling and reduction of excess loss of life. The panel will consist of a short introduction by each panelist followed by a facilitated discussion, and questions from the audience.
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Markku T. Häkkinen, & Helen T. Sullivan. (2007). Effective communication of warnings and critical information: Application of accessible design methods to auditory warnings. 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. 167–171). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: When a system initiates an auditory warning or alert, detection and correct identification of the information by the human recipient can be influenced by a variety of factors. Examples from aviation and public warning demonstrate instances where messages are ignored, not understood or misinterpreted. The reasons why messages may fail can stem from the design of the message itself, environmental conditions, and sensory or cognitive impairments. Based upon experience from several contexts and from the development of assistive technology for people with disabilities, promising design approaches are being explored in research on warning system design. The importance of multimodal warnings, selection of speech type, and internationalization are discussed.
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Daniel Iland, Don Voita, & Elizabeth Belding. (2013). Delay tolerant disaster communication with the One Laptop per Child XO laptop. 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. 863–867). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: In this paper, we describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of a mesh network based messaging application for the One Laptop Per Child XO laptop. We outline the creation of an easy-to-use OLPC Activity that exchanges Ushahidi-style messages with nearby OLPC users through the Internet or a mesh network. Our contributions are to implement an epidemic messaging scheme on mesh networks of OLPC XO laptops, to extend the Ushahidi web application to efficiently exchange messages with nodes in mesh networks, and to allow the Ushahidi server to distribute cures, notifications of message delivery, for each received message. Testing and analysis revealed substantial overhead is introduced by the OLPC's use of Telepathy Salut for activity sharing.
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Jan Wendland, Christian Ehnis, Rodney J. Clarke, & Deborah Bunker. (2018). Sydney Siege, December 2014: A Visualisation of a Semantic Social Media Sentiment Analysis. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 493–506). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: Sentiment Analyses are widely used approaches to understand and identify emotions, feelings, and opinion on social media platforms. Most sentiment analysis systems measure the presumed emotional polarity of texts. While this is sufficient for some applications, these approaches are very limiting when it comes to understanding how social media users actually use language resources to make sense of extreme events. In this paper, a Sentiment Analysis based on the Appraisal System from the theory of communication called Systemic Functional Linguistics is applied to understand the sentiment of event-driven social media communication. A prototype was developed to analyze Twitter data using the Appraisal System. This prototype was applied to tweets collected during and after the Sydney Siege 2014, a hostage situation in a busy café in Sydney. Because the Appraisal System is a theorised functional communication method, the results of this analysis are more nuanced than is possible with traditional polarity based sentiment analysis.
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Erik R. Janus, Susan Manente, & Sharon L. Lee. (2008). Best practices in chemical emergency risk communication: The Interstate Chemical Terrorism Workgroup. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 774–777). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The Interstate Chemical Terrorism Workgroup (ICTW) was formed in 2002 and currently includes members from nearly all states and Washington, DC, as well as representation from a number of non-governmental organizations. In addition to offering monthly conference call/presentations, the ICTW partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2003 to host a workshop to address basic elements of risk communication needs in a chemical event. The primary goal of the workshop was to develop a list of core competencies and benchmarks as well as a series of fact sheet templates destined for the general public and press, health care providers, public health department and/or officials, and first response and emergency workers (Lee et al., 2006). Key findings of the 2003 workshop, along with other work being done by CDC, academia and the states, underscore the importance of public health agencies in providing risk communication services during (and particularly after) chemical emergencies, whether intentional or not. Tools developed by the ICTW have been used and/or consulted by many groups involved in public health preparedness. This case study will examine the efforts of Michigan to implement these tools to reduce information overload in an emergency.
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Jendreck, M., Hellriegel, J., Allmann, J., Restel, H., Pfennigschmidt, S., Meissen, U., et al. (2023). ROBUST communication platform – A decentralized, distributed communi cation platform for the earthquake early warning system ROBUST. In Jaziar Radianti, Ioannis Dokas, Nicolas Lalone, & Deepak Khazanchi (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International ISCRAM Conference (pp. 822–836). Omaha, USA: University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Abstract: Strong earthquakes of great intensity pose a severe threat to human life and property. Earthquake early warning systems are designed to give people in endangered areas valuable seconds to save their lives and property. The basis of an efficient warning system is a communication infrastructure that provides high-speed and reliable communication between the components of the warning system. This paper presents the distributed, decentralized communication platform for the ROBUST project. It discusses the key challenges and requirements such as resilience, real-time capability and target group-specific information distribution that are placed on such a communication platform. In addition, it presents the conception of the communication platform, which is based on a subscriber procedure between autonomous, decentralized peers (nodes), in order to be able to realize the requirements. Finally, it details the technical implementation, practical realization, and evaluation of the communication platform.
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Jill L. Drury, Gary L. Klein, Jennifer Mathieu, Yikun Liu, & Mark Pfaff. (2013). Sympathetic decisions: Incorporating impacts on others into emergency response decision spaces. 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. 199–209). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: We designed two decision support tools and employed them during a one-week, simulation-driven experiment that included emergency responders acting in their real-life roles. Each tool visualized a “decision space”: A diagrammatic depiction of the relative desirability of one option versus another, including the inherent uncertainty in the potential outcomes. One requirement was to develop a tool accounting for the impacts of decisions on others, so that emergency responders can make “sympathetic decisions.” For example, one decision space enabled responders to request resources from surrounding jurisdictions while also considering the potential negative effects on the lending organizations. Another decision space enabled responders to engage in a strategic dialogue with the public: “listening” to the public's greatest concerns by mining social media to measure emotion, and thereby suggesting strategic communications addressing those concerns. We report how we designed the decision spaces and the qualitative results of using these spaces during the experiment.
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Björn J.E. Johansson, Jiri Trnka, & Rego Granlund. (2007). The effect of geographical information systems on a collaborative command and control task. 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. 191–200). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper tests the claimed benefits of using geographical information systems (GIS) in emergency response operations. An experimental study comparing command teams using GIS and paper-based maps is presented. The study utilized a combined approach using microworld simulations together with physical artefacts. Participants in the experiment took the role of command teams, facing the task of extinguishing a simulated forest fire. A total of 132 persons, forming 22 teams, participated in the study. In eleven of the teams, the participants were given access to GIS with positioning of fire-brigades as well as sensor data about the fire outbreak. In the other eleven teams, the participants were using paper-based maps. The result shows that teams using GIS performed significantly better than teams with paper-based maps in terms of saved area. Communication volume was considerably reduced in the case of GIS teams. Implications of these results on GIS are discussed as well as methodological considerations for future research.
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