Amirah M. Majid, & Emma S. Spiro. (2016). Crisis in a Foreign Language: Emergency Services and Limited English Populations. 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 are increasingly used by emergency responders as part of the communication infrastructure during crisis. As such, it is important to understand how these new technologies offer opportunities and barriers to information access for population affected during crisis events. In particular, this project explores the extent to which Twitter is used to provide emergency-related information to vulnerable populations both during routine and crisis contexts. We look longitudinally, across four years, at the online information and communication behaviors of official emergency responders in the United States. Our results demonstrate a notable lack of cross-language crisis communication on social media. We discuss the practical implications of these results, and offer directions for future work and improvement of practices.
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Elina Ramsell, Sofie Pilemalm, & Tobias Andersson Granberg. (2017). Using Volunteers for Emergency Response in Rural Areas – Network Collaboration Factors and IT support in the Case of Enhanced Neighbors. 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. 985–995). Albi, France: Iscram.
Abstract: In public services, there is a trend to increasingly utilize collaborations with non-professional volunteers for certain tasks, one example being emergency response. In many of these collaborations, information technology (IT) is an essential tool, and inadequate IT support can have far-reaching consequences--including even the loss of lives. Since a volunteer is a different type of actor, and may have different technical requirements, compared to professionals, there is a need to explore how collaborations between professionals and volunteers can be successfully developed. This paper is based on a case study of the Enhanced Neighbor project, which uses volunteers as first responders in emergency response. The study highlights important factors to consider when involving volunteers, including how IT can foster the collaboration, and the volunteers' needs for IT support.
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Tristan Endsley, Yu Wu, & James Reep. (2014). The source of the story: Evaluating the credibility of crisis information sources. 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. 160–164). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: In a highly connected world, information coming from different media sources and social relationships are more quickly disseminated than ever before. Natural disasters such as Typhoon Haiyan capture attention globally. Investigations of how people respond to the credibility of different sources have implications for policy making and information systems design. In this paper, we studied how different factors (strength of social ties and sources of crisis information) affect perception of credibility of crisis information about natural disasters. Our analysis and findings indicate that for crisis information about natural disasters, people tend to trust traditional media channels, such as printed news, and televised news. The type of social tie also influences the perceived credibility of the crisis information.
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Huse, L., Schwedhelm, M., & Steinecker, H. (2023). Improving Visibility for Proactive Tactics in Emerging Situations. In Jaziar Radianti, Ioannis Dokas, Nicolas Lalone, & Deepak Khazanchi (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International ISCRAM Conference (pp. 1078–1079). Omaha, USA: University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Abstract: Whether it’s an infectious disease, a natural disaster, a human-made disaster, or a loss in utilities and resources, state and local leaders need visibility into the real-time resources of the entire healthcare continuum from labs, hospitals, long-term care settings, and shelters. By connecting public health and healthcare systems, information, and resources, leaders can be more agile and predictive in where to deploy limited resources before and during an emerging situation. The panelists will discuss how technology and data analytics can be utilized in real-time to resource decisions, bi-directional communication, transparency to stakeholders, and policy development. They will also explore the public health and healthcare continuum for mutual strategy, predictive modeling and reduction of excess loss of life. The panel will consist of a short introduction by each panelist followed by a facilitated discussion, and questions from the audience.
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Jarrod R. Olson, Jonathan L. Barr, Russ Burtner, Curtis L. West, & Joseph Kielman. (2015). Policy and Technology Readiness: Engaging the User and Developer Community to Develop a Research Roadmap. In L. Palen, M. Buscher, T. Comes, & A. Hughes (Eds.), ISCRAM 2015 Conference Proceedings ? 12th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Kristiansand, Norway: University of Agder (UiA).
Abstract: A key challenge for research roadmapping in the crisis response and management domain is articulation of a shared vision that describes what the future can and should include. Visioning allows for far-reaching stakeholder engagement that can properly align research with stakeholders? needs. Engagement includes feedback from researchers, policy makers, general public, and end-users on technical and non-technical factors. This work articulates a process and framework for the construction and maintenance of a stakeholder-centric research vision and roadmap in the emergency management domain. This novel roadmapping process integrates three pieces: analysis of the research and technology landscape, visioning, and stakeholder engagement. Our structured engagement process elicits research foci for the roadmap based on relevance to stakeholder mission, identifies collaborators, and builds consensus around the roadmap priorities. We find that the vision process and vision storyboard helps SMEs conceptualize and discuss a technology?s strengths, weaknesses, and alignment with needs.
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Kishimoto, M., Osaragi, T., & Chan Yili. (2023). Evaluation of Improvement Projects in Densely Built-Up Area using a Large Earthquake Disaster Simulator: A case study in Kyojima Area, Tokyo. In Jaziar Radianti, Ioannis Dokas, Nicolas Lalone, & Deepak Khazanchi (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International ISCRAM Conference (pp. 546–564). Omaha, USA: University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Abstract: This paper aims to (1) evaluate the disaster mitigation effects of improvement projects in a certain area and (2) provide a basis for strategic planning to promote further improvements. Specifically, we decompose local improvements in the analyzed area into multiple scenarios and examine their effects and issues. First, we describe the “large earthquake disaster simulator,” which estimates property damage and human casualties in a large earthquake. Then, the Kyojima area of Sumida-Ku, Tokyo, is selected as the analyzed area. We decompose the improvement projects implemented during 2006 – 2016 and prepare six scenarios. Finally, a simulation analysis is conducted. We demonstrate that fire spread could be effectively blocked by (1) ensuring sufficient road width and (2) identifying the critical buildings in terms of fire spread mitigation and making them fireproof.
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Michael Erskine, Scott Seipel, & Cayson Seipel. (2022). Development of a Geospatial Agent-Based Simulation of Disaster Evacuations for Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Policy. In Rob Grace, & Hossein Baharmand (Eds.), ISCRAM 2022 Conference Proceedings – 19th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 532–540). Tarbes, France.
Abstract: Several nations have signaled their intent to phase out petroleum-based engines for passenger vehicles and promote a transition to battery electric vehicles (BEVs). While researchers have established the long-term environmental benefits of BEVs, there are critical considerations for policymakers in areas prone to natural disasters. This research intends to develop a geospatial-based model to explore and simulate the evacuation of BEVs during a disaster. This work-in-progress (WiPe) paper examines the variables essential to creating an effective hurricane simulation. The final simulation model is intended to allow for the evaluation of BEV policy options under a variety of scenarios. We describe the considerations made during the development of this geospatial agent-based simulation under various hurricane parameters. Finally, we mention the expected benefits of our work and hint at possible policy directions.
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Savannah Thais, Shaine Leibowitz, Allie Saizan, & Ashay Singh. (2022). Understanding Historical, Socio-Economic, and Policy Contributions to COVID-19 Health Inequities. In Rob Grace, & Hossein Baharmand (Eds.), ISCRAM 2022 Conference Proceedings – 19th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 481–494). Tarbes, France.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has generated unprecedented, devastating impacts across the United States. However, some communities have disproportionately endured adverse health outcomes and socioeconomic injuries. Ascertaining the factors driving these inequities is crucial to determining how policy could mitigate the impacts of future public health crises. We have established research-driven metrics, aggregated as the Community Vulnerability Index (CVI), that quantify vulnerability to public health and economic impacts of COVID-19. We performed two analyses to better understand similarities between communities in terms of the vulnerabilities represented by the metrics. We performed an unsupervised k-means clustering analysis to understand whether communities can be grouped together based on their levels of negative social and health indicators. Our goal for this analysis is to determine whether attributes of the constructed clusters reveal areas of opportunity for potential policy impacts and future disaster response efforts. We also analyzed similarities between communities across time using time-sensitive clustering analysis to discover whether historical community vulnerabilities were persistent in the years preceding the pandemic and to better understand the historical factors associated with disparate COVID-19 impacts. In particular, we highlight where communities should invest based on their historical health and socioeconomic patterns and related COVID impacts. Through extensive interpretation of our findings, we uncover how health policy can advance equity and improve community resilience.
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Keri K. Stephens, & Jessica L. Ford. (2014). Banning mobile devices: Workplace policies that selectively exclude can shape crisis communication. 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. 279–283). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: There is a growing need to understand how mobile devices are used to reach people in a crisis. This study focuses on how work organizations play a gatekeeping role in how their employees receive crisis information. Relying on research in the digital divide and organizational justice, this study compares two different types of organizations and their policies banning or allowing mobile devices at work. Three major themes emerged: having omnipotent supervisors, being powerless workers, and experiencing information holes. These themes highlight the burden placed on organizations to create more inclusive digital policies to ensure that employees do not fall through the net of crisis management systems. Additionally, these findings necessitate new discussions among crisis and emergency management scholars that include the current understanding of the digital divide, specifically as it relates to digital inequality in the workplace.
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