Preparing for a crisis
Seemingly obvious, quality communication during a large-scale crisis can make an enormous difference in the number of lives saved. Advanced by the project of the same name, the ESS (Emergency support system) is a set of technologies providing immediate actionable information to crisis managers during abnormal events. This data enables improved control and management of the crisis. Results include: real time synchronisation between forces on the ground (police, rescue, firefighters) and out-of-theatre command and control centres (C&Cs). The ESS project objectives were based on collecting this data within a central system providing information analysis and decision-support applications at designated C&C locations. ESS improved front-end data collection technologies (radioactivity, bio-chemical, audio-video) installed on portable and fixed platforms, providing a flexible yet comprehensive coverage of the affected area. When in action and the data collected, analysis of the front-end data provides real-time decision support. Readily available and easily accessible web portals minimise the crisis uncertainty for event commanders and first responders. Practical field tests were conducted and used three different scenarios: a stadium evacuation, a forest fire and a toxic waste dump accident. This consequential, coordinated crisis handling framework brings participating EU countries into alignment on crisis management. Emergency organisations in Europe can harmonise their procedures through the common crisis database. Fully scalable and based on interoperable communication media (telephone and internet networks), it is available in all EU countries that worked on this project. Sensor networks in different European countries can be interconnected to the ESS and alert systems. When connected, alert messages can be disseminated to authorities and citizens in any neighbouring country that may be affected by developing crises. Crises are exceptionally stressful situations; no response will be perfect. The success of response to a crisis is judged by how well it protects people and communicates with them. ESS has added value to response and strategy planning.
Keywords
Crisis, ESS, emergency support, crisis management, alert systems
