Zeno Franco, Nina Zumel, John Holman, Kathy Blau, & Larry E. Beutler. (2009). Evaluating the impact of improvisation on the incident command system: A modified single case study using the DDD simulator. 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: This study attempted to evaluate the utility of the Incident Command System (ICS) in varying disaster contexts. ICS is mandated in the United States and practitioners assert that it is an effective organizing system for emergency management. However, researchers contend that the utility of ICS is conflated with inter-team familiarity gained during ICS exercises. A military team-in-the-loop simulator was customized to represent the problems, resources, and command structures found in civilian led disaster management teams. A modified single case design drawn from behavioral psychology was used to explore possible casual relationships between changes team heterogeneity and performance. The design also allowed for the evaluation of improvisation on performance. Further, psychological factors that may underpin improvisation were explored. In addition to some preliminary empirical findings, the successes and difficulties in adapting the DDD simulator are briefly discussed as part of an effort to achieved greater interdisciplinary integration.
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Yasir Javed, Tony Norris, & David Johnston. (2012). Evaluating SAVER: Measuring shared and team situation awareness of emergency decision makers. 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: Large scale emergencies are usually responded to by a team of emergency managers or a number of sub teams for safety and efficiency. Team coordination has attracted considerable research interest, especially from the cognitive, human factors, and ergonomic aspects because shared situation awareness (SSA) and team situation awareness (TSA) of team members are critical for optimal decision making. This paper describes the development of an information system (SAVER) based on SSA and TSA oriented systems design. Validation and evaluation of the implemented design show that decision performance is improved by the SAVER system. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Yasir Javed, Tony Norris, & David Johnston. (2011). Ontology-based inference to enhance team situation awareness in emergency management. 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 this paper, we propose the use of an ontology-based and semantic technologies approach to improving shared situation awareness amongst teams dealing with emergency situations. We have also identified that shared and team situation awareness tends to be viewed only in terms of cooperative task completion and so we have tried to describe their important relationship with team decision making. The applicability of our approaches is demonstrated by a case study of mass evacuation in the case of a tsunami event. We show how ontology can be used to represent context-based situations and how the axioms and rules can improve team situation awareness.
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Yasir Javed, & Tony Norris. (2013). Computerized system to enhance situation awareness: Key challenges associated with the design, evaluation, and extension of a prototype. 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. 951–961). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Successful decision making and task execution in emergency management require appropriate levels of situation awareness (SA). This paper proposes an ontology-based model for the design of a computer-based system, Situation Aware Vigilant Emergency Reasoner (SAVER) that supports the individual, shared and team SA of managers in emergency situations. SAVER is evaluated in simulated experiments that demonstrate the improvements in SA performance. The paper provides a complete description of the SAVER design, implementation, evaluation and its proposed extension from a proof-of-concept to a production environment.
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Willem J. Muhren, & Bartel A. Van De Walle. (2009). Sensemaking and information management in humanitarian disaster response: Observations from the TRIPLEX exercise. 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: The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system is designed to assist the United Nations in providing information during the first phase of a sudden-onset emergency and in the coordination of incoming international relief at the site of the emergency. In the immediate aftermath of such an emergency, the UNDAC team will set up an On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) from where the operational activities of the humanitarian organizations responding to the emergency are coordinated. Information management is a key aspect in this phase as the information gathering, processing, and disseminating activities will determine the timeliness and appropriateness of the response by the international humanitarian community. Through participatory observation in the international humanitarian “TRIPLEX” exercise we explore how information managers in the OSOCC make sense of the disaster, how the immediate needs are assessed, and discuss how information systems could improve Sensemaking in these activities.
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Van Tuan Le, Serge Stinckwich, Noury Bouraqadi, & Arnaud Doniec. (2012). Role-based dynamic coalitions of multi-tasked rescue robots. 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: Organizations allow structuring and coordinating the activities of robots that take part in a multi-robot system (MRS). Within a given organization, each robot is assigned to a role that governs its behavior and its interactions with the other members of the MRS. In this paper; we investigate in a class of problems where role allocation must be done dynamically. This applies, for example in the context of rescue robotic applications where neither the number of robots nor characteristics are known a priori. Furthermore, tasks to be performed are not necessarily all known or at least a portion of the information remains to be discovered (e.g. locations of victims). Finally, some robots may temporarily leave the MRS (for battery recharging) or permanently due to failure or breakage. We propose a solution that can dynamically allocate roles to robots and revise the allocation. This revision takes place in case of failure of agents or in case of discovery of a new task. This allocation allows agents to participate in several tasks. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Thomas Bernoulli, Gerald Glanzer, Thomas Wiebflecker, & Ulrich Walder. (2010). Infrastructurless indoor positioning system for first responders. 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: To overview the site of operation in case of an emergency is crucial for effective emergency management. This is a difficult task, in particular within large buildings or underground structures. Information about the whereabouts of the staff is a key element of effective disaster management. This paper presents an indoor positioning system which is able to track and locate people within buildings independent of any infrastructure (global navigation satellite system, WLAN installations, etc.). The system is based on inertial measurement units computing the track of its wearer and a component verifying this position estimates using floor plans of the building. This novel approach allows robust tracking and locating of action forces within buildings and underground structures.
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Theo Dirk Meijler, & Frank Nietzold. (2011). Light-weight model-based realization of a B2B protocol and a SOA integration engine. 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 emergency management, communication between the emergency management team and the outer world is essential. When using an emergency management system, such communication is often IT-based. To disburden the emergency management team, structured “B2B” messages may be used that correspond to the (foreseen) lifecycle of relevant entities in the emergency, such as threats and measures. The paper introduces an approach for the realization of a B2B messaging protocol and the corresponding integration engine, which maps message content to service calls, in the context of an emergency management system. The approach is light-weight and model-based, as protocols and integration engine are based on merely modeling the states and state transitions of objects in the system representing essential entities in the emergency. As the model is described in non-technical terms, this can be done by a non-IT expert.
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Svend-Anjes Pahl, & Thomas Thiel-Clemen. (2013). KIS – A crisis team information system. 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. 632–637). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Widespread crises require the deployment of a crisis team, to coordinate the disaster assistance. Because of their low frequency of occurrence and the extensive assignment of volunteers, often only less practical knowledge in managing widespread crises are available on demand. If such a crisis occurs, the gained knowledge must be quickly shared within the team. Current crisis management systems are designed to manage big amounts of situation facts, crisis teams based their work on. But very often these systems are not able to manage information about the linkage of these facts causing the problems. KIS is the first prototype of a crisis team information system, able to combine an ontology based data model for situation representation with the ability to forecast causal chained and spatially related problems derived on situation facts. KIS is able to store and manage this knowledge so that it can easily be shared with others.
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Stephen C. Fortier. (2013). Developing an incident response process model for chemical facilities. 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. 941–950). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: This research project investigated the incident response mechanism used by the chemical industry for handling extremely hazardous chemicals. The mechanism was described as the policies, procedures, practices, tools, and methods used to conduct incident response. The results from the study determined what technologies, specifically software and information systems, could be utilized to improve the chemical facility incident response mechanism. The chemical industry is responsible for process safety management at all of its facilities, especially those that have off-site consequences in the event of an unplanned release. The processes and procedures of local, regional and national emergency responders have been studied thoroughly. An area of research that is lacking is the study of incident response policies and procedures within the boundaries of a chemical site. Results of the analysis determined that the chemical industry, in general, does not take advantage of available information technology when responding to unplanned releases.
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Sébastien Tremblay, Peter Berggren, Martin Holmberg, Rego Granlund, Marie-Eve Jobidon, & Paddy Turner. (2012). A multiteam international simulation of joint operations in crisis 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: Concepts such as trust, shared understanding, cultural differences, mental workload, and organizational structure all impact upon the effectiveness of an organization (e.g., Tindale & Kameda, 2000), and even more so in the context of large scale multinational operations (e.g, Smith, Granlund, & Lindgen, 2010). In order to study these concepts we plan a multinational, distributed experiment with participants from three nations collaborating in the same virtual environment: Canadian, British, and Swedish participants will work together as part of a multinational MTS to deal with a complex task and gain control of a crisis situation. Empirical research on MTS remains limited (see, e.g., DeChurch & Marks, 2006) particularly at the multinational level where the investigation of MTS has been so far focused on case studies and exercises (e.g., Goodwin, Essens, & Smith, 2012). Therefore, there is a need to empirically study multinational MTS in order to assess the specific issues that multinational operations face, notably cultural and languages differences. The simulation environment used as experimental platform for this project is C3Fire (www.c3fire.org, Granlund & Granlund, 2011). C3Fire creates an environment whereby teams must work together to resolve a crisis in the firefighting domain, with the goal of evacuating people in critical areas, putting out the forest fire, and protecting buildings and other areas of value from the burning forest fire. This platform makes it possible to study participants' collaborative processes when dealing with a set of crisis scenarios in the context of a simulated emergency response situation. To deal efficiently with the crisis management operation, participants need to prioritize between different objectives, identify and protect critical areas, and plan and implement activities based on given resources. All these tasks are distributed between team members, compelling participants to exchange information and coordinate within and between teams to execute the task. The task is divided into three areas of responsibility as follows: 1) Information and Planning, responsible for situation assessment and providing the operating picture; 2) Operation and Logistic, responsible for intervention and resource management; and 3) Search and Rescue, responsible for research and management of civilians. C3Fire is designed to: 1) achieve an optimal compromise between internal and external validity; 2) show flexibility in scenario configuration (spectrum of units and roles – including search and rescue functions; Tremblay et al., 2010), allowing researchers to capture emergency response and crisis management and rapid response planning; 3) be highly configurable for testing many different types of teams (e.g., hierarchical vs. horizontal organizations); and 4) readily provide objective, non-intrusive metrics for assessing teamwork effectiveness (including macrocognitive functions and team processes) as well as quantitative measures of task performance (that take into account conflicting mission goals). © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Sébastien Tremblay, Daniel Lafond, Jean-François Gagnon, Vincent Rousseau, & Rego Granlund. (2010). Extending the capabilities of the C3Fire microworld as a testing platform for research in emergency response management. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The present paper describes the C3Fire microworld and the testing capabilities it provides for research in emergency response management. We start with a general description of C3Fire and report extensions that add a new subtask (search and rescue) relevant to the context of emergency response and a vocal communication system. We then describe how various organizational structures can be designed using this task environment and several metrics of major interest for research in crisis management, related to task performance, communication, coordination effectiveness, monitoring effectiveness, recovery from interruptions, detection of critical changes, and team adaptation. The microworld constitutes a highly flexible testing platform for research in team cognition, cognitive systems engineering and decision support for crisis management.
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Rita Kovordanyi, Rudolf Schreiner, Jelle Pelfrene, Johan Jenvald, Henrik Eriksson, Amy Rankin, et al. (2012). Real-time support for exercise managers' situation assessment and decision making. 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: Exercise managers and instructors have a particularly challenging task in monitoring and controlling on-going exercises, which may involve multiple response teams and organizations in highly complex and continuously evolving crisis situations. Managers and instructors must handle potentially incomplete and conflicting field-observation data and make decisions in real-time in order to control the flow of the exercise and to keep it in line with the training objectives. In simulation-based exercises, managers and instructors have access to a rich set of real-time data, with an increased potential to closely monitor the trainees' actions, and to keep the exercise on track. To assist exercise managers and instructors, data about the on-going exercise can be filtered, aggregated and refined by real-time decision-support systems. We have developed a model and a prototype decision-support system, using stream-based reasoning to assist exercise managers and instructors in real-time. The approach takes advantage of topic maps for ontological representation and a complex-event processing engine for analyzing the data stream from a virtual-reality simulator for crisis-management training. Aggregated data is presented both on-screen, in Twitter, and in the form of topic maps. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Richelle Van Rijk, & Marcel Van Berlo. (2004). Using CrisisKit and MOPED to improve emergency management team training. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2004 – 1st International Workshop on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 161–166). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: In order to reduce the effects of a disaster, people in the emergency management organization have to be trained. In recent years training emergency management teams has become a bigger issue. A realistic and effective training of emergency management teams however is a difficult matter. We search for ways to improve this kind of training and to reduce the costs. In this paper two tools that can be used to improve emergency management training, CrisisKit and MOPED, will be discussed. © Proceedings ISCRAM 2004.
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Rianne Gouman, Masja Kempen, & Niek Wijngaards. (2010). Actor-agent team experimentation in the context of incident management. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The collaboration between humans (actors) and artificial entities (agents) can be a potential performance boost. Agents, as complementary artificial intelligent entities, can alleviate actors from certain activities, while enlarging the collective effectiveness. This paper describes our approach for experimentation with actors, agents and their interaction. This approach is based on a principled combination of existing empirical research methods and is illustrated by a small experiment which assesses the performance of a specific actor-agent team in comparison with an actor-only team in an incident management context. The REsearch and Simulation toolKit (RESK) is instrumental for controlled and repeatable experimentation. The indicative findings show that the approach is viable and forms a basis for further data collection and comparative experiments. The approach supports applied actor-agent research to show its (dis)advantages as compared to actor-only solutions.
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Rego Granlund, & Helena Granlund. (2011). GPS impact on performance, response time and communication – A review of three studies. 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 describes the basic work performance analysis from three research projects with a goal to investigate the impact of a decision support system that presents global positioning system (GPS) information to the decision makers in crisis management organizations. The goal was to compare the performance between teams that had access to GPS information in the command post with teams that had access only to paper maps. The method used was controlled experiments with the C3Fire micro-world. A total of 304 participants, forming 48 teams, participated in the three studies. The participants came from three different groups, university students, municipal crisis management organizations and rescue service personnel. The result shows that the performance and communication change depending on if the teams used GPS support or paper maps. The result also shows that the participants' background and perceived complexity of the task have an impact on the results.
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Paula Mostert, Bartel A. Van De Walle, Koen Milis, & Jan Vandijck. (2005). The role of IT in crisis management exercising, training and planning in Belgian and Dutch Companies: A survey. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2005 – 2nd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 131–133). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: We report the findings of a crisis management survey on the role of IT in the crisis exercising, training and planning activities among companies in 6 different industries in two neighbouring European countries, Belgium and the Netherlands, having at least 50 employees. The survey was sent to 1450 Dutch and 1245 Belgian companies, 245 of which were returned, resulting in a response rate of 9%. The results of the survey show that the role of IT in these activities in both countries is very limited.
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Nitesh Bharosa, & Marijn Janssen. (2009). Reconsidering information management roles and capabilities in disaster response decision-making units. 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: When disaster strikes, the emerging task environment requires relief agencies to transform from autonomous mono-disciplinary organizations into interdependent multidisciplinary decision-making units. Evaluation studies reveal that adaptation of information management to the changing task environment is difficult resulting in poor information quality, indicating information was incorrect, outdated or even unavailable to relief workers. In this paper, we adopt a theory-driven approach to develop a set of information management roles and dynamic capabilities for disaster management. Building on the principles of advance structuring and dynamic adjustment, we develop a set of roles and capabilities, which we illustrate and extend using two field studies in the Netherlands. By studying regional relief workers in action, we found that in tactical disaster response decisionmaking units, several information management roles are not addressed and that information managers are preoccupied with information gathering and reporting, whereas information quality assurance is not on the agenda.
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Milica Stojmenovic, & Gitte Lindgaard. (2014). Probing PROBE: A field study of an advanced decision support prototype for managing chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) events. 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. 90–99). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: The purpose of this field study was investigate teamwork and communication among event management personnel, to assess the degree to which PROBE, the advanced prototype they were using to manage a CBRNE simulation, would adequately meet their needs. The study was a continuation of previous research conducted in the early phase of PROBE development. Two communication-related analyses were applied to identify instances of effective and of ineffective communication among the management team. These revealed that communication was mostly effective. However, the one serious communication breakdown that was observed could have had fatal consequences. It showed that great care must be taken to ensure the safety of first responders at all times when evaluating prototypes in the field. A list of questions was generated from the lessons learned to assist future researchers prepare for CBRNE field studies.
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Michael Tyworth, & Steve Sawyer. (2006). Integrated criminal justice system design: Designing an appropriate governance structure. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 444–449). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: In this paper we discuss interim findings from an ongoing comparative case study of the Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS) in San Diego, CA. Significant attention had been given to the need to integrate information systems across organizational boundaries in the criminal justice domain. We employ a social informatics lens in this research that views the technological artifact as embedded in cultural and institutional context. In our examination of ARJIS we have found that the adoption of a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) as a governance structure has impacted system design and organizational practices significantly. Specifically, the JPA facilitates participation by member agencies and, allows the ARJIS management team autonomy and flexibility in developing and managing the ARJIS information system.
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Max Wyss. (2005). Earthquake loss estimates applied in real time and to megacity risk assessment. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2005 – 2nd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 297–299). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Real time loss estimates within one to two hours after major earthquakes are becoming useful for disaster managers and rescue teams to respond rapidly and at an optimal level. Tests show that the accuracy is low, but major disasters can be reliably distinguished from inconsequential earthquakes. Many technical and organizational aspects of these estimates can and should be improved. An analysis of what magnitude of disaster is likely to occur, if a major earthquake should occur near a megacity in a developing country shows that much work needs to be done to mitigate the risk, and that the global community is ill prepared to deal with such large disasters.
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Maurizio Marchese, Lorenzino Vaccari, Gaia Trecarichi, Nardine Osman, & Fiona McNeill. (2008). Interaction models to support peer coordination in crisis management. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 230–241). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: All phases of emergency management activities – that we will reference hereafter as eResponse activities – depend on data from a variety of sources and involve a range of different organizations and teams at various administrative levels with their own systems and services. The existence of numerous and different actors, policies, procedures, data standards and systems results in coordination problems with respect to data analysis, information delivery and resource management.. In this paper we present a novel approach based on interaction models distributed through a peer to peer infrastructure and we show how it can be applied in the context of crisis management to support coalition formation and process coordination in open environments. In particular, a prototype eResponse simulation system – built on a P2P infrastructure – has been developed to execute interaction models describing common coordination tasks in emergency response domain. Preliminary evaluation of the proposed framework demonstrates its capability to support such eResponse tasks.
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Matthias Max, Sigmund Kluckner, & Susann Jentzsch. (2014). Trainings for crisis information systems in civil protection: A German perspective. 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. 518–527). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: Much research and technical development has been conducted to make crisis management more efficient, especially regarding crisis information systems used to streamline operations of authorities during a crisis. Experts from the German Red Cross mention that there is a need for the development and improvement of specific training methods and structures for such new crisis information systems in command and control centers. They also say that computer simulations could be a practical possibility to train crisis management and response staff. To substantiate this information, interviews were conducted with key officials in the field of German civil protection: command and control center staff, command and control center software trainers and crisis information system managers. This paper presents a qualitative study in the field of training German response personnel in crisis management information systems. The results are presented in three sections: suitable training strategies and structures, challenges and best practices for the implementation of trainings and using simulation as a training method for crisis information systems. The results contain personal experiences, opinions and known best-practices of the interview partners.
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Martin Voshell, & Stijn Oomes. (2006). Coordinating (Shared) perspectives in robot assisted search & rescue. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 188–196). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: From high fidelity field exercises to disaster response deployments, search and rescue robots are being readily integrated into rescue operations. Previous research has proposed that for such new technology to be successful in an operation the organization architecture needs to support the coordination of shared perspectives between the human team members and the robotic platforms. For this, the robot platforms need to be effective team players in the field of practice. Based on this conceptual model, this paper introduces a novel software interface utilizing virtual position and orientation indicators to alleviate perceptual ambiguities and navigation problems experienced by robot handlers and problem holders. By actively orchestrating and sharing these indicators between handler and operator displays, the interface caters to user expertise and to the natural competency of the human perceptual system. These probes provide a basic tool for aiding robot navigation and way-finding fundamental to effective team coordination and communication in urban search and rescue missions.
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Marcus Vogt, Kieth Hales, & Dieter Hertweck. (2011). Optimizing ICT portfolios in emergency management: A modular alignment approach. 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: Today's society is exposed to an increasing number of disasters and large scale emergencies (e.g. earthquake in Haiti, global swine flu, or manmade disasters like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico). Information and communication technology (ICT) can help to prevent and mitigate the effects of threatening situations if applied appropriately. In industry ICT governance methods and portfolio management techniques have become important tools to successfully align ICT with business goals. However, the domain of emergency management (EM) has to deal with unpredictable situations, multi organizational collaborations and ad-hoc teams, conditions which make conventional existing methods less useful. Based on a qualitative analysis of several European and Australian EM organizations and government agencies this paper discusses a modular approach to optimize ICT portfolios in Emergency Management organizations in order to achieve strategic ICT alignment.
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