Improving Disaster Management The Role of IT in Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (2007) / Chapter Skim
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4 Elements of a Research Agenda
4 Elements of a Research Agenda
Pages 108-132
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From page 108... ...
However, an IT roadmap would have to assume the continuation of current trends as a necessary foundation for the development and commercialization of major aspects of the disaster management research agenda and should incorporate them as base technology trends. Roadmap developers may need to account for 108
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From page 109... ...
For each item listed, a brief description is provided, indicating both general and specific directions for potential advances and some example applications for disaster management.
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From page 110... ...
The struggle is not so much the usefulness of the technologies, but the processes and structures, which limit their implementation. Box 4.1 details characteristics of cellular technology that hold potential for improving disaster management.
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From page 111... ...
Adaptation of the technology, such as the development of special terminals that meet the robustness requirements of first responders or that also provide access to existing communication infrastructures, may be required. • Policy-based access control mechanisms.
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Other cellular technology vendors are following suit. Cell phones send both voice and data.
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From page 113... ...
Though voice calls are blocked, the common user may still be able to send other types of communication such as short message service, a phenome non noted after the July 2005 London bombings and after Hurricane Katrina. These features of cellular technology can be exploited for disaster management.
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From page 114... ...
Finally, in extreme conditions, such as high noise or poor propagation through a building, the user can select radio modes and frequencies that will opti mize their connectivity. Because of the critical importance of power and cost to disaster management communications systems, there should be a limited number of well-regulated modes for such radios to use, as determined by both research and current practices.
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From page 115... ...
These networks are envisioned to be unattended systems, with applications relevant to disaster management ranging from environmental sensing to structural monitoring and emergency response. Advances may result in communication infrastructure that supports need-based connectivity without boundaries and with minimal human intervention.
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• Advanced power sources. Improvements in power sources including fuel cells and tritium could have profound effects on the ability to deploy and use IT in disaster management.
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From page 117... ...
At the same time, increased data processing power and enhanced presentation techniques allow the analysis and fusion of these dense data streams into usable situational awareness and analytic products. • Routine information fusion.
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From page 118... ...
Also, changes in protocols, coding, and signal processing can make substantial improvements. Finally, abandoning chemical power sources and adopting some form of nu clear power can provide substantial improvements, since the energy per atom available in a nuclear process can range from several thousand to several million times that for chemical energy.
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From page 119... ...
The cell phone can be used to talk/listen for nearly 4 hours or wait for an incoming call for nearly 300 hours, all on a battery weighing 1 1/2 oz. The public safety radio has a useful battery life of only 8 hours (about 30 minutes for talking, 30 minutes for listening, and 7 hours for waiting for a call)
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From page 120... ...
Data fusion across diverse information sources has already shown its effectiveness, particularly in geographically based applications. The next step is to create analysis systems that can extract data and automatically look for patterns using information held in diverse, incompatible databases.
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From page 121... ...
However, existing sensor networks (e.g., sensors in commercial cell phones, public transportation, or private vehicles) could be integrated with ad hoc sensors with appropriate capabilities distributed in response to an existing or anticipated event.
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From page 122... ...
Both disaster management and continuing social functions depend critically on the status of infrastructure for supplying water, power, communication, sewage disposal, and transportation. Currently, such systems have instrumentation at major critical points of failure -- pumping stations, for example -- but do not have distributed sensing throughout the network (e.g., to indicate broken pipes)
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From page 123... ...
Robots and unmanned systems deploying advanced sensors may be helpful in obtaining better and timelier information. Unmanned aerial, ground, and sea systems being used extensively by the Department of Defense could be adapted for use in disaster management.
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• Intelligent adaptive planning. Intelligent adaptive planning is the process of modifying a plan to adapt to changed circumstances.
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Intelligent adaptive execution is the process of modifying a plan to adapt to changed circumstances. There are several key requirements, each with potentially fruitful lines of research.
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From page 126... ...
Combining dependency control, uncertainty reasoning, and stability-preserv ing planning techniques into intelligent adaptive planning systems will greatly in crease the power of software systems to help organizations rapidly and effectively adapt to changing situations with minimum costs. Adaptive capability is most effec tive when coupled with proactive problem-identification systems based on tech niques such as Plan Sentinels or mathematical progress indicators.
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From page 127... ...
• Online repositories of lessons learned. Lessons learned in one region of the country or in one disaster management domain could be more rapidly and broadly disseminated if a well-known searchable repository was set up.
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With advances in sensor technology, it is increasingly feasible to capture data that might be very useful in disaster management (e.g., levee saturation levels, building or structural stresses, and so on)
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From page 129... ...
• Enhanced two-way communications with the public. Technology capabilities are now making it possible to send alerts and warning notifications and instructions to specific geographic areas or entire regions to a range of devices, including cell phones, pagers, computers (e-mail)
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From page 130... ...
Extended widespread disasters stress the power grid and backup power sources. Efficient, compact, and easily deployed power sources can play a central role in the restoration of communication, the provision of medical services, and so on.
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From page 131... ...
• Risk management tools with uncertainty modeling. Advanced modeling that incorporates experience with risk assessment, including costbenefit metrics, of societal-scale systems before, during, and after disasters could improve mitigation and preparedness investment decisions.
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