Emergency Response Systems

Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy Emergency Response Systems

Contributors: Christopher E. Oxendine & Nigel Waters Editors: Mark Garrett Book Title: Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy Chapter Title: "Emergency Response Systems" Pub. Date: 2014 Access Date: October 02, 2014 Publishing Company: SAGE Publications, Inc. City: Thousand Oaks Print ISBN: 9781452267791 Online ISBN: 9781483346526 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483346526.n181 Print pages: 482-486

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http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483346526.n181U.S. Military AcademyGeorge Mason University Naturally occurring and human-made emergencies occur every day on roadways. Emergencies on roadways may be caused by multiple automobile accidents, fires, earthquakes, landslides, radiation release, flooding, snow, ice, and chemical spills. The impacts of these events may be limited to a road intersection or affect large sections of a road network within the surrounding region. Emergency response systems provide a mechanism for emergency services to receive notification of incidents, allocate and prioritize resources, and respond to emergencies. Emergency response systems were developed to facilitate notification and assist emergency response personnel when responding to emergencies or crises. Some of these systems are centrally monitored and provide a mechanism for emergency managers and organizations to manage and allocate resources during emergency or crisis responses. Automobiles or highways may be equipped with automated sensors that notify emergency response systems when and where an incident has occurred. Over the years, emergency response systems have transitioned from analog phone communications to mobile and computer-based phones and sensors. As urban populations continue to increase, road networks are becoming more and more congested, leading to increased numbers of emergencies. Technologies and methods for responding to emergencies have improved as a result. Several types of emergency response systems exist on roads, including hazardous materials response systems and automobile response systems for vehicle breakdowns and accidents. Notifications for these systems may occur through the 911 Emergency Response System, intelligent transportation systems, or automated notification systems. Emergency services, such as police, fire, and ambulance, support the response systems, depending on the type of event. During response to an incident site, agencies can use the Incident Command System as a framework for managing and coordinating resources from various agencies.

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Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy: Emergency Response Systems

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Resources Many resources are used in support of emergency response systems. Real-time data, such as aggregated cell phone location data and road conditions, provide up-to-date information on where citizens are located and where authorities may need to respond. Remotely sensed data, such as aerial and satellite imagery and closed circuit television (CCTV), provide planners with visual information that can be integrated into emergency response planning. For example, recent satellite imagery may provide information on a new subdivision or retail establishment that was built in an incident area. CCTV is often used to determine which citizens are responding to instructions from emergency managers. Often, geographic information systems (GIS) are used to assist with planning and allocation of resources. Crisis resources are often geographically dispersed, including police, fire, emergency medical services (EMS), hazardous materials (HAZMAT) response, and airborne assets (helicopter, plane, and unmanned aerial systems). GIS provides a toolset that can track assets and their locations and provide estimated arrival times to an incident. GIS is frequently used to analyze data to support emergency response. When an incident is identified, GIS provides tools to identify at-risk areas that emergency response personnel need to prioritize for notification and allocation of resources. GIS enables emergency response personnel to analyze citizens' locations, identify the status of the road network, and determine the optimal evacuation route that minimizes risk to citizens as they evacuate. With proper coordination from authorities, GIS data and analysis can be shared among agencies on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. It is imperative that planning for access to resources occurs prior to an incident. Coordination between adjacent jurisdictions for data sharing is just as important as mutual aid support. Agencies should ensure that in emergencies, data and analysis can be shared with adjacent jurisdictions without contract violations (for example, sharing remotely sensed imagery with other agencies to support their planning and response). Joint exercises and training for support personnel that involves personnel from other jurisdictions can assist with identifying problems that involve both jurisdictions, prior to

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an incident occurring. Joint exercises and training also assist with building trust and minimizing conflicts during an event. Iowa Army Guardsmen assisted in rescuing the driver of this disabled car during a severe snowstorm in Iowa City, Iowa, February 1, 2011. Emergency response systems may eventually be able to make use of both vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-toinfrastructure (V2I) communications. Data would be provided by each vehicle within the network of wirelessly connected automobiles to the transportation network, allowing other drivers to change routes and giving emergency responders advance details about incidents.

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Hazardous Materials Response Systems Emergency response systems on roadways include systems for responding to hazardous materials (HAZMAT) spills, accidents, and vehicle breakdowns. Planning and response for each of these events may involve federal, state, and local agencies and resources. Various chemicals, including toxic waste, radioactive materials, gasoline, oils, and gases are transported on highways every day. Occasionally, a transport vehicle is involved in an accident or has a leak or spill. Specially trained personnel are needed during response to HAZMAT incidents to identify the material and the impact to the surrounding area. HAZMAT-trained personnel work in coordination with other agencies to secure the site and notify any personnel in the danger zone where to evacuate. Emergency response systems enable planners to identify the footprint of the danger zone, who is affected, and what additional resources are needed to safely evacuate the area and clean up the spill.

Manual and Automated Notification Systems Traditional emergency notification involved an individual calling 911 and reaching a 911 operator. Universal emergency response systems, such as 911, were initially developed with land-line communication and eventually adapted to support mobile phones. Current 911 calls can be geolocated to a mobile phone tower or an area within the mobile phone tower footprint. To improve support to mobile phone customers during emergencies, mobile phone companies and the Federal Communications Commission are working to establish “text-to-911” and enhanced geolocation cabilities that provide the latitude and longitude of mobile calls. During the past two decades, automobiles have added sensor technologies that automatically detect when a vehicle is involved in an accident (for example, when the automobile's air bags are deployed or the vehicle is in a collision). Automated [p. 484 ↓ ] emergency notification systems, such as OnStar (United States) or eCall (European Union), relay messages to emergency services through automated and Page 6 of 11

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manual methods. For example, with OnStar, when a vehicle is involved in an accident, an OnStar-trained adviser communicates with the driver and passengers. If assistance is requested or there is no answer, the adviser sends a request to 911. The OnStar system provides the adviser with the vehicle's global positioning system (GPS) location, which is shared with emergency personnel. The vehicle also transmits direction and number of impacts, rollover status, and maximum velocity at impact. OnStar advisers share this information with first responders prior to their arrival, providing them with a measure of the severity of the accident. These systems also offer methods to manually request assistance or share information during a disaster or emergency. The future of emergency response systems includes vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications. Automobiles, enabled with vehicle-tovehicle communications transfer and receive information from other vehicles, whereas automobiles enabled with vehicle-to-infrastructure communications transfer and receive information from roadside units, WiFi, mobile phone towers, or satellites. Wireless access in vehicular environments (WAVE) includes V2I and V2V communications. As WAVE is implemented, each vehicle within the network of wirelessly connected automobiles provides data to the transportation network (vehicle location, speed, etc.). This data enables other vehicles to change routes due to congestion, vehicle accidents, and other hazards along a section of highway. WAVE also provides additional information to emergency response personnel, such as the severity of the incident, number of vehicles involved, and the appropriate resources to use in the response (for example, fire, EMS, police, and HAZMAT).

The Incident Command System The Incident Command System (ICS), which is a component of the U.S. National Incident Management System (NIMS), is an emergency response system that integrates equipment, personnel, facilities, communications, and procedures in a common organizational structure. ICS is a standardized system that is used at the site of an incident and supports all types of hazards. During a response, ICS provides a hierarchical, top-down framework that enhances coordination between different jurisdictions and agencies. Page 7 of 11

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The incident commander is responsible for the incident and is supported by section chiefs. The makeup of the sections is dictated by the type, duration, and scale of the incident. Section chiefs include but are not limited to operations, logistics, plans, and finance. The incident commander may also be supported by a public information officer and a safety officer. ICS provides a standard process for planning and managing resources. This ensures that when local agencies are overwhelmed or underresourced for an incident, state and federal agencies can provide additional resources as needed to support local authorities.

Regional Emergency Response Systems Similar to some systems used in military operations, regional emergency response systems such as Operational Situational Preparedness for Responding to Emergency (OSPREY) and Regional Integrated Transportation Information System (RITIS) provide a common operational picture (COP) of transportation networks in metropolitan areas. These systems are tailored to support the needs of multiple agencies (for example, HAZMAT teams, transportation departments, first responders, and others) within a transportation region. OSPREY is an Internet-based map developed for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. OSPREY provides situational awareness for numerous types of events, including floods, power outages, open shelters, hurricane tracks, weather watches and warnings to police and fire stations. Real-time data include weather radar, CCTV, traffic conditions (speed, congestion, incidents, and active restrictions). Information is shared through an open standard with the National Capital Region. RITIS is similar to OSPREY; however, RITIS provides, fuses, and disseminates information (traffic, events, parking, weather, signals, transit, and computer-aided dispatch) from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. Numerous federal users (U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Capitol and Park Police, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Army and Air Force, Northern Command, and the National Security Agency) use RITIS. [p. 485 ↓ ] Page 8 of 11

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Emergency Response Systems Coordination The importance of emergency response systems is readily apparent during a largescale natural or technological disaster. However, a lack of coordination and planning prior to an incident can result in communication challenges, lack of information sharing, and failed response from multiple agencies. For example, are data formats compatible and can data be readily shared with other agencies or jurisdictions? Do other agencies have people who are properly trained to use the data, software, or resources needed during an incident? Prior coordination, collaborative training, and exercises often identify challenges emergency planners and decision makers may face during a real-world event.

Social Media Social media such as Twitter and Facebook have been increasingly used by emergency operations centers to increase awareness in many regions, especially urban and suburban communities. In conjunction with other notification networks, such as radio, TV, and wireless emergency alerts (WEA), social media provide an alternative means of informing the public and news media of events in a region. Emergency response systems provide enhanced situational awareness to citizens and emergency response personnel. Additional research on emergency response systems, including the continued integration of geographic information systems and multiple methods of communication (for example, social media, radio, TV, Internet, and WEA), will enhance coordination and response to emergency incidents occurring along transportation networks. Although OSPREY and RITIS provide enhanced awareness of road networks, they lack situational awareness of rail corridors within the regions of concern. Road networks are often severely impacted by emergencies along rail networks, either directly or indirectly. The addition of rail transportation networks to these systems would enhance situational awareness of cargo and passenger

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transport within these regions and provide planners with insight into possible impacts to transportation networks during an emergency. Christopher E.Oxendine, U.S. Military Academy NigelWaters, George Mason University http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483346526.n181 See Also: • • • • • • • • • • •

Automated Vehicle Monitoring Systems Emergency Transportation Planning and Operations Emergency Vehicles Emerging Technologies Evacuation Planning Geographic Information Systems in Transportation Highway and Road Safety Incident Detection Systems, Automobiles Intelligent Transportation Systems Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems Traffic Incident Management

Further Readings Cai, G., R.Sharma, A. M.MacEachren, and I.Brewer. “Human-GIS Interaction Issues in Crisis Response.” International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management , v. 6/4,5,6 (2006). Martinez, F. J., C. K.Toh, J. C.Cano, C. T.Calafate, and P.Manzoni. “Emergency Services in Future Intelligent Transportation Systems Based on Vehicular Communication Networks.” Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine, IEEE , v. 2/2 (2010). Maryland Emergency Management Agency . “Operational Situational Preparedness for Responding to Emergency.” http://mema.maryland.gov/current/Pages/Osprey.aspx (Accessed May 2013). Page 10 of 11

Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy: Emergency Response Systems

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Oxendine, C., M.Sonwalkar, and N.Waters. “A Multi-Objective, Multi-Criteria Approach to Improve Situational Awareness in Emergency Evacuation Routing Using Mobile Phone Data.” Transactions in GIS , v. 16/3 (2012). http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ j.1467-9671.2012.01341.x Shen, Stella Ying and Michael J.Shaw. “Managing Coordination in Emergency Response Systems With Information Technologies.” Proceedings of the Tenth Americas Conferences on Information Systems . New York: AMCIS, 2004. U.S. Department of Transportation . “Emergency Response Guidebook.” http:// www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/library/erg (Accessed February 2013). U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration . “Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) Communications for Safety.” http:// www.its.dot.gov/research/v2i.htm (Accessed July 2013). U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration . “Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) Communications for Safety.” http:// www.its.dot.gov/research/v2v.htm (Accessed July 2013). U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency . “Incident Command System.” http:// www.fema.gov/incident-command-system (Accessed May 2013).

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Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy: Emergency Response Systems