This paper presents the findings of a prototype study which sought to identify factors that contribute to effective emergency management in Greece and other European states regarding both natural disasters and critical accidents. The parameters for proper action and successful intervention in operational and logistical are identified based on the document analysis and interviews with emergency ...

In this paper we present a wireless wearable body area system for locating, tracking and monitoring emergency responders in harsh and remote environments. Tracking an emergency responder and monitoring their vital signs using various medical sensors is important in supporting the safety of the emergency responder. This work is the preliminary step towards the development of a collaborative real...

We designed two decision support tools and employed them during a one-week, simulation-driven experiment that included emergency responders acting in their real-life roles. Each tool visualized a “decision space”: a diagrammatic depiction of the relative desirability of one option versus another, including the inherent uncertainty in the potential outcomes. One requirement was to develop a tool...

As the threat of international terrorism rises, there is an increasing requirement to provide evidence-based information and training for the emergency personnel who will respond to terrorist incidents. Current major incident training advises that emergency responders prioritize their own personal safety above that of the 'scene and survivors'. However, there is limited information available on...

Indoor Positioning Systems (IPSs) for emergency responders is a challenging field attracting researchers worldwide. When compared with traditional indoor positioning solutions, the IPSs for emergency responders stand out as they have to operate in harsh and unstructured environments. From the various technologies available for the localization process, ultra-wide band (UWB) is a promising techn...

These insightful words provided by TFAH reflect Rhode Island’s aspiration to achieve health equity, but require expansion to address health security. All citizens should have the opportunity to be healthy by accessing services regardless of who they are, where they live, and whether or not an emergency is happening. The American Medical Association’s Declaration of Professional Responsibility r...

Although many decision-support applications have been developed for assisting first responders to rapidly identify toxic chemicals during emergencies, little is understood about the contexts in which such tools are used. We therefore conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 first responders across two US states in an effort to understand their task contexts during a chemical incident and th...

The natural or man-made disaster demands an efficient communication and coordination among first responders to save life and other community resources. Normally, the traditional communication infrastructures such as landline or cellular networks are damaged and don’t provide adequate communication services to first responders for exchanging emergency related information. Wireless ad hoc network...

In recent years, there is an increasing number of communication systems and intelligent tools supporting first responders and evacuees in the tasks of communication, decision-making, information exchange and coordination in emergency and crisis evacuation. This paper gives the state-of-the art of communication technologies for crisis and emergency evacuation and identifies challenges for usage ...