Tiziana Catarci, Massimiliano De Leoni, Andrea Marrella, Massimo Mecella, Manfred Bortenschlager, & Renate Steinmann. (2010). The WORKPAD project experience: Improving the disaster response through process management and geo collaboration. 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: In complex emergency/disaster scenarios teams from various emergency-response organizations collaborate with each other to achieve a common goal. In these scenarios the use of smart mobile devices and applications can improve the collaboration dynamically. The lack of basic interaction principles can be dangerous as it could increase the level of disaster or can make the efforts ineffective. The paper focuses on the description of the main results of the project WORKPAD finished in December 2009. WORKPAD worked on a two-level architecture to support rescue operators during emergency management. The use of a user-centered design methodology during the entire development cycle has guaranteed that the architecture and the resulting system meet the end-user requirements. The feasibility of its use in real emergencies is also proven by a demonstration showcased in July with real operators. The paper includes the qualitative and quantitative showcase results and mentions some guidelines which can be useful for persons who want to develop emergency-management systems.
|
Tobias Andersson Granberg, Carl-Oscar Jonson, Erik Prytz, Krisjanis Steins, & Martin Waldemarsson. (2020). Sensor Requirements for Logistics Analysis of Emergency Incident Sites. 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. 952–960). Blacksburg, VA (USA): Virginia Tech.
Abstract: Using sensors to collect data at emergency incident sites can facilitate analysis of the logistic operations. This can be used to improve planning and preparedness for new operations. Furthermore, real-time information from the sensors can serve as operational decision support. In this work in progress, we investigate the requirements on the sensors, and on the sensor data, to facilitate such an analysis. Through observations of exercises, the potential of using sensors for data collection is explored, and the requirements are considered. The results show that the potential benefits are significant, especially for tracking patients, and understanding the interaction between the response actors. However, the sensors need to be quite advanced in order to capture the necessary data.
|
Tobias Andersson Granberg, Niklas Danielsson, Anna Fredriksson, Johan Nordstrom, Sofie Pilemalm, Richard Tjernstrom, et al. (2016). Using Semi-professionals in Emergency Response. 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: The term semi-professional can be used to denote occupational groups that do not have emergency response as their primary profession but who get additional responsibilities within rescue and response, e.g. by performing a first response or assisting the professional emergency services. In this study, four different groups of possible semi-professional resources are analyzed and compared. Similarities and differences between the four groups are discussed. Factors, important for the successful implementation of a cross-sector collaboration of this kind, are highlighted. The preliminary results show that all four groups have the potential to act as semi-professional resources within emergency response. Interestingly, the basic requirements are the same for all groups, despite different prerequisites.
|
Tobias Hellmund, Manfred Schenk, Jürgen Moßgraber, Hans Springer, Reuter Jürgen, & Philipp Hertweck. (2022). ELD-BS: The Digital Situation Dashboard for Baden-Württemberg. In Rob Grace, & Hossein Baharmand (Eds.), ISCRAM 2022 Conference Proceedings – 19th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 233–240). Tarbes, France.
Abstract: This paper presents the Elektronische Lagedarstellung für den Bevölkerungsschutz (ELD-BS, engl. Electronic Situation Dashboard for civil protection), a software suite for managing crisis relevant information in the German federal state Baden-Württemberg. ELD-BS serves as an easy-to-use and functional tool to support administration work in larger operational situations and in the event of a disaster. The ELD-BS supports communication and data exchange between the authorized access points in the event of an incident, yet it does not replace the formal reporting channels and the communication between the units involved in the operation. ELD-BS is conceptually intended for the overarching use of the administrative levels and particularly allows the exchange of information between the administrative authorities in large-scale operations. The software suite comprises 4 applications, which are accessible from the web and offer different functionalities during crisis response. This paper introduces the individual components and their interaction.
|
Tom Duffy, Richard McMaster, Chris Baber, & Robert Houghton. (2012). Towards an ontology broker to improve cross-agency sharing in emergency response. 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: Major incidents and disasters tend to be highly complex, contain high levels of uncertainty and may often force official responders to set aside their standard operating procedures and work collaboratively with a range of agencies and actors on the ground. Prior work has shown that establishing clear lines of communication and maintaining a shared understanding across organisational boundaries can be challenging to achieve, particularly in stressful and unusual circumstances. In the present paper we discuss ongoing work into specifying a meta-process for facilitating communication and collaboration based on the observation that common themes that emerge in communication within and across organisational boundaries can subsequently be tracked and built into an Ontology Broker. This work draws on experimental work in our laboratory, observations made in emergency control environments and, emphasised in this paper, lessons learned in the 2005 London bombings. © 2012 ISCRAM.
|
Tongshen Zheng, Shunjiang Ni, Shifei Shen, Yan Wang, & Yang Tai. (2016). Numerical Study of Radioactive Pollutants Dispersion in Radioactive ?Dirty Bomb? Events. 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: The simulation of radioactive pollutants dispersion is critical for emergency response of the nuclear terrorism. The radioactive ?dirty bomb?, also called radiological dispersion device (RDD), produced and used by the terrorist to make fearful and radioactive pollution in general, has a great risk on humans. Numerical investigation of the impact of different configurations on radioactive pollution release and dispersion in urban buildings is made in this paper. The numerical simulations used the OpenFOAM, a free and open source software for computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the simulations can be implanted to the information system of the nuclear terrorism emergency decision support system(EDSS) as the consequence assessment subsystem conveniently. The study showed that the configurations of building canyon and the position relationship of the source item and the buildings both affect the concentration distributions around the buildings.
|
Tuncay Bayrak. (2007). Performance metrics for disaster monitoring systems. 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. 125–132). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Understanding the performance of disaster monitoring systems is a key to understanding their success, therefore; various qualitative and quantitative measures and metrics can be applied in the characterization and analysis of such systems. Through evaluation studies, problems that impede a disaster monitoring system performance can be identified. The results can be used for system control, design, and capacity planning. Previous studies address technical performance analysis metrics for analyzing monitoring systems leaving out human and organizational dimensions of such systems. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to identify and describe a set of disaster monitoring systems performance analysis metrics that may be employed to evaluate such systems. This study may be valuable to researchers and practitioners involved in disaster and emergency response studies in planning the transportation of vital first-aid supplies and emergency personnel to disaster-affected areas, and in improving chances of survival after a natural disaster.
|
Tung Bui, & Siva Sankaran. (2006). Foundations for designing global emergency response systems (ERS). In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 72–81). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Works on Emergency Response Systems (ERS) tend to set aside-or discuss peripherally-the global nature of catastrophes and the unique conditions under which these systems have to operate. Major disasters either affect more than one country or require the help of more than one nation. Designing ERS to manage global crisis situations pose great challenges due to incompatible technologies, language and cultural differences, variations in knowledge-level and management styles of decision makers, and resource limitations in individual countries. In this paper, we outline theoretical foundations for designing global ERS. We develop a path model that identifies the elements and their interactions needed to ensure quality of outcomes and processes of emergency response. We also prescribe a Global Information Network (GIN) architecture to provide decision-makers with timely response to crises involving global intervention.
|
Viktor Sköld Gustafsson, Tobias Andersson Granberg, Sofie Pilemalm, & Martin Waldemarsson. (2022). Managing Natural Hazards in Sweden – Needs for Improved Information and Decision Support Systems. In Rob Grace, & Hossein Baharmand (Eds.), ISCRAM 2022 Conference Proceedings – 19th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 376–384). Tarbes, France.
Abstract: This paper explores opportunities for information systems to support emergency response to multiple natural hazards. Interviews were conducted with 12 representatives from actors of the Swedish emergency response system about response to multiple natural hazards. Challenges and needs connected to five themes influencing the response effort were identified: Cooperation, Resource management, Command and control, Common operational picture, and Risk management. The results illuminate a lack of technology to support decisions and analyses during emergency response to both single and multiple natural hazards. Based on this, the paper suggests and discusses information systems and decision support tools to assist in satisfying the identified needs. The findings can inform policy makers in emergency response of where to concentrate the development of collaborative preparedness and response work, and the scientific community of future research directions.
|
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.
|
Willem Treurniet, & Kim van Buul. (2015). Four Archetypal Networked Organisations. 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: Complex and multifaceted problems such as emergencies typically require coordinated effort by a network of different organisations. These networks typically rely less on formal hierarchical structures and instead have a stronger focus on allowing the dynamics to emerge in the process of collaboration. A balance has to be achieved between the internal dynamics of the various member organisations that make up the network on the one hand, and the emerging dynamics of the network collaboration itself on the other ? and the precise nature of this balance will depend on the context. To help those making decision on how to achieve that balance, we have developed a framework describing four archetypal networked organisations: fragmented, deconflicted, coordinated, and collaborative and agile. The four archetypes have two purposes. Firstly, they can be used to guide networked organisations as they adapt to changing administrative and societal contexts. Secondly, they can be used to express the dynamics of the development of a response organisation in a particular emergency situation.
|
X.L. Zhang, Jian Guo Chen, Guofeng Su, & Hongyong Yuan. (2013). Study on source inversion technology for nuclear accidents based on gaussian puff model and ENKF. 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. 634–639). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: For nuclear power plant (NPP) accident, the assessment of the radiation consequences plays an important role in the emergency response system. However, the source characteristics which greatly influence thhe accuracy of the assessment result is poorly known or even unknown at the early phase of accident, wich can cause poorly understanding of the situation and delay the response activities. In this paper, source inversion technology in analyzing nuclear accidents based on Gaussian puff model and ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is proposed. The method is validated with simulated measurements and the results show that it can give reasonable estimations of the change in release rate and height simultaneously, though the first guess of release rate is 102 larger than the true value. The investigation of the influence of sharp change in source term shows that the method is robust to capture the sharp change, but there is a delay of response when the release height increases simultaneously.
|
Xiaoyong Ni, Hong Huang, Shiwei Zhou, Boni Su, Jianchun Zheng, Wei Zhu, et al. (2018). Simulation of The Urban Waterlogging and Emergency Response Strategy at Subway Station's Entry-exit Platform in Heavy Rainstorm. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 99–120). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: Underground space like subway stations is prone to be flooded which can lead to severe and unpredictable damage and even threaten human lives. In this paper, four groups of contrastive simulation of urban waterlogging at two subway stations' entry-exit platforms in heavy rainstorm are conducted, and emergency response strategies are suggested. A waterlogging simulation method named UPFLOOD based on shallow water equations is proposed considering complex topography. It has been found that the waterlogging at subway station's entry-exit platforms is easily influenced by several factors and the site selection of the subway stations is very important. A disaster process construction method based on PN model is proposed and it has been found that the response strategies including plugging, drainage and evacuation are important for disaster mitigation. This study helps decision makers to response quickly to meet the emergency of the waterlogging disaster at subway stations caused by heavy rainstorm.
|
Yan Wang, Hong Huang, & Wei Zhu. (2015). Stochastic source term estimation of HAZMAT releases: algorithms and uncertainty. 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: Source term estimation (STE) of hazardous material (HAZMAT) releases is critical for emergency response. Such problem is usually solved with the aid of atmospheric dispersion modelling and inversion algorithms accompanied with a variety of uncertainty, including uncertainty in atmospheric dispersion models, uncertainty in meteorological data, uncertainty in measurement process and uncertainty in inversion algorithms. Bayesian inference methods provide a unified framework for solving STE problem and quantifying the uncertainty at the same time. In this paper, three stochastic methods for STE, namely Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) and ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF), are compared in accuracy, time consumption as well as the quantification of uncertainty, based on which a kind of flip ambiguity phenomenon caused by various uncertainty in STE problems is pointed out. The advantage of non-Gaussian estimation methods like SMC is emphasized.
|
Yi Xiong, Weiping Si, & Xia Wu. (2016). Analysis of Emergency Response for Accident of Oil and Gas Pipeline Based on Stochastic Petri Net. 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: Emergency response plays an important role in reducing the loss of an accident. And the excellent plan is important to ensure the high efficiency of the emergency response system. However, actions of emergency response arranged in emergency plan can hardly be assessed before the plan is used. Stochastic Petri Net (SPN) is proposed to analyze the performance of emergency response for oil and gas pipeline accident. The results show that the average execution time of SPN model can be used to evaluate effectiveness of emergency response. Then place average mark number indicates that emergency decision-making is the most important segment to optimize emergency work flow. And utilization rate of transition shows that decreasing the cost time of maintenance is the key to improve efficiency of emergency response.
|
Yixing Shan, Lili Yang, & Roy Kalawsky. (2014). Exploring the prescriptive modeling of fire situation assessment. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 60–64). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: One of the key assumptions in Endsley's three-level Situation Awareness (SA) model is the critical role of mental models in the development and maintenance of SA. We explored a prescriptive way of modeling this essential mental process of the fire incident commanders' fire ground assessment. The modeling was drawn from the Fast and Frugal Heuristics (FFHs) program, given the strong parallels between its contentions on ecological rationality and the environment demanding of the emergency response context. This paper addresses a number of issues being encountered in the attempt of our empirical investigation.
|