Abstract: Other than the direct exposure of a seismic event, the interruption of the transportation network causes an indirect exposure of the population living in stricken areas. In spite of such evidences, current planning practices rarely address road network seismic risk concerns beyond the typical structural link-by-link approach. The underlying hypothesis of the current research work is that, when facing a major earthquake, the impacts on road networks performance for emergency response functions can be minimized namely by the introduction of measures, not only in terms of infra-structural reinforcement but also in terms of network connectivity and activities location. Potential applications of this work include urban planning micro and macro scale solutions to be included in specific instruments (such as urban master plans or emergency plans). Additionally, the proposed method may be integrated in loss estimation models, which still do not include earthquake losses due to inaccessibility.

Abstract: Efficient request and deployment of critical resources for urban search and rescue operations is vital to emergency response. This paper presents a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) supported system for on-site data collection to communicate structural condition, to track search and rescue status, and to request and allocate appropriate resources. The system provides a unified interface for efficient posing, gathering, storing and sharing of building assessment information. Visualization and easy access of such information enables rescuers to response to the disaster with better situational awareness. Resource requests are sent to the GIS resource repository service that enables a visual disaster management environment for resource allocation. Request and deployment of critical resources through this system enables lifesaving efforts, with the appropriate equipment, operator, and materials, become more efficient and effective. System development at the Illinois Fire Service Institute has shown promising results.

Abstract: In recent years the concept of urban resilience has acquired great relevance within urban planning. The complexity of urban systems and the wide scope of the resilience concept require tools to facilitate the integration of the concept in urban development. Numerous studies, tools, and theoretical frameworks have been developed to support the resilient transformation of cities. However, these initiatives are usually not holistically integrated and limit incorporating the changes and advances in the resilience concept. This article highlights the importance of shifting from a continuously-building-new approach to building on an existing knowledge approach. This study has updated and improved the maturity model developed within the Horizon 2020 project Smart Mature Resilience. A bibliometric analysis was carried out to study the developments in resilience over the past four years and to integrate the relevant advances in the area into a new version of the Smart Mature Resilience Maturity Model (SMR MM).

Abstract: In this contribution we present an analysis of passenger trajectories in an urban transportation hub. We collected an extensive amount of empirical data consisting of both gate and individual stalking observation in the central station of Cologne. Three different data mining algorithms are used to analyze this data, producing both data that may be used as input for simulation frameworks, and, as an aside, visualizations of passenger movements that could be of high interest to transport and emergency managers. © 2012 ISCRAM.

Abstract: A convenient way to test Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) robots would be in virtual environments (VEs). Evaluations in VEs are generally accepted as alternative for real scenarios. There are obvious differences between operation in a real and virtual environment. Nonetheless, the current experiment showed no significant differences in situation awareness (SA) and performance during several elementary tasks (e.g. slalom) between a virtual world and a previous experiment in reality (Mioch, Smets, & Neerincx, 2012). Only small dependencies between the unit tasks were found. The effect of individual differences (like gender, km driven per year, and gaming experience), were significant for certain elementary tasks. Testing robots in virtual environments could still be useful even if differences between VE and reality exist, since comparisons of different conditions in VE seems to have the same results as the same comparison in the field (Bishop & Rohrmann, 2003; Van Diggelen, Looije, Mioch, Neerincx, & Smets, 2012).

Abstract: This paper introduces Social Coverage Maps (SCM) as a visual representation of the societal impact of localized disruptions in urban areas. Incited by the recent deliberate interruption of wireless services for the purpose of crowd control in San Francisco, we focus on the use of SCMs for representing emergent effects of electronic warfare. As a prequel we discuss maps and other visualizations as representations of human behaviour and relations. The SCM concept is defined and grounded in simulation-based parameters. Using an experimental scenario based on cell phone jamming in a city we show how SCMs are generated using an agent-based population simulator. We find that Social Coverage Maps could become a useful tool for analysing emergent effects of actions and events including electronic warfare, roadblocks, smoke, teargas, chemical and radioactive contamination with applications in operational and emergency planning as well as crisis management.

Abstract: The provision of evacuation plan for people living in populated urban area is necessary to reduce the possible casualties under disasters. Time-varying quickest flow problem (TVQFP), which can simultaneously optimize the evacuation schedule, evacuation locations and evacuation routes, is adopted to optimize the evacuation planning of a city to minimize the clearance time of residents in danger. The integration of optimization model with GIS environment enables emergency managers to easily identify possible bottlenecks and to observe evacuation patterns in vivid pictures for further analysis and evaluation.

Abstract: Effective training methods are key to successful crisis management in close protection. This paper discusses the outcomes of a project on the development of a serious game, a virtual training environment for close protection. The aims of the game are to improve situational awareness and communications skills at the individual and team level. Two game designs, developed with two different game engines, are presented and discussed in relation to the project's objectives. Comparison of the two designs shows that several trade-offs are encountered when developing a training game with the available technology. Technological features of the game engines, and differences in time invested in the development of different aspects of the games, make that the two designs meet different project objectives. Simultaneously reaching all project objectives in a single design seems impossible with the two game engines. This paper discusses the different trade-offs that were encountered in the project and presents the major challenges that lie ahead. © 2012 ISCRAM.

Abstract: Urban and suburban communities in tropical countries like Sri Lanka typically experience hydrometeorological hazards that substantially damage property and lives. Although accurate forecasts of weather events are available, the decision-makers often fail to mitigate the actual impact of these forecasts alone. The adverse impacts experienced by the community and reported by news and online media complement this fact. The forecast-impact disparity underpins the scope for holistically linking the forecast data with actual impact. This paper presents a work-in-progress study that develops a geospatial analytics framework using online textual data for assessing the spatiotemporal impact of the hydrometeorological hazards in disaster hot spots. The preliminary findings show prospects for extending the study to impact-focused visualization and forecasting that capture the community's and decision makers' attention for better interventions. For example, these include the degree of disaster response, planning and scheduling critical infrastructure and estimating damages, compensations and insurance claims.

Abstract: In public transport and at large urban hubs, such as metro or train stations, transport operators and first responders collaborate in the prevention of and reaction to security issues. Within the EU demonstration project SECUR-ED a specific notation for interoperability of information systems in the domain of public transport security was developed. (In this context, the interoperability of actual operating systems is not the focus.) Based on UML (Unified Modelling Language), the notation language offers the possibility for structured modelling of system-of-systems architectures. Four interoperability object templates and their interdependencies form the underlying basis. Domain-specific annotation rules and guidelines for interoperability objects and their sub-component structures allow collaboration and interpretation of this model on various granularities and stages during a systems engineering process. © 2012 ISCRAM.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to develop various scenarios for evaluating an unmanned aerial vehicle that is developed for the localization of buried people after a building collapse. To test their concept of implementing this system into the command structure of organized first response the authors plan to carry out a tabletop exercise in laboratory scale and a large-scale exercise. Scenario based training is used as methodic approach for these exercises. To develop realistic scenarios, relevant national and international organizations and their requirements have been identified. Also, the requirements of the localization system have been taken into account. Furthermore, real incidents have been analyzed and their match with the requirements has been verified. As result one national and one international scenario, based on real incidents, are developed.

Abstract: On the morning of April 15, 2013, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, resulting in a large number of casualties. This generated a week-long response under the US National Incident Management System. In this paper, we examine online, terse messages broadcast by responding organizations and their amplification by other official entities via retransmission. Content analysis of official messages shows strong similarities with posting patterns previously observed in response to natural hazards, with the primary exception of themes related to the criminal investigation, suggesting a possible revision of guidelines for public information in light of the needs arising from extended counterterrorism operations undertaken in an urban environment. Network analysis demonstrates message posting and amplification were dominated by local actors, underscoring the importance of local readiness for management of official public information activities in the context of extremely high-profile events.

Abstract: The resilience of water supply infrastructure (WSI) is of utmost importance as threats to predominantly, although not exclusively, urban WSI may accompany virtually all kinds of natural disasters. In this paper, we present some of the challenges posed by climate change in modeling emergencies in WSIs. Climate change is a global phenomenon that significantly impacts global lifestyle. It is expected that increase in global temperatures causes sea levels to rise, increases the number of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms while highly impacting WSI. In this respect, the challenge is to be prepared for the unexpended by modeling various complex scenarios. Only with a multidisciplinary approach at the global, regional, national, and local levels, can success be achieved. We discuss some of the specific challenges posed by climate change in modeling emergencies in WSIs with a case study modeled using EMERTIC. EMERTIC is a software based on AI and scenarios, that is aimed at supporting decision making at different stages of the Emergency Management cycle.