Amro Al-Akkad, & Christian Raffelsberger. (2014). How do i get this app? A discourse on distributing mobile applications despite disrupted infrastructure. 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. 565–569). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: This paper aims to lead a discourse on distributing mobile applications while having no access to cloud services. While in daily life people acquire applications via application stores, the access to those stores can be severely hampered in disasters. Instead of wishful thinking, i.e. hoping that people or manufactures would pre-install an (emergency) app before a disaster, we have started to investigate into Internet-less deployment mechanisms. We discuss five potential approaches of deploying apps in an ad-hoc fashion. Each approach is assessed against six criteria, while taking a stance that the smartphone is the minimally required deployment platform. This paper concludes with the observation that current mobile operating system providers do not provide “Internet-less” deployment mechanisms, although platforms as Android allow for this. This said, we hope that this contribution can spark further interest into the discussed problematic.
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Amro Al-Akkad, Christian Raffelsberger, Alexander Boden, Leonardo Ramirez, & Zimmermann, A. (2014). Tweeting 'when online is off'? Opportunistically creating mobile ad-hoc networks in response to disrupted infrastructure. 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. 662–671). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: In this paper, we present a system that enables people to post and receive tweets despite disruptions of existing network infrastructure. Our system opportunistically deploys mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) based on Wi-Fi in which people can communicate with each other in a peer-to-peer fashion. A MANET per se constitutes an isolated island, but as people carry devices around that can join other MANETs, eventually people can transport previously collected data to the online world. Compared to other systems that aim to enable communication in crisis, our system differs in two ways: it does not rely on existing network infrastructure, and it exploits established protocols and standards allowing it to run on off-the-shelf, commercially available smartphones. We evaluated our prototype with a group of students and practitioners. Overall, we received positive feedback on the potential of our technology, but also were pointed to limitations requiring future work.
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Axel Bürkle, Florian Segor, Sven Müller, Igor Tchouchenkov, & Matthias Kollmann. (2012). Advantages of an integrated open framework for immediate emergency 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: Recent disasters have shown that wireless sensors and unmanned systems are increasingly becoming a valuable aid for first responders. Depending on the kind of incident and its extent, different assets are to be used. The more diverse these assets are, the more complex their simultaneous use and coordination. Therefore, integrated solutions are needed which comprise all necessary components such as power supply, communication infrastructure, data acquisition and processing, decision support and information dissemination. In this paper, an architecture for an open framework is proposed and its advantages over dedicated solutions are discussed. The flexibility of the universal control station presented here is demonstrated using the example of integrating a smartphone as an additional mobile sensor. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Elina Ramsell, Tobias Andersson Granberg, & Sofie Pilemalm. (2019). Identifying functions for smartphone based applications in volunteer emergency response. In Z. Franco, J. J. González, & J. H. Canós (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management. Valencia, Spain: Iscram.
Abstract: Emergency response organisations struggle with resource constraints and thereby faces challenges in providing
high-quality public services. Utilising voluntary first responders is one way to address these challenges. There
are different types of volunteers who can help at an emergency site, e.g. citizen volunteers or voluntary
professionals from other occupations. To successfully engage with and utilise these resources, adequate
information and communication technology (ICT) is necessary. In this meta-study, combining and further
exploring two previous studies, the aim is to identify, analyse and evaluate suitable functions for smartphone
applications that can be used to dispatch and support volunteers. The results show that the functions can be
divided into essential ones that are necessary for the response to work at all, and others that might contribute to a
more effective response. The study also shows that the same functions can be used for different volunteer
groups.
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Esteban Bopp, Johnny Douvinet, & Damien Serre. (2019). Sorting the good from the bad smartphone application to alert residents in case of disasters – Experiments in France. In Z. Franco, J. J. González, & J. H. Canós (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management. Valencia, Spain: Iscram.
Abstract: The number of smartphone applications to alert and inform the population in a risk situation in France is too large
and these solutions are still unknow by the population. This study proposes an evaluation protocol based on various
indicators, which take into account the capacity of the applications to send a targeted alert, their attractiveness, the
ability of individuals to emit information and number of hazards considered. The results obtained on 50
applications deployed in France show that very few of them meet the objectives of the alert, in the sense defined
by civil security, because of a single-risk approach, a unique sense of communication, and the low acceptance of
these solutions by citizens.
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Henry Agsten. (2020). Effects of Smartphone-Based Alerting on Reducing Arrival Times for Volunteer Fire Departments. In Amanda Hughes, Fiona McNeill, & Christopher W. Zobel (Eds.), ISCRAM 2020 Conference Proceedings – 17th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 990–994). Blacksburg, VA (USA): Virginia Tech.
Abstract: This practitioner paper describes the efforts of a volunteer fire department in Germany to reduce the time to arrive at a place of emergency. It presents the former situation, identifies reasons for delays and highlights the volunteers' first years in utilizing an existing smartphone application for alert and response as a mean to optimize their times of arrival. The paper finally evaluates the effects of the application's usage.
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Jaana Kuula, Pauli Kettunen, Vili Auvinen, Santtu Viitanen, Olli Kauppinen, & Tuomo Korhonen. (2013). Smartphones as an alerting, command and control system for the preparedness groups and civilians: Results of preliminary tests with the finnish police. 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. 42–51). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Traditional mobile phones have been used for alerting purposes by utilizing their SMS and cell broadcasting features. They do however not suit for demanding alerting and command purposes, for the observation of special forces, rescue officers and civilians, or for the post-evaluation of the operation. Current 3G and 4G/LTE smartphones can do all this, but the empirical evidence is missing. This article reports of the preliminary tests which the University of Jyväskylä has made with the Finnish Police for alerting civilians and for commanding two special groups of the police with smartphones. Smartphones were also used for observing police officers' position and status and for post-evaluating action during and after the operation. The study supports using smartphones for alerting, command and control purposes. Because of external distractions alerts are noticed better at night than in the daytime. In active hours personal alerts should be given not only by a voice alarm but by stimulating 2-3 senses at the same time. Noticing of smartphone alerts might be improved also by using some additional reception device with the handset.
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Laura Petersen, Grigore M. Havarneanu, Natasha McCrone, Garik Markarian, & George Kolev. (2021). Universal Design & the PROACTIVE project CBRNe app. 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. 959–966). Blacksburg, VA (USA): Virginia Tech.
Abstract: A wide range of disaster apps are currently available on various app stores, however few existing disaster apps address the issue of CBRNe (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive) threats. The unique ways in which citizens prepare for and respond to CBRNe incidents merit that such an app exist. But citizens are not a homogenous group, and therefore the concept of universal design will be implemented when filling this gap. The EU H2020 PROACTIVE project will address this by co-creating together with citizens, including vulnerable groups, a disaster app able to be used during CBRNe incidents. This article lays out the methodology X will employ in order to create and validate the disaster app and states some core requirements already co-developed
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Lukau, E., Schiller, J., & Meissen, U. (2023). Towards efficient Post-Blackout Emergency Communication based on Citizens’ Smartphone State of Charge. In Jaziar Radianti, Ioannis Dokas, Nicolas Lalone, & Deepak Khazanchi (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International ISCRAM Conference (pp. 76–87). Omaha, USA: University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Abstract: Effective emergency communication between citizens and authorities after a power outage can be a challenging task. In such situations, citizens may be in danger and need to contact authorities in case of an emergency. However, overloaded cellular networks and failing network infrastructure can severely hamper citizens' ability to communicate with authorities, even if their smartphones are still functioning. Addressing these challenges requires the development of effective post-blackout communication systems that can operate in a range of emergency scenarios. In this work we investigate smartphone state of charge during the day in order to evaluate the impact of a power outage on the citizens ability to communicate in a post-blackout scenario. The results are then used to propose future-proof communication networks that are suitable for post-blackout emergency communication especially after cellular network infrastructure has failed. We introduce two post-blackout communication phases named communication-burst and communication-void. Our study indicates that a significant amount of smartphones remain usable even after a long-lasting blackout and communication infrastructure failure. Not utilizing these devices could lead to missed opportunities for emergency communication
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Mehdi Ben Lazreg, Jaziar Radianti, & Ole-Christoffer Granmo. (2015). SmartRescue: Architecture for Fire Crisis Assessment and Prediction. 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: In case of indoor fire hazards, firefighters face difficulties at assessing the fire situation and evacuating trapped victim inside the building, especially when the fire is big, and the building is unknown to them. On the other hand, modern sensor technologies in smartphone are becoming more advanced, widespread, and can be exploited for helping the firefighting operation. This paper proposes using smartphones as a distributed sensing and computing platform, for supporting firefighters to conduct their mission. The developed solution is based on collecting sensor data from smartphones. A Bayesian network then uses this data to generate a picture of the fire and predict its development. The additional indoor positioning feature make this proposed solution a promising tool to make the firefighter intervention more efficient and fast in order to save more lives.
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Nicholas Palmer, Roelof Kemp, Thilo Kielmann, & Henri Bal. (2012). RAVEN: Using smartphones for collaborative disaster data collection. 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 our work in progress on RAVEN, a framework, which makes it possible to build applications for collaborative editing of structured data on Android. RAVEN offers developers compile time tools, which use only the schema to generate all database handling components, edit and list user interfaces, as well as those needed for data synchronization, significantly reducing development effort. In addition, RAVEN also offers the ability to do the same work, entirely at runtime, using only a smartphone. With RAVEN it is possible to construct data oriented applications on phone at any time, including during a disaster. Users can share their applications simply by sharing the database and corresponding schema. Thus, RAVEN enables completely decentralized application creation, sharing, and data distribution, avoiding issues of connectivity to centralized resources. In this paper we show that with RAVEN it is possible to construct a new application at runtime and compare the results with an equivalent custom-built application. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Parvaneh Sarshar, Jaziar Radianti, & Jose J. Gonzalez. (2015). On the Impacts of Utilizing Smartphones on Organizing Rescue Teams and Evacuation Procedures. 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 serious fire game with two different scenarios for the search and rescue (SAR) operation was designed and played. In the first scenario, the SAR operation was performed without any smartphone app assistance, while in the second scenario, our recently developed smartphone app was employed to carry out the evacuation. In this paper, the effects of utilizing this app on organizing firefighting teams, performance of the firefighters, and the evacuation procedure are studied. The results collected from a post-game questionnaire, which was answered by the players of the firefighter role, are analyzed, turning out that the employment of the smartphone app is not only preferable and effective, but also user-friendly. It is also shown that a semi-centralized firefighting organizational model suits the second scenario, whereas a decentralized one is typically used in other scenarios, such as the first one.
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Jaziar Radianti, Julie Dugdale, Jose J. Gonzalez, & Ole-Christoffer Granmo. (2014). Smartphone sensing platform for emergency 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. 379–383). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: The increasingly sophisticated sensors supported by modern smartphones open up novel research opportunities, such as mobile phone sensing. One of the most challenging of these research areas is context-aware and activity recognition. The Smart Rescue project takes advantage of smartphone sensing, processing and communication capabilities to monitor hazards and track people in a disaster. The goal is to help crisis managers and members of the public in early hazard detection, prediction, and in devising risk-minimizing evacuation plans when disaster strikes. In this paper we suggest a novel smartphone-based communication framework. It uses specific machine learning techniques that intelligently process sensor readings into useful information for the crisis responders. Core to the framework is a content-based publish-subscribe mechanism that allows flexible sharing of sensor data and computation results. We also evaluate a preliminary implementation of the platform, involving a smartphone app that reads and shares mobile phone sensor data for activity recognition.
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WeiHua James Li, Julius Adebayo, Fuming Shih, & Lalana Kagal. (2015). Understanding the role of mobile technologies for humanitarian relief. 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: Smartphones are becoming increasingly useful in disaster management both to provide useful information to victims and to coordinate relief operations. However, a lack of technological expertise as well as considerable amount of time and cost required to build mobile applications prevents the rapid deployment of useful applications by humanitarian organizations for different crises. In this paper, we describe a participatory design workshop that we conducted at the International Committee of Red Cross to identify challenges of adopting mobile technologies within relief organizations. Through this workshop, we identified major challenges associated with developing mobile applications: lengthy development and deployment cycle, costly budget, and frequent requirement changes. We then introduced our framework that enables non-programmers to quickly develop and deploy mobile applications in these situations. The workshop participants identified three areas where our framework improved upon existing mobile solutions: reducing data integration overhead, fast prototyping for app development, and customization of apps.
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