Network of Excellence CARiMan   The Internet Portal for Computer Aided Risk Management
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B.4.2 Programme for jointly executed research activities

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 Natural and man-made disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, plane crashes, high-rise building collapses, or major nuclear facility malfunctions, pose an ever-present challenge to public emergency services. In order to cope with such disasters in a fast and highly coordinated manner, the optimal provision of information concerning the situation is an essential pre-requisite. Police, fire departments, public health, civil defence and other organizations have to react not only efficiently and individually, but also in a coordinated manner. This results in the need for both intra and inters organization coordination at several hierarchy levels. Since coordination requires current information, and such information must be communicated upstream and downstream within and between organizations in real-time, the need arises for an integrated communication and information system for disaster management that provides efficient, reliable and secure exchange and processing of relevant information.

 The NoE CARiMan aims at the determination and development of a common risk management system at European level, which will be able to handle a wide range of applications. In order to achieve this goal effective system architecture has to be developed. The CARiMan System CARiManS is depicted in the Fig. B.3.1. as Computer Aided Risk Management System (CARiManS)

 JPA C: Communication

can be considered as the most critical aspect in CARiMan’s structure. Every component of the system relies on fast, accurate and secure communication links. In order to better handle the Communications tasks, they have been divided into several meaningful entities, as follows:

 

C1: Communication Monitored System – Risk Manager direct or on the UI

C2: Communication Risk Manager – CARiManS for acquisition of the knowledge of experts using the UI

C3:  Microsystems and Sensors for the signal acquisition with CARiManS

C4: Communication CARiManS – CARiManS for distributed operation

C5: Communication Risk Manager – Risk Manager / student for teaching and knowledge transfer

C6: Communication Monitored System - CARiManS using the UI

 

These communications aspects are handled by different components of CARiManS as described in the following. More specifically, the Communications component of CARiManS involve:  

·        UI  User interface: The User Interface support the communication between the Monitored System and the Risk Manager (C1), the communication between the Risk Manager (C2) and the CARiManS, aiming at transferring the expert’s knowledge to CARiMAnS operation. It also enables the communication between the Risk Manager and the Monitored system (C1). Thus, the UI unit handles and support the communications aspects between humans and the CARiManS (C1, C2, and C6).

·        MS: Microsystems and sensors: The unit Microsystems and Sensors handles the communication (C3) between each sensor/actuator used in monitoring with the CARiManS System.

·       SA: System Architecture: The System Architecture essentially handles all issues for the distributed operation of CARiManS systems (C4). This operation is necessary as to allow the Communication network to be web based, scalable, platform independent and easy to use. SA includes also the peer-to-peer System Architecture (SA P2P) that handles the communication aspects among different CARiManS systems viewed as peer-to peer systems. This JPA enhances the divergence of C4 and allows inter-operability of the distributed CARiManS units.

·        Finally, the Risk Manager/Student communication (C5) is essential for training and dissemination, as analysed in B4.3.

   

Further components in CARiManS are

·        KM: Knowledge Management and Data Base System;

·        PD: Portable devices, signal conditioning and conversion;

·        TI: Transmission and interfaces, security of data transmission;

·       SP: Signal processing, classification, recognition and evaluation.

 

In this Network of Excellence, responding to the related Call, we identify central design issues and architectural concepts for an integrated disaster management system, providing an infrastructure that allows for horizontal and vertical information flow from the risk situation - the patient in risk or the fire-fighters on the scene - up to the Risk Manager by means of a multi-level wireless signal and data transmission and communication infrastructure, as well as integrated applications that reflect the currently organizational structure adequate to the rescue effort. At all levels, we must provide for recording and analysis of the current situation, Computer Aided data aggregation and de-aggregation, resource scheduling, and access to services, Database & Knowledge Management Systems (KM or DB&KMS).

Signal Transmission and Interfaces (TI) include terrestrial trunked radio or satellite technology for wide area communication, wireless LAN adhoc networks for disaster site hot spots, and personal or body area networks for frontline personnel, allowing them to act as data sources and sinks by means of smart connected devices, e.g. robust mobile terminals and sensors.

Applications are to be designed around flexible information and work flow concepts based on templates for fast adaptation to modifications of the organizational structure due to situation changes. Distributed, redundant, and mobility adequate DB&KMS provide for access even in unreliable or low bandwidth environments through pre-fetching and caching; service discovery and auto-configuration schemes reduce the need for manual administration in hectic situations. GIS and cooperative command environments aid operations staff in their facilities or vehicles. We devise “information environment portability” for added flexibility and mobile operations.

All the components of the systemic design of CARiManS are described in detail in the following sections.

 

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