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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Angela I. Chung, Jesse F. Lawrence, & Carl Christensen. (2013). Evaluating the integrability of the quake-catcher network (QCN). 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. 386–390). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: This paper reviews the Quake-Catcher Network (QCN), a distributed computing seismic network that uses lowcost USB accelerometers to record earthquakes, and discusses the potential to incorporate QCN stations with traditional seismic networks. These very dense urban networks could then be used to create a working earthquake early warning system, as has been shown by our preliminary tests of the QCN in Christchurch, New Zealand. Although we have not yet attempted to add traditional seismometers to the QCN or supplement existing seismic networks with QCN sensors, we suggest that to do so would not be difficult, due to the simple nature of our network.
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Suthep Chutiratanaphun, Rungsaridh Boonsin, Parida Kuneepong, & Julalux Suttirod. (2005). Land use / land cover change by tsunami 2004 in Thailand: A case study at phi phi Island, Krabi Province and Ban Num Kem Village, Pang Nga Province. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2005 – 2nd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 301–303). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Aerial photo interpretation were utilized for monitoring land cover changes with emphasis on tsunami ravaged coastal regions in Phi Phi Island, Krabi Province and Ban Num Kem, Bang Muang, Pang Nga Province areas in the southern peninsula Thailand. All of the images acquired after the Dec 26/2004 tsunami hit, were analyzed and results were compared to image taken before to address the tsunami-affected communities' details. Results of interpretation show different land cover changes in different areas due to the former land cover/land use. It was also showed that aerial photo interpretation data are capable of identification on devastated areas with a high level of accuracy at scale of 1:25, 000. Special attention is given to a few examples of Ban Num Kem village in Takuepa District, Pang Nga Province and Phi Phi Island, Krabi Province.
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Marline Claessens, Nicolas Lewyckyj, Jane Biesemans, & Jurgen Everaerts. (2005). Pegasus, a UAV project for disaster management. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2005 – 2nd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 233–236). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: The Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Vito) in Belgium has initiated in 2000 the PEGASUS (Policy support for European Governments by Acquisition of information from Satellite and UAV-borne Sensors) project which envisages the development of a solar powered UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) containing several types of instruments for remote sensing and flying at an altitude of about 20 km. The aircraft can be deployed rapidly in crisis situations and provide disaster managers with ~1 m resolution images (or better if required) of the affected area. High quality data shall be received in less than half an hour from a mobile ground station that is in direct contact with the UAV, which can operate as long as requested by the user. The PEGASUS HALE-UAV is a flexible and cost-effective tool that will allow officials and local authorities to dispose quickly over relevant geographical information in an emergency situation. The first demonstration flight of the PEGASUS HALE-UAV shall take place in the summer of 2005 over Flanders.
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Claire Laudy. (2017). Rumors detection on Social Media during Crisis Management. 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. 623–632). Albi, France: Iscram.
Abstract: Social Media monitoring has become a major issue in crisis and emergencies management. Indeed, social media may ease the sharing of information between citizens and Public Safety Organizations, but it also enables the rapid spreading of inaccurate information. As information is now provided and shared by anyone to anyone, information credibility is a major issue. We propose an approach to detect rumor in social media. This paper describes our work on semantic graph based information fusion, enhanced with uncertainty management capabilities. The uncertainty management capability enables managing the dierent level of credibility of actors of an emergency (dierent PSO oÿcers and citizens). Functions for information synthesis, conflicting information detection and information evaluation were developed and test during experimentation campaigns. The synthesis and conflicting information detection functionalities are very welcome by end-users. However, the uncertainty management is a combinatorial approach which remains a limitation for use with large amount of information.
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Clara Grimes, Mihoko Sakurai, Vasileios Latinos, & Tim A Majchrzak. (2017). Co-creating Communication Approaches for Resilient Cities in Europe: the Case of the EU Project Smart Mature Resilience. 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. 353–362). Albi, France: Iscram.
Abstract: Cities face a wide range of risks. Potential threats range from natural disasters and the (relatively slow) environmental change, to man-made issues like extremism. To overcome such threats, cities ought to be resilient, capable of resisting problems, of adapting to new situations, and overcoming crises. Effective communication is particularly crucial for a resilient city. Rather than trusting that relevant stakeholders, municipal staff and citizens will intuitively communicate in the ideal way, cities should see communication as a strategic aspect of their resilience development. Thus, how resilient cities communicate should be strategically managed. In this paper, we present immediate results from an ongoing European project called Smart Mature Resilience. In this project, we work with seven cities towards the ultimate goal of developing a Resilience Management Guideline for all European cities. Moreover, we intend to set up a resilience backbone in Europe, which will be driven by effective communication between cities.
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Timothy Clark, & Rich Curran. (2013). Geospatial site suitability modeling for US department of defense humanitarian assistance projects. 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. 463–467). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to outline the requirement for data-driven methods for determining optimal geographic locations of United States Department of Defense (DOD) Humanitarian Assistance (HA) resources, including disaster mitigation and preparedness projects. HA project managers and tactical implementers charged with cost-efficient deployment of HA resources are challenged to produce measurable effects, in addition to contributing to broader Joint and Interagency-informed security assistance strategies. To address these issues, our ongoing research advocates geospatial multi-criteria site suitability decision support capabilities that leverage 1) existing geospatial resource location-allocation methodology as applied in government, retail, and commercial sectors; 2) user-generated criteria and objective preferences applied in widely-used decision frameworks; 3) assessments of the feasibility of obtaining data at a geographic scale where DOD tactical/operational level users can benefit from the model outputs; and 4) social science theory related to the HA domain criteria that form the foundation of potential decision models.
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Graham Coates, Glenn I. Hawe, Duncan T. Wilson, & Roger S. Crouch. (2011). Adaptive co-ordinated emergency response to rapidly evolving large-scale unprecedented events (REScUE). 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: This paper presents an overview of ongoing research into the development of an integrated framework aimed at adaptive co-ordination of emergency response to dynamic, fast evolving and novel events on a large-scale. The framework consists of (i) a decision support system, supported by rapid adaptive search methods, to enable the real time development of tailored response plans including emergency responder team composition and task allocation to these teams, and (ii) an agent-based simulation of emergency response to large-scale events occurring in real geographical locations. The aim of this research is to contribute to understanding how better agent-based simulation coupled with decision support can be used to enable the effective co-ordination of emergency response, involving the collective efforts and actions of multiple agencies (ambulance services, fire brigades, police forces and emergency planning units), to rapidly evolving large-scale unprecedented events.
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Cody Buntain, Richard Mccreadie, & Ian Soboroff. (2021). Incident Streams 2020: TRECIS in the Time of COVID-19. 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. 621–639). Blacksburg, VA (USA): Virginia Tech.
Abstract: Between 2018 and 2019, the Incident Streams track (TREC-IS) has developed standard approaches for classifying the types and criticality of information shared in online social spaces during crises, but the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 has shifted the landscape of online crises substantially. While prior editions of TREC-IS have lacked data on large-scale public-health emergencies as these events are exceedingly rare, COVID-19 has introduced an over-abundance of potential data, and significant open questions remain about how existing approaches to crisis informatics and datasets built on other emergencies adapt to this new context. This paper describes how the 2020 edition of TREC-IS has addressed these dual issues by introducing a new COVID-19-specific task for evaluating generalization of existing COVID-19 annotation and system performance to this new context, applied to 11 regions across the globe. TREC-IS has also continued expanding its set of target crises, adding 29 new events and expanding the collection of event types to include explosions, fires, and general storms, making for a total of 9 event types in addition to the new COVID-19 events. Across these events, TREC-IS has made available 478,110 COVID-related messages and 282,444 crisis-related messages for participant systems to analyze, of which 14,835 COVID-related and 19,784 crisis-related messages have been manually annotated. Analyses of these new datasets and participant systems demonstrate first that both the distributions of information type and priority of information vary between general crises and COVID-19-related discussion. Secondly, despite these differences, results suggest leveraging general crisis data in the COVID-19 context improves performance over baselines. Using these results, we provide guidance on which information types appear most consistent between general crises and COVID-19.
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Cody Buntain, Richard Mccreadie, & Ian Soboroff. (2022). Incident Streams 2021 Off the Deep End: Deeper Annotations and Evaluations in Twitter. In Rob Grace, & Hossein Baharmand (Eds.), ISCRAM 2022 Conference Proceedings – 19th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 584–604). Tarbes, France.
Abstract: This paper summarizes the final year of the four-year Text REtrieval Conference Incident Streams track (TREC-IS), which has produced a large dataset comprising 136,263 annotated tweets, spanning 98 crisis events. Goals of this final year were twofold: 1) to add new categories for assessing messages, with a focus on characterizing the audience, author, and images associated with these messages, and 2) to enlarge the TREC-IS dataset with new events, with an emphasis of deeper pools for sampling. Beyond these two goals, TREC-IS has nearly doubled the number of annotated messages per event for the 26 crises introduced in 2021 and has released a new parallel dataset of 312,546 images associated with crisis content – with 7,297 tweets having annotations about their embedded images. Our analyses of this new crisis data yields new insights about the context of a tweet; e.g., messages intended for a local audience and those that contain images of weather forecasts and infographics have higher than average assessments of priority but are relatively rare. Tweets containing images, however, have higher perceived priorities than tweets without images. Moving to deeper pools, while tending to lower classification performance, also does not generally impact performance rankings or alter distributions of information-types. We end this paper with a discussion of these datasets, analyses, their implications, and how they contribute both new data and insights to the broader crisis informatics community.
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Linn Marks Collins, James E. Powell Jr., Carolyn E Dunford, Ketan K. Mane, & Mark L.B. Martinez. (2008). Emergency information Synthesis and awareness using E-SOS. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 618–623). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In an emergency, people need to be able to report and find relevant information quickly. Fulfilling these information needs is the design goal of E-SOS: Emergency Situation Overview and Synthesis, a research project in progress. E-SOS will consist of (1) a website where users can report information, (2) web services that find and synthesize related information from multiple sources, and (3) interface tools that visualize and display links to this information. In this paper we describe three of these services and tools: the topic, geographic, and information space awareness tools. When a user writes a report, the topic awareness tool will execute a federated search and display links to related information. The information space awareness tool will highlight these links in a visualization of the information space. If the user refers to a location, the geographic awareness tool will focus a map on this location and display topic-related icons.
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Tina Comes, Frank Schätter, & Frank Schultmann. (2013). Building robust supply networks for effective and efficient disaster response. 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. 230–240). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: The effective and efficient distribution of relief goods is a key challenge in disaster management. Typically, adhoc supply networks (SNs) need to be built, in which various actors with different interests collaborate. Although information is sparse and highly uncertain, time for SN design is short, and important strategic decisions (e.g., location of facilities), whose revision requires investing substantial time, effort and resources, must be made promptly. This paper presents an iterative approach for the design of robust SNs that combines (i) an optimisation model to identify promising alternatives to be analysed in detail, (ii) a scenario-based approach to analyse the weaknesses of these alternatives and generate alternative solutions for comparison and benchmarking, and (iii) a decision support module for detailed comparisons and consensus building. By following the iterative approach, successively robust SNs are created to enable effective and efficient disaster response. We illustrate our approach by an example from the Haiti 2010 earthquake.
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Tina Comes, & Bartel A. Van De Walle. (2014). Measuring disaster resilience: The impact of hurricane sandy on critical infrastructure systems. 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. 195–204). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: Modern critical infrastructure (CI) systems are tightly coupled, resulting in unprecedented complexity and difficulty to predict, limit and control the consequences of disruptions caused by hazards. Therefore, a paradigm shift in disaster risk management is needed: instead of focusing on predicting events, resilience needs to be improved as a basis for adequate response to any event. This paper starts from a definition of CI resilience that provides a basis for quantitative and qualitative decision support. For the quantitative modelling approach, which aims at measuring the resilience of individual CIs, we focus on two CIs of fundamental importance for disaster response: transportation and power supply. The qualitative framework details relations between CIs. The results of this research are illustrated by a case study that analyses the impact of Hurricane Sandy. The findings highlight the need for a framework that combines qualitative and quantitative information from heterogeneous sources to improve disaster resilience.
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Tina Comes, Claudine Conrado, Michael Hiete, Michiel Kamermans, Gregor Pavlin, & Niek Wijngaards. (2010). An intelligent decision support system for decision making under uncertainty in distributed reasoning frameworks. 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 presents an intelligent system facilitating better-informed decision making under severe uncertainty as found in emergency management. The construction of decision-relevant scenarios, being coherent and plausible descriptions of a situation and its future development, is used as a rationale for collecting, organizing, filtering and processing information for decision making. The development of scenarios is geared to assessing decision alternatives, thus avoiding time-consuming analysis and processing of irrelevant information. The scenarios are constructed in a distributed setting allowing for a flexible adaptation of reasoning (principles and processes) to the problem at hand and the information available. This approach ensures that each decision can be founded on a coherent set of scenarios, which was constructed using the best expertise available within a limited timeframe. Our theoretical framework is demonstrated in a distributed decision support system by orchestrating both automated systems and human experts into workflows tailored to each specific problem.
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Tina Comes, Michael Hiete, Niek Wijngaards, & Masja Kempen. (2009). Integrating scenario-based reasoning into multi-criteria decision analysis. 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: Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a technique for decision support which aims at providing transparent and coherent support for complex decision situations taking into account subjective preferences of the decision makers. However, MCDA does not foresee an analysis of multiple plausible future developments of a given situation. In contrast, scenario-based reasoning (SBR) is frequently used to assess future developments on the longer term. The ability to discuss multiple plausible future developments provides a rationale for strategic plans and actions. Nevertheless, SBR lacks an in-depth performance evaluation of the considered actions. This paper explores the integration of both techniques that combines their respective strengths as well as their application in environmental crisis management. The proposed methodology is illustrated by an environmental incident example. Future work is to conduct validations on the basis of real-world scenarios by public Dutch and Danish chemical incident crisis management authorities.
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Tina Comes, Niek Wijngaards, & Frank Schultmann. (2012). Efficient scenario updating in emergency management. 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: Emergency managers need to assess, combine and process large volumes of information with varying degrees of (un)certainty. To keep track of the uncertainties and to facilitate gaining an understanding of the situation, the information is combined into scenarios: stories about the situation and its development. As the situation evolves, typically more information becomes available and already acknowledged information is changed or revised. Meanwhile, decision-makers need to keep track of the scenarios including an assessment whether the infor-mation constituting the scenario is still valid and relevant for their purposes. Standard techniques to support sce-nario updating usually involve complete scenario re-construction. This is far too time-consuming in emergency management. Our approach uses a graph theoretical scenario formalisation to enable efficient scenario updating. MCDA techniques are employed to decide whether information changes are sufficiently important to warrant scenario updating. A brief analysis of the use-case demonstrates a large gain in efficiency. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Tina Comes, Valentin Bertsch, & Simon French. (2013). Designing dynamic stress tests for improved critical infrastructure resilience. 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. 307–311). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: This paper outlines an approach to support decision-makers in designing resilient critical infrastructure (CI) networks. As CIs have become increasingly interdependent disruptions can have far-reaching impacts. We focus on the vulnerability of CIs and the socio-economic systems, in which they are embedded, independent from any initial risk event. To determine which disruptions are the most severe and must be avoided, quantitative and qualitative assessments of a disruption's consequences and the perspectives of multiple stakeholders need to be integrated. To this end, we combine the results of consequence models and expert assessments into stress test scenarios, which are evaluated using multi-criteria decision analysis techniques. This approach enables dynamic adaption of the stress tests in the face of a fast changing environment and to take account of better information about interdependencies or changing preferences. This approach helps make trade-offs between costs for resilient CIs and potential losses of disruptions clearly apparent.
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Louise K. Comfort, Brian A. Chalfant, Jee Eun Song, Mengyao Chen, & Brian Colella. (2014). Managing information processes in disaster events: The impact of superstorm sandy on business organizations. 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. 230–239). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: Building community resilience to natural disasters represents a major policy priority for the United States as hazards impact vulnerable urban regions with increasing frequency and severity. Applying network analysis techniques, we examine the dynamics of emergency response to Superstorm Sandy, which struck the United States east coast in late October 2012 and caused over $72 billion in damages. Drawing on a variety of data sources and analytical techniques, we document the storm's impact on a system of interacting private, public, and nonprofit organizations. We find that the storm's response network exhibited clear patterns of information gaps and flows among different types of organizations. Our findings suggest a general lack of communication between government agencies and businesses, an area of potential improvement in future regional-scale emergency response systems.
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Louise K. Comfort, Brian Colella, Mark Voortman, Scott Connelly, Jill L. Drury, Gary L. Klein, et al. (2013). Real-time decision making in urgent events: Modeling options for action. 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. 571–580). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Decision making in extreme events presents a difficult challenge to emergency managers who are legally responsible for protecting life, property, and maintaining continuity of operations for their respective organizations or communities. Prior research has identified the benefits of gaining situation awareness in rapidly changing disaster contexts, but situation awareness is not always sufficient. We have investigated “option awareness” and the decision space to provide cognitive support for emergency managers to simulate computationally possible outcomes of different options before they make a decision. Employing a user-centered design process, we developed a computational model that rapidly generates ranges of likely outcomes for different options and displays them visually through a prototype decision-space interface that allows rapid comparison of the options. Feedback from emergency managers suggests that decision spaces may enable emergency managers to consider a wider range of options for decisions and may facilitate more targeted, effective decision making under uncertain conditions.
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Louise K. Comfort, Milos Hauskrecht, & Jeen-Shang Lin. (2008). Dynamic networks: Modeling change in environments exposed to risk. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 576–585). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Modeling the interaction between interdependent systems in dynamic environments represents a promising approach to enabling communities to assess and manage the recurring risk to which they are exposed. We frame the problem as a complex, adaptive system, examining the interaction between transportation and emergency response as a socio-technical system. Using methods of spatial and statistical analysis, we overlaid the engineered transportation system on the organizational emergency response system to identify the thresholds of fragility in each. We present a research design and preliminary results from a small-scale study conducted in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Region that examined the interaction between the transportation and emergency response systems. These results informed the design of a Situational Assessment Module for emergency managers, currently under development at the University of Pittsburgh.
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Sherri L. Condon, & Jason R. Robinson. (2014). Communication media use in emergency response management. 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. 687–696). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: The communications of emergency response managers were tracked during simulated catastrophic events at a university campus in the Washington, D.C. region. Local, state, and federal response managers interacted with each other and with students using a variety of communication media in order to investigate the utility of new communication channels for emergency response management. Students and emergency managers interacted using a Twitter-like platform and a portal built with Ushahidi crowd-sourcing software. The emergency managers also used a chat interface that included private instant messaging, telephone, and the county's existing emergency web portal. Their media use was analyzed along with the functions of their communications, and the patterns that emerged are described and quantified.
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Diana Contreras, Thomas Blaschke, Stefan Kienberger, & Peter Zeil. (2011). Spatial vulnerability indicators: Measuring recovery processes after earthquakes. 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: In order to analyze and evaluate any post-disaster phases it is necessary to address the pre-existent vulnerability conditions. The methodology consists of four steps: the first step comprises of a review of vulnerability and recovery indicators; the second step is to identify indicators based on spatial variables; the third step is to find the common variables among the subsets of spatial variables from vulnerability and recovery indicators; and the fourth step more pragmatic, is an investigation of the availability of data. The initial results are the set of vulnerability and recovery indicators. Reducing the set of indicators to the indicators represented in a spatial context and the indicators with common features of vulnerability and recovery indices bears the risk to ignore some important single indicators; nevertheless, the added value of the on-going research is to show the advantages of using indicators based on spatial variables.
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Gregorio Convertino, Helena M. Mentis, Prajakta Bhambare, Caitlin Ferro, John M. Carroll, & Mary Beth Rosson. (2008). Comparing media in emergency planning. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 632–641). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The research on technology for emergency management is usually based either on studies in the field that focus on workers using current tools or on the development, testing, and deployment of novel software tools used in controlled settings. Little is known about the effects of the new collaborative media and work conditions 'in comparison to' the current media and conditions. In 2007, we presented at ISCRAM a method for studying common ground development through a paper prototype in face-to-face collaboration and subsequently presented preliminary findings on common ground development. In this paper we present preliminary findings from an analogous experiment on teams working remotely via a geo-collaborative software prototype. We compare these findings with those from the prior paper prototype study. We use this comparative research design to explore implications for system design and theory development in computer-supported cooperative work.
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Kelli de Faria Cordeiro, Maria Luiza M Campos, & Marcos R. S. Borges. (2014). Adaptive integration of information supporting decision making: A case on humanitarian logistic. 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. 225–229). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: There is an urgent demand for information systems to gather heterogeneous information about needs, donations and warehouse stocks to provide an integrated view for decision making in humanitarian logistics. The dynamic flow of information, due to the unpredicted events, requires adaptive features. The traditional relational data model is not suitable due to its schema rigidity. As an alternative, Graph Data models complemented by semantic representations, like Linked Open Data on the Web, can be used. Based on both, this research proposes an approach for the adaptive integration of information and an associated architecture. An application example is discussed in a real scenario where relief goods are managed through a dynamic and multi-perspective view.
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Cornelia Caragea, Adrian Silvescu, & Andrea Tapia. (2016). Identifying Informative Messages in Disasters using Convolutional Neural Networks. 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: Social media is a vital source of information during any major event, especially natural disasters. Data produced through social networking sites is seen as ubiquitous, rapid and accessible, and it is believed to empower average citizens to become more situationally aware during disasters and coordinate to help themselves. However, with the exponential increase in the volume of social media data, so comes the increase in data that are irrelevant to a disaster, thus, diminishing peoples? ability to find the information that they need in order to organize relief efforts, find help, and potentially save lives. In this paper, we present an approach to identifying informative messages in social media streams during disaster events. Our approach is based on Convolutional Neural Networks and shows significant improvement in performance over models that use the ?bag of words? and n-grams as features on several datasets of messages from flooding events.
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