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Kui Wang, Jose Marti, Ming Bai, & K.D. Srivastava. (2012). Optimal decision maker algorithm for disaster response management with I2Sim applications. 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: Disaster response management has become an important area of research in recent years, with authorities spending more resources in the area. Infrastructure resource interdependencies are key critical points for a system to operate optimally. After a disaster occurs, infrastructures would have sustained certain degrees of damage, the allocation of limited resources to maximize human survival becomes a top priority. The I2Sim (Infrastructures Interdependencies Simulator) research group at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has developed a software simulation toolbox to help authorities plan for disaster responses. This paper presents an optimization decision algorithm based on Lagrange multipliers, which provides the theoretical basis for I2Sim software decision maker layer. There is a simple scenario of three hospitals constructed with the I2Sim toolbox to illustrate the interdependencies of water and electricity. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Steven C. Way, & Yufei Yuan. (2012). Towards a context-aware multi-party emergency coordination system framework. 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: A framework for an emergency response system is proposed which is an extension of, but significantly different from, traditional group and distributed group support systems. The framework considers the environmental, organizational, and activity-based issues of emergency response for responders and decision makers. These issues are addressed by incorporating context-aware, multi-agency relationship management, and multiparty coordination components into the framework for a context-aware multiparty coordination system. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Felix Wex, Guido Schryen, & Dirk Neumann. (2012). Operational emergency response under informational uncertainty: A fuzzy optimization model for scheduling and allocating rescue units. 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: Coordination deficiencies have been identified after the March 2011 earthquakes in Japan in terms of scheduling and allocation of resources, with time pressure, resource shortages, and especially informational uncertainty being main challenges. We suggest a decision support model that accounts for these challenges by drawing on fuzzy set theory and fuzzy optimization. Based on requirements from practice and the findings of our literature review, the decision model considers the following premises: incidents and rescue units are spatially distributed, rescue units possess specific capabilities, processing is non-preemptive, and informational uncertainty through linguistic assessments is predominant when on-site units vaguely report about incidents and their attributes, or system reports are not exact. We also suggest a Monte Carlo-based heuristic solution procedure and conduct a computational evaluation of different scenarios. We benchmark the results of our heuristic with results yielded through applying a greedy approach. The results indicate that using our Monte Carlo simulation to solve the decision support model inspired by fuzzy set theory can substantially reduce the overall harm. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Kim Weyns, & Martin Höst. (2012). Risk analysis for critical systems with reliability block diagrams. 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: Governmental organisations are becoming more critically dependant on IT systems such as communication systems or patient data systems, both for their everyday tasks and their role in crisis relief activities. Therefore it is important for the organisation to analyse the reliability of these systems as part of the organisation's risk and vulnerability analysis process. This paper presents a practical risk analysis method for critical, large-scale IT systems in an organisation. The method is based on reliability block diagram modelling and was adapted to fit the requirements of governmental organisations and to reduce the effort required to capture complex failure behaviour. The paper first explicitly lists the requirements that such a risk analysis method must fulfil, then presents the proposed risk analysis method and finally outlines the planned evaluation of this method. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Duncan T. Wilson, Glenn I. Hawe, Graham Coates, & Roger S. Crouch. (2012). Estimating the value of casualty health information to optimization-based decision support in response to major incidents. 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: In this paper we describe a work-in-progress decision support program designed for use in the response to major incidents in the UK. The proposed program is designed for use in a continuous fashion, where the updating of its model, the search for solutions to the model through an optimization algorithm, and the issuing of these solutions are carried out concurrently. The model facilitates the inclusion of dynamic and uncertain features of emergency response. The potential of such an approach to deliver high-quality response plans through enabling more accurate modeling is evaluated through focusing on the case of casualty health information. Computational experiments show there is significant value in monitoring the dynamic and uncertain health progression of casualties and updating the model accordingly. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Karolina A. Wojciechowska, & Berend Vreugdenhil. (2012). Integration of uncertainty into emergency procedures of water boards. 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: In the Netherlands, Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute warns water boards for extreme rainfall if per-specified thresholds are (expected to be) exceeded. When a water board receives a warning, certain response measures can be taken. In general, the thresholds are based on experience and intuition. Clear procedures, which describe decision-making under uncertainty in available information (e.g., forecasted rainfall), do not exist. In this document, first results of the project “Extreme weather for water boards” are briefly described. The aim of this project is to study integration of the uncertainty into emergency procedures of the water boards. The current emergency procedures of two water boards are analyzed. Recommended adjustments to the procedures allow including the uncertainty by estimation of a probability of overload and cost-benefit analysis of response measures (benefit as avoided damage). A simple scheme that supports estimation of the probability is introduced. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Selim Serhan Yildiz, & Himmet Karaman. (2012). Developing a physics-based model for post-earthquake ignitions. 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: Earthquakes not only cause damages by shaking, but secondary disasters like fire following earthquake (FFE), tsunami, liquefaction, land slide etc. also cause large-scale losses. In some cases, FFEs result in losses more than shaking do as seen in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the 1923 Kanto earthquake. FFEs are generally caused by strong ground shakings. Strong shakings damage the structures and infrastructures. As a consequence of earthquake, many ignitions can occur due to damaged gas systems and electrical systems, overturning of electrical appliances and heating equipments and falling of flammable materials from shelves in structures. In addition to interior structure ignitions, damaged infrastructure elements such as gas pipelines and electric transmission lines can also cause ignitions. Some of these ignitions spread due to amount of fuel load (combustible materials), construction material, direction and speed of wind etc. in the environment and they can turn into large urban conflagrations. This paper proposes a physics-based post-earthquake fire ignition model in order to estimate number and location of ignitions in urban areas. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Bo Yu, & Guoray Cai. (2012). Coordination of emergency response operations via the event-based awareness mechanism. 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 response involves collaboration among search and rescue workers, medical staff, transportation coordinators, and others to save human lives and minimize damages. While carrying out local activities, members of the teams must also attend to new events happening elsewhere that may affect their work, and be prepared to adjust their activities accordingly. This paper describes a computer supported coordination system, DACE (Dependency-based Awareness and Coordination Environment), which offers a scalable solution to coordination in emergency response. The system serves as a cognitive aid to human actors in both maintaining a group mental model of the overall collaborative activities and their dependencies, and determining the effects of events as they propagate through the web of dependencies. We demonstrate the principles and utility of the DACE system through a hypothetical scenario of search and rescue exercise. This work contributes to the goal of scaling up awareness-based coordination in emergency response. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Jun Zhuang, John Coles, Peiqiu Guan, Fei He, & Xiaojun Shan. (2012). Strategic interactions in disaster preparedness and relief in the face of man-made and natural disasters. 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: Society is faced with a growing amount of property damage and casualties from man-made and natural disasters. Developing societal resilience to those disasters is critical but challenging. In particular, societal resilience is jointly determined by federal and local governments, private and non-profit sectors, and private citizens. We present a sequence of games among players such as federal, local, and foreign governments, private citizens, and adaptive adversaries. In particular, the governments and private citizens seek to protect lives, property, and critical infrastructure from both adaptive terrorists and non-adaptive natural disasters. The federal government can provide grants to local governments and foreign aid to foreign governments to protect against both natural and man-made disasters. All levels of government can provide pre-disaster preparation and post-disaster relief to private citizens. Private citizens can also make their own investments. The tradeoffs between protecting against man-made and natural disasters – specifically between preparedness and relief, efficiency and equity – and between private and public investment, will be discussed. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Andrea Zielinski, & Ulrich Bügel. (2012). Multilingual analysis of twitter news in support of mass emergency events. 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: Social media are increasingly becoming a source for event-based early warning systems in the sense that they can help to detect natural disasters and support crisis management during or after disasters. In this work-in-progress paper we study the problems of analyzing multilingual twitter feeds for emergency events. The present work focuses on English as “lingua franca” and on under-resourced Mediterranean languages in endangered zones, particularly Turkey, Greece, and Romania Generally, as local civil protection authorities and the population are likely to respond in their native language. We investigated ten earthquake events and defined four language-specific classifiers that can be used to detect earthquakes by filtering out irrelevant messages that do not relate to the event. The final goal is to extend this work to more Mediterranean languages and to classify and extract relevant information from tweets, translating the main keywords into English. Preliminary results indicate that such a filter has the potential to confirm forecast parameters of tsunami affecting coastal areas where no tide gauges exist and could be integrated into seismographic sensor networks. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Dimitris Zisiadis, Spyros Kopsidas, Vassilis Grizis, George Thanos, George Leventakis, & Leandros Tassiulas. (2012). STAR-TRANS Modeling Language (STML) modeling risk in the STAR-TRANS risk assessment framework for interconnected transportation systems. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: The present paper introduces a high level modeling language, capable of expressing the concepts and processes of the Strategic Risk Assessment and Contingency Planning in Interconnected Transportation Networks (STAR-TRANS) framework. STAR-TRANS is a comprehensive transportation security risk assessment framework for assessing related risks that provides cohered contingency management procedures for interconnected, interdependent and heterogeneous transport networks. STAR-TRANS modeling Language (STML) is a domain specific language combining language simplicity with a very clear syntax, providing all the necessary elements (assets, threats, incidents, consequences etc.) to model the STAR-TRANS risk assessment framework. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Christopher W. Zobel, Stanley E. Griffis, Steven A. Melnyk, & John R. MacDonald. (2012). Characterizing disaster resistance and recoveryusing outlier detection. 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: Most definitions of disaster resilience incorporate both the capacity to resist the initial impact of a disaster and the ability to recover after it occurs. Being able to characterize and analyze resilient behavior can lead to improved understanding not only of the capabilities of a given system, but also of the effectiveness of different strategies for improving its resiliency. This paper presents an approach for quantifying the transient behavior resulting from a disaster event in a way that allows researchers to not only describe the transient response but also assess the impact of various factors (both main and interaction effects) on this response. This new approach combines simulation modeling, time series analysis, and statistical outlier detection to differentiate between disaster resistance and disaster recovery. Following the introduction of the approach, the paper provides a preliminary look at its relationship to the existing concept of predicted disaster resilience. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Marian Zulean, & Gabriela Prelipcean. (2012). Risk perception, strategic planning and foresight methodologieswithin the romanian emergency system. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to briefly describe the characteristics of the Romanian emergency system, risk perception and the use of strategic planning and foresight methodologies in emergency preparedness. The core of the paper investigates the perception of the local leaders of the ES regarding the most probable risks, the uses and utility of long term strategic planning and foresight methodologies, using the Delphi technique. Earthquakes and floods are considered to e the greatest risks, but the leaders do not feel well prepared for them. Lessons drawn from the Romanian transition provide an interesting case study for other new emerging countries. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Brian Fisher, & Richard Arias-Hernandez. (2012). Message from the conference chairs. 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.
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Leon J.M. Rothkrantz, Jozef Ristvej., & Zeno Franco. (2012). Message from the program chairs. 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.
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