<p> </p> <p>A search and rescue (SAR) operation requires a rapid, accurate, and effective response to provide the missing person the best chance of being rescued. Personnel from the local area are likely to be closest to the location of the missing person, be familiar with the area, but they may not be adequately trained, experienced, or equipped with the best tools to effectively locate, identify, and retrieve the missing person. Thus, most SAR operations rely on a mix of trained personnel and volunteers. Among the trained personnel, there is a wide variance in proficiency, experience, and access to technology, leading to some emergency response agencies being better prepared than others. Volunteers, on the other hand, could be very helpful, but are largely untrained and inexperienced, reducing their inherent likelihood of success. The primary challenge to successful SAR operations is the lack of consistently trained, adequately equipped, and diversely experienced personnel. Despite the lack of desired resources, SAR operations must be completed rapidly and emergency responders often turn to volunteers. In response to this challenge, the use of unmanned aerial systems, UAS, in small volunteer teams was proposed. Available, off-the-shelf UAS technology can be used to simplify training with the help of affordable advanced technology, and thereby enable rapid, accurate, and effective SAR operations.  </p> <p>The following research was executed in the form of three independent, but related, studies. The first study focused on the efficiency of a UAS-equipped SAR operation; the second study focused on the accuracy of a UAS and image analysis software-enabled SAR operation; and the third study tested the ability of novice volunteers to learn and apply the new technologies (UAS plus image analysis) efficiently and effectively. The goal of these studies was to determine whether affordable commercial, off-the-shelf technologies could be used to enhance the efficiency and effectivity of SAR operations. The experimental methodology used specifically designed simulations of SAR operational scenarios. Two operational tactics were tested: (a) Equip the SAR team with UAS and (b) equip the SAR team with UAS and image analysis software. The specific scenarios selected were similar in complexity, but different enough to minimize the transfer of learning from the first study to the second study.  Finally, the reference times for manual SAR operations were compared against UAS and computerized image analysis software-assisted methods. The results of the proposed studies determined whether off-the-shelf UAS and image analysis technologies could be used to enable rapid, accurate, and effective SAR operations. </p>

Emergency managers are often faced with the toughest decisions that can ever be made, people's lives hang in the balance. Nevertheless, these tough decisions have to be made, and made quickly. There is usually too much information to process to make the best decisions. Decision support systems can relieve a significant amount of this onus, making decision while considering the complex interweaving of constraints and resources that define the boundary of the problem. We study these complex emergency management, approaching the problem with discrete optimization. Using our operational research knowledge to model mass casualty incidents, we seek to provide solutions and insights for the emergency managers. This dissertation proposes a novel deterministic model to optimize the casualty transportation and treatment decisions in response to a MCI. This deterministic model expands on current state of the art by; (1) including multiple dynamic resources that impact the various interconnected decisions, (2) further refining a survival function to measure expected survivors, (3) defining novel objective functions that consider competing priorities, including maximizing survivors and balancing equity, and finally (4) developing a MCI response simulation that provides insights to how optimization models could be used as decision-support mechanisms. / Doctor of Philosophy / Emergency managers are often faced with the toughest decisions that can ever be made, people's lives hang in the balance. Nevertheless, these tough decisions have to be made, and made quickly. But to make the best decisions, there is usually too much information to process. Computers and support tools can relieve a significant amount of this onus, making decision while considering the complex interweaving of constraints and resources that define the boundary of the problem. This dissertation provides a mathematical model that relates the important decisions made during a MCI response with the limited resources of the surrounding area. This mathematical model can be used to determine the best response decisions, such as where to send casualties and when to treat them. This model is also used to explore ideas of fairness and equity in casualty outcomes and examine what may lead in unfair response decisions. Finally, this dissertation uses a simulation to understand how this model could be used to not only plan the response, but also update the plan as you learn new information during the response roll-out.

[pt] O envolvimento de militares em operações de resposta a desastres, emergências e crises vem aumentando, pois além dessas situações apresentarem complexidades cujo enfrentamento faz parte de sua doutrina, os militares possuem infraestrutura e treinamento necessários à prestação de assistência humanitária. O Comando e Controle (C2) exercido nas operações militares é considerado essencial dada a complexidade para realização dessas operações. A literatura científica sobre C2 é, em sua maior parte, registrada como doutrina militar, baseada no empirismo. O presente estudo objetiva compreender como o C2 é realizado pelos militares em duas operações humanitárias acionadas pelo Ministério da Defesa. E com tal propósito, é realizada uma revisão da literatura sobre elementos essenciais do C2, como sua definição, ações, funções, níveis, meios e ativos para sua realização e agentes envolvidos. A partir de 22 documentos resultantes da revisão da literatura, são apresentados uma taxonomia, uma proposta de definição de C2 e um framework que visa auxiliar acadêmicos, profissionais da área e as Forças Armadas. Posteriormente, para verificar a factibilidade dos elementos identificados na literatura e sua aplicação nessas operações, são propostos dois estudos de caso: um sobre a Operação Acolhida, que oferece assistência emergencial aos imigrantes e refugiados venezuelanos, e outro sobre a Operação Carro-pipa, que contempla ações de distribuição de água potável às populações rurais atingidas pela estiagem e seca. Como resultado, essa pesquisa identifica que a forma como o C2 é realizada pelos militares depende do tipo de desastre e do nível em que o C2 está sendo exercido, além de contribuir academicamente pela proposição de uma definição de C2, uma taxonomia e um framework acerca do C2 exercido pelos militares em operações de resposta a desastres, emergências e crises. / [en] The involvement of the military in disaster, emergency, and crisis response operations has been increasing, as in addition to these situations presenting complexities similar to those faced on the battlefield, they have the infrastructure and training necessary to provide humanitarian assistance. The Command and Control (C2) exercised by the military is considered essential given the complexity of carrying out these operations. The scientific literature on C2 is, for the most part, registered as military doctrine, based on empiricism. This study aims to understand how C2 is performed by the military in two humanitarian operations triggered by the Ministry of Defense. And with this purpose, a literature review is carried out on essential elements of C2, such as its definition, actions, functions, levels, means, and assets for its realization and agents involved. From 22 documents resulting from the literature review, a taxonomy, a proposed definition of C2, and a framework that aims to support academics, professionals in the field, and the Armed Forces are presented. Subsequently, to verify the feasibility of the elements identified in the literature and their application in these operations, two case studies are proposed: one on Operação Acolhida, which offers emergency assistance to Venezuelan immigrants and refugees, and another on Operação Carro-pipa, which includes actions for the distribution of drinking water to rural populations affected by drought and dry season. As a result, this research identifies that the manner C2 is performed by the military depends on the type of disaster and the level at which C2 is being exercised, in addition to contributing academically by proposing a definition of C2, a taxonomy, and a framework about of the C2 exercised by the military in disaster, emergency, and crisis response operations.