Existing guidelines detail assessment criteria that should be used to evaluate offshore emergency response (ER) team members’ performance; however, minimal research has investigated this testing. Therefore, using a Human System Integration approach, this thesis examines the impact of including an electronic Emergency Response Focus Board (ERFB) during simulation testing. Archival ER performance videos were analyzed, subject matter experts (SMEs) were interviewed, and an iterative human-centered design process was used to test prototype ERFBs. Situation awareness, accuracy, and reaction times were collected during ERFB testing in simulated emergencies. Results indicate that SMEs use different assessment factors to predict future ER performance and that the type of ERFB and offshore experience significantly influenced speed and accuracy of responses. Based on these results, it was concluded that a dynamic ERFB improves the development and maintenance of SA. Therefore, it was recommended that a similar ERFB configuration be implemented into future offshore ER assessments.

Disasters can occur without warning and severely test society’s capacity to cope, significantly altering the relationship between society and the built and natural environments. The scale of a disaster is a direct function of the pre-event actions and decisions taken by society. Poor pre-event planning is a major contributor to disaster, while effective pre-event planning can substantially reduce, and perhaps even avoid, the disaster. Developing and undertaking effective planning is therefore a vital component of disaster risk management in order to achieve meaningful societal resilience. Disaster scenarios present arguably the best and most effective basis to plan an effective emergency response to future disasters. For effective emergency response planning, disaster scenarios must be as realistic as possible. Yet for disasters resulting from natural hazards, intricately linked secondary hazards and effects make development of realistic scenarios difficult. This is specially true for large earthquakes in mountainous terrain. The primary aim of this thesis is therefore to establish a detailed and realistic disaster scenario for a Mw8.0 earthquake on the plate boundary Alpine fault in the South Island of New Zealand with specific emphasis on secondary effects. Geologic evidence of re-historic earthquakes on this fault suggest widespread and large-scale landsliding has resulted throughout the Southern Alps, yet, currently, no attempts to quantitatively model this landsliding have been undertaken. This thesis therefore provides a first attempt at quantitative assessments of the likely scale and impacts of landsliding from a future Mw8.0 Alpine fault earthquake. Modelling coseismic landsliding in regions lacking historic inventories and geotechnical data (e.g. New Zealand) is challenging. The regional factors that control the spatial distribution of landsliding however, are shown herein to be similar across different environments. Observations from the 1994 Northridge, 1999 Chi-Chi, and 2008 Wenchuan earthquakes identified MM intensity, slope angle and position, and distance from active faults and streams as factors controlling the spatial distribution of landsliding. Using fuzzy logic in GIS, these factors are able to successfully model the spatial distribution of coseismic landsliding from both the 2003 and 2009 Fiordland earthquakes in New Zealand. This method can therefore be applied to estimate the scale of landsliding from scenario earthquakes such as an Alpine fault event. Applied to an Mw8.0 Alpine fault earthquake, this suggests that coseismic landsliding could affect an area >50,000 km2 with likely between 40,000 and 110,000 landslides occurring. Between 1,400 and 4,000 of these are expected to present a major hazard. The environmental impacts from this landsliding would be severe, particularly in west-draining river catchments, and sediment supply to rivers in some catchments may exceed 50 years of background rates. Up to 2 km3 of total landslide debris is expected, and this will have serious and long-term consequences. Fluvial remobilisation of this material could result in average aggradation depths on active alluvial fans and floodplains of 1 m, with maximum depths substantially larger. This is of particular concern to the agriculture industry, which relies on the fertile soils on many of the active alluvial fans affected. This thesis also investigated the potential impacts from such landsliding on critical infrastructure. The State Highway and electrical transmission networks are shown to be particularly exposed. Up to 2,000 wooden pole and 30 steel pylon supports for the transmission network are highly exposed, resulting in >23,000 people in the West Coast region being exposed to power loss. At least 240 km of road also has high exposure, primarily on SH6 between Hokitika and Haast, and on Arthur’s and Lewis Passes. More than 2,750 local residents in Westland District are exposed to isolation by road as a result. The Grey River valley region is identified as the most critical section of the State Highway network and pre-event mitigation is strongly recommended to ensure the road and bridges here can withstand strong shaking and liquefaction hazards. If this section of the network can remain functional post-earthquake, the emergency response could be based out of Wellington using Nelson as a forward operating base with direct road access to some of the worst-affected locations. However, loss of functionality of this section of road will result in >24,000 people becoming isolated across almost the entire West Coast region. This thesis demonstrates the importance and potential value of pre-event emergency response planning, both for the South Island community for an Alpine fault earthquake, and globally for all such hazards. The case study presented demonstrates that realistic estimates of potential coseismic landsliding and its impacts are possible, and the methods developed herein can be applied to other large mountainous earthquakes. A model for developing disaster scenarios in collaboration with a wide range of societal groups is presented and shown to be an effective method for emergency response planning, and is applicable to any hazard and location globally. This thesis is therefore a significant contribution towards understanding mountainous earthquake hazards and emergency response planning.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第23173号 / 工博第4817号 / 新制||工||1753(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市社会工学専攻 / (主査)教授 堀 智晴, 教授 田中 茂信, 教授 角 哲也 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are a global public health concern. In 2020 alone, there were an estimated 6.76 million police reported crashes in the United States [1]. In the wake of an MVC, those involved may have been inflicted with serious or fatal injuries. Despite large research and development efforts to design vehicles and safety features to help reduce the frequency and severity of MVCs, crashes are, and will continue to be, a reality. In response to MVCs, first responders are tasked to provide crash victims with rapid immediate care and transport them to an appropriate facility. In spite of continued progress in emergency medicine, there are still many operational hurdles that emergency medical technicians need to overcome to perform their duties proficiently. Development and deployment of advanced automatic crash notification (AACN) systems have the potential to reduce the time between a crash and 911 system activation, especially for unseen roadway departures or crashes that render occupants incapacitated. Ultimately, AACN systems may aid first responders and improve MVC patient outcomes, however, these systems only target the earliest elements of an emergency response event. Therefore, the work contained in this dissertation aimed to identify additional areas for improvement within an emergency response event, specifically MVCs, and propose and/or develop solutions to address them. The first area pertained to emergency medical services (EMS) transportation, which can include responding to and transporting patients from an MVC. Through the analysis of the national EMS Information System database, an existing light vehicle naturalistic driving study, and a pilot ambulance-based naturalistic driving study, this dissertation provides a comprehensive investigation into EMS roadway interactions. The findings of these investigations confirmed that traffic interactions are a common issue and leading cause of EMS delay during response and transport phases. Even when ambulance operators drive with observed "due regard" and utilize emergency lights and sirens appropriate, many drivers were observed to yield the right of way inappropriately or in a delayed manner that resulted in safety critical events on open roadways and in intersections. The second area of improvement pertained to providing EMS with detailed patient information following an MVC. This took shape through the development of a post-crash injury triage system that provides first responders with occupant condition prior to on-scene arrival. The proposed system collects and shares crash occupant respiration rate, heart rate, and mental status through vehicle cabin integrated sensors and a post-crash response operator. This information, and additional vehicle specific crash details, are then populated into post-crash web application that responding agencies can view and interact with to strategically allocate response resources and predevelop transportation plans. Collectively, the work included in this dissertation identified challenges that EMS face when responding to MVCs, and produced findings that can be used to develop technology, update policies, and innovate in the transportation sector to improve emergency response and post-crash care. The identified safety and efficiency benefits not only apply to emergency respondents but encompass benefits to crash victims and all other road users. Although targeted at MVCs, the findings of this dissertation may also be applicable to many different types of emergencies and can benefit other public safety domains such as law enforcement, fire services, towing, and infrastructure maintenance. / Doctor of Philosophy / Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are a global public health concern. In 2020 alone, there were an estimated 6.76 million police reported crashes in the United States [1]. In the wake of an MVC, those involved may have been seriously or fatally injuries. Despite large research and development efforts to design vehicles and safety features to help reduce the frequency and severity of MVCs, crashes are, and will continue to be, a reality. In response to MVCs, first responders are tasked to provide crash victims with rapid immediate care and transport them to an appropriate facility. In spite of continued progress in emergency medicine, there are still many operational hurdles that emergency medical technicians need to overcome to perform their duties proficiently. Development and deployment of advanced automatic crash notification (AACN) systems have the potential to reduce the time between a crash when a 911 response is started, especially for unseen roadway departures or crashes that render occupants incapacitated. Ultimately, AACN systems may aid first responders and improve MVC patient outcomes, however, these systems only target the earliest elements of an emergency response event. Therefore, the work contained in this dissertation aimed to identify additional areas for improvement within an emergency response event, specifically MVCs, and propose and/or develop solutions to address them. The first area pertained to emergency medical services (EMS) transportation, which can include responding to and transporting patients from an MVC. Through the analysis of a national database, an existing light vehicle driving study, and a pilot ambulance-based driving study, this dissertation provides a comprehensive investigation into EMS roadway interactions. The findings can be used to better understand EMS roadway interactions and applied to develop innovative ways to improve safety and efficiency for all road users. The second area of improvement pertained to providing EMS with detailed patient information following an MVC. This took shape through the development of a post-crash injury triage system that provides first responders with occupant condition prior to on-scene arrival. The proposed system collects and shares crash occupant respiration rate, heart rate, and mental status, allowing responding agencies to strategically allocate response resources and predevelop transportation plans. Collectively, the work included in this dissertation identified challenges that EMS face when responding to MVCs, and produced findings that can be used to develop technology, update policies, and innovate in the transportation sector to improve emergency response and post-crash care. The identified safety and efficiency benefits not only apply to emergency respondents but encompass benefits to crash victims and all other road users. Although targeted at MVCs, the findings of this dissertation may also be applicable to many different types of emergencies and can benefit other public safety domains such as law enforcement, fire services, towing, and infrastructure maintenance. Therefore, the work contained in this dissertation aimed to identify additional areas for improvement within an emergency response event, specifically MVCs, and propose and/or develop solutions to address them. The first area pertained to emergency medical services (EMS) transportation, which can include responding to and transporting patients from an MVC. Through the analysis of a national database, an existing light vehicle naturalistic driving study, and a pilot ambulance-based naturalistic driving study, this dissertation provides a comprehensive investigation into EMS roadway interactions. The findings can be used to better understand EMS roadway interactions and applied to develop innovative ways to improve safety and efficiency for all road users. The second area of improvement pertained to providing EMS with detailed patient information following an MVC. This took shape through the development of a post-crash injury triage system that provides first responders with occupant condition prior to on-scene arrival. The proposed system collects and shares crash occupant respiration rate, heart rate, and mental status, allowing responding agencies to strategically allocate response resources and predevelop transportation plans. Collectively, the work included in this dissertation identified challenges that EMS face when responding to MVCs, and produced findings that can be used to develop technology, update policies, and innovate in the transportation sector to improve emergency response and post-crash care. The identified safety and efficiency benefits not only apply to emergency respondents but encompass benefits to crash victims and all other road users. Although targeted at MVCs, the findings of this dissertation may also be applicable to many different types of emergencies and can benefit other public safety domains such as law enforcement, fire services, towing, and infrastructure maintenance.

The history of university, college, and high school campuses is eventful with man-made tragedies ensuing a tremendous loss of life. Virginia Tech's April 16 shooting ignited the discussion about balancing openness and safety in open campus environments. Existing campus safety solutions are characterized by addressing bits and pieces of the problem. The perfect example is the recent influx in demand for Electronic Notification Systems (ENS) by many educational institutions following the tragedies at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. Installing such systems is important, as it is an essential part of an overall solution. However, without a comprehensive, innovative understanding of the requirements for an institution-wide solution that enables effective security control and efficient emergency response, the proposed solutions will always fall short. This dissertation describes an architecture for SINERGY (campuS sItuational awareNess and Emergency Response manaGement sYstem) – a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)-based network-centric system of systems that provides a comprehensive, institution-wide, software-based solution for balancing safety and openness on any campus environment. SINERGY architecture addresses three main capabilities: Situational awareness (SA), security control (SC), and emergency response management (ERM). A safe and open campus environment can be realized through the development of a network-centric system that enables the creation of a COP of the campus environment shared by all campus entities. Having a COP of what goes on campus at any point in time is key to enabling effective SC measures to be put in place. Finally, common SA and effective SC lay the foundation for an efficient and successful ERM in the case of a man-made tragedy. Because this research employs service orientation principles to architect SINERGY, this dissertation also addresses a critical area of research with regards to SOA; that area is SOA security. Security has become a critical concern when it comes to SOA-based network-centric systems of systems due the nature of business practices today, which emphasize dynamic sharing of information and services among independent partners. As a result, the line between internal and external organization networks and services has been blurred making it difficult to assess the security quality of SOA environments. In order to do this evaluation effectively, a hierarchy of security indicators is developed. The proposed hierarchy is incorporated in a well-established evaluation methodology to provide a structured approach for assessing the security of an SOA-based network-centric system of systems. Another area of focus in this dissertation is the architecting process. With the advent of potent network technology, software/system engineering has evolved from a traditional platform-centric focus into a network-centric paradigm where the “system of systems” perspective has been the norm. Under this paradigm, architecting has become a critical process in the life cycle of software/system engineering. The need for a structured description of the architecting process is undeniable. This dissertation fulfills that need and provides a structured description of the process of architecting a software-based network-centric system of systems. The architecting process is described using a set of goals that are specific to architecting, and the associated specific practices that enable the realization of these goals. The architecting process description presented herein is intended to guide the software/system architects. / Ph. D.

The thesis analyzes the steps and actions necessary to develop an application using a user identity management system, user permissions system, message distribution system, and message response data collection and display system to deliver timely command and control of human assets and the input of intelligence in emergency response situations. The application, MinuteMan, uniquely manages messages sent between multiple users and their parent organizations. Specifically, messages are stored, managed, and displayed to managers based on the hierarch or organizational rank as well as situational allowances of the users sending and receiving messages and permissions. Using an algorithm for user identity and permissions for situational awareness analysis, messages and information is sent to multiple addressees in an organization. Responses are correlated to the rank of the responding recipients in the organization, to assist the users and the parent organizations to identify which responses to have been read. Receipt of the messages is acknowledged before the message can be fully read. Responses to the messages include a selection of a user status from a preset choice of statuses, and may include other response attributes required or offered by the sender of the message. The locations of responding and non-responding addresses can be mapped and tracked. The resulting solution provides improved situational awareness during emergency response situations. / M.S. / The thesis analyzes the steps and actions necessary to develop an application using a user identity management system, user permissions system, message distribution system, and message response data collection and display system to deliver timely command and control of human assets and the input of intelligence in emergency response situations. Using an algorithm for user identity and permissions for situational awareness analysis, messages and information are sent to multiple user addressees for individuals supporting an organization. Responses are correlated to the rank of the responding recipient in the organization, and to assist the senders of the messages to identify which responses to read by the targeted recipients. Receipt of the messages is acknowledged before the message can be fully read. Responses to the messages include a selection of a user status from a preset choice of statuses, and may include other response attributes required or offered by the sender of the message. The locations of responding and non-responding addresses can be mapped and tracked. The resulting solution provides improved situational awareness during emergency response situations.

I och med urbaniseringen i det svenska samhället har många städer vuxit och utvecklats till storstäder. Storstäder har många utmaningar, allt ifrån att det ska finnas jobb och bostadsmöjligheter så måste även infrastrukturen i form av transportmöjligheter utvecklas i takt med befolkningsökningen. Större befolkning betyder mer människor i rörelse som lätt leder till försämrad framkomlighet i trafiken. Detta examensarbete har utförts åt Räddningstjänsten i Jönköpings kommun med syftet att bidra med ett underlag angående vad en ny brandstation skulle generera i minskade insatstider och samhällsnytta. Räddningstjänsten upplever att trafiken i Jönköpings tätort bidrar till sämre framkomlighet som i sin tur leder till att räddningstjänsten får längre insatstider än önskat. Därför planerar kommunen att en ny brandstation ska byggas. I examensarbetet har samhällsnyttan för den nya stationen undersökts genom att bygga en GIS-modell där det går att simulera och undersöka insatstiden för räddningstjänsten baserat på historiska händelser. En litteraturstudie utfördes för att ge en grundläggande kunskapsmässig förståelse för området examensarbetet behandlar. För att få förståelse och kunskap om nuläget för Räddningstjänsten i Jönköping utfördes tre olika intervjuer. Intervjuerna riktade sig till personer som är involverade i utvecklingsprocessen av Jönköpings infrastruktur. Den största delen av examensarbetet var skapandet av GIS-modellen och analysen av det resultat modellen genererade. Under hela examensarbetet har en dialog med Räddningstjänsten i Jönköping förts. Detta för att få hjälp med tolkning av den historiska data räddningstjänsten bidragit med men också för att kontrollera att GIS-modellen resulterade i svar som verkade sannolika och användbara. Examensarbetet resulterade i att en ny brandstation skulle minska medelinsatstiden för räddningstjänsten och generera samhällsnytta. Eftersom en modell aldrig kan ge samma resultat som verkligheten är det viktigt att ta andra saker än enbart GIS-modellens resultat i beaktning när det diskuteras vad samhällsnyttan och en minskning av medelinsatstiden egentligen har för betydelse. Examensarbetet anses kunna vara en del av det beslutsunderlag som används vid beslutsfattandet om en ny brandstation i Jönköpings kommun.

Background: Public transportation constitutes a vulnerable sector in modern day society with a high probability of generating mass casualties if attacked. By preparing for mass-casualty attacks (MCAs), response can become more effective and public transportation can become a less rewarding target. However, preparedness for attacks, much like response, implies resource constraints, and this dissertation pinpoints some major dilemmas that inhibit achieving preparedness for MCAs on public transportation in Sweden. Aim: The aim of this dissertation was to investigate preparedness for mass-casualty attacks on public transportation. This allowed for identification of major challenges for preparedness and response with a particular focus on the Swedish context. Methods: Study I included 477 MCAs identified through searches of the Global Terrorism Database, journals, newspapers and websites, which were examined with descriptive statistics. Study II thematically analyzed 105 articles attained by systematic searches of the PubMed and Scopus databases. Study III and IV statistically analyzed data from 864 responses to a purposive-designed questionnaire, from operational personnel of the Swedish emergency organizations. Study V entailed validation of a finite element (FE) simulation model of a bombing in a train carriage compared to the bombings in Madrid 2004. Results: International trends of MCAs (≥ 10 fatally injured and/or ≥ 100 non-fatally injured) on public transportation, during the years 1970-2009 (I) showed that the average number of injured increased considerably, despite a quite stable incidence rate since the 1980s. High numbers of injured people were connected to attacks on terminal buildings, multiple targets and complex tactical approaches. Few MCAs occurred in Europe, but the average number of fatalities per incident and injured per incident were the second highest among regions. The literature study (II) of previous on-scene management showed that commonly encountered challenges during unintentional incidents were added to during MCAs, implying specific issues for safety, assessment, triage and treatment, which require collaborative planning and specific training. The study regarding the Swedish emergency organizations’ perceptions of terrorist attacks (III) showed significant differences on perceptions of event likelihood, willingness to respond, estimated management capability and level of confidence in knowledge of tasks to be performed on scene. The police respondents stood out; e.g., fewer police personnel had high estimates of their organizations’ management capability and knowledge of tasks on-scene compared to the other organizations. The study of factors that influence responders’ perceptions of preparedness for terrorism (IV) showed that these were influenced by the responders’ sex, work experience, organizational affiliation, various training arrangements and access to personal protective equipment (PPE). Investing in amenable factors, such as terrorism-related management training and provision of PPE, could improve responders’ perceptions of preparedness for terrorism. A finite-element (FE) model of an explosion in a train carriage (V) was developed and showed that FE modeling techniques could effectively model damage and injuries for explosions with applicability for preparedness and injury mitigation efforts, but, also, there was room for improvement of the model in terms of injuries. Conclusion: Achieving preparedness for MCAs on public transportation is a multiple choice balancing act between ostensible dilemmas regarding investments, disaster plans, training, response strategies, collaboration and inventions. / Bakgrund: Kollektivtrafik utgör en sårbar sektor i dagens samhälle, med hög sannolikhet att generera en situation med många drabbade vid attentat. Genom att förbereda för masskadeattentat (MCA) kan hanteringen bli effektivare och kollektivtrafiken utgöra ett mindre givande mål. Beredskap för attentat, liksom själva hanteringen, innefattar dock resursbegränsningar och denna avhandling belyser somliga avgörande utmaningar som hämmar utvecklandet av beredskap för MCA mot kollektivtrafiken i Sverige.   Syfte: Syftet med avhandlingen var att undersöka beredskapen för masskadeattentat mot kollektivtrafik. Detta möjliggjorde identifiering av stora utmaningar för beredskap och insatser, med särskilt fokus på den svenska kontexten.   Metoder: Studie I innefattade 477 MCA som identifierades genom sökningar i Global Terrorism Database, vetenskapliga tidskrifter, tidningar och webbsidor, som sedan undersöktes med deskriptiv statistik. I Studie II genomfördes en tematisk analys av 105 artiklar, funna genom systematiska sökningar i databaserna PubMed och Scopus. I Studie III och IV genomfördes statistisk analys av data från 864 respondenter till en ändamålsenligt utformad enkät, utskickad till operativ personal inom blåljusorganisationerna. Studie V innebar validering av en finita element (FE)-modell av en explosion i en tågvagn genom jämförelse med bombningarna i Madrid 2004.   Resultat: I den internationella utvecklingen av MCA (≥ 10 dödsfall eller ≥ 100 icke-dödligt skadade) mot kollektivtrafik, under åren 1970-2009 (I) visade det sig att det genomsnittliga antalet skadade ökade kraftigt, trots en tämligen stabil incidens av antalet händelser sedan 1980-talet. Skadadeutfallet var ofta stort vid angrepp på terminalbyggnader, multipla mål och användning av komplexa taktiska metoder. Få MCA inträffade i Europa, men det genomsnittliga antalet dödsfall per fall och skadade per fall var den näst högsta bland regioner. Litteraturstudien (II) av skadeplatshantering vid tidigare attentat visade att vanligt förekommande utmaningar under oavsiktliga masskadehändelser utökades under MCA med särskilda svårigheter kring säkerhet, bedömning, triage och behandling, vilket i sin tur kräver gemensam planering och särskild utbildning. Studien om de svenska blåljusorganisationernas uppfattningar om terroristattacker (III) visade signifikanta skillnader på uppfattningar om sannolikhet av olika händelser, viljan att respondera, beräknad hanteringskapacitet och förlitan till kunskap om uppgifter som ska utföras på skadeplats. Polisernas svar utmärkte sig; t.ex. hade färre inom polisen höga uppskattningar av sin organisations hanteringskapacitet och sin egen kunskap om uppgifter på plats, jämfört med de andra organisationerna. Studien av vilka faktorer som påverkade respondenternas uppfattning om beredskap för terrorism (IV) visade att uppfattningar påverkades av deras kön, arbetslivserfarenhet, organisationstillhörighet, olika former av utbildning och tillgång till personlig skyddsutrustning. Investeringar i åtgärder såsom terrorism-relaterad träning och personlig skyddsutrustning skulle kunna förbättra uppfattning om beredskap för terrorism inom blåljusorganisationerna. En FE modell av en explosion i en tågvagn (V) utvecklades och visade att FE metoden skulle kunna modellera materiella skador och personskador av explosioner, med tillämpning för beredskap och skadelindrande åtgärder, men visade också att det fanns utrymme för förbättring av modellen avseende personskador.   Slutsats: Förverkligandet av beredskap för masskadeattentat mot kollektivtrafik utgör en balansgång i beslutstagande mellan vad som förefaller vara dilemman om investeringar, krisplaner, utbildning, responsstrategier, samverkan och innovationer. / Preparedness for mass-casualty attacks on public transportation

Master of Science / Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Jessica L. Heier Stamm / Communication is an integral part of emergency response, and improving the information dissemination network for crisis communication can save time, resources, and lives. This thesis focuses specifically on emergency response to a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak, an incident in which an animal disease that is not active domestically is introduced and being spreading in the U.S. In a FAD outbreak, timeliness of detection and response are critical. An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, a particularly significant FAD, could cripple the agriculture economy and every hour of poor communication could result in the loss of thousands of animals. Improving this and other such crisis communication networks is of high importance. There is a comparatively large amount of prior research that critiques past catastrophic events but very little that aims to quantitatively improve such networks. This research uses communication data from a FAD response exercise in Kansas to develop a reliable network model, contributing a general method for creating an information dissemination network from empirical communication data. The thesis then introduces a simulated annealing heuristic to alter the network structure, reducing the overall information transmission time by almost 90%. Both the application of simulated annealing in network design and the use of discrete event simulation to calculate the heuristic objective function are new contributions to the field of crisis communication and emergency response. This work begins by extracting data from communication logs, grouping the large numbers of stakeholders into more manageable clusters, and developing a simulation model framework that accurately depicts the flow of information in the actual network. Then a simulated annealing heuristic is used to alter the network structure. The goal is to identify an alternative network structure in which the time for information to reach all response participants is minimized. The resultant network structures are analyzed to reveal observations and recommendations for FAD response communication. This research finds that not only can such a network be improved significantly, but the quantitative results support the qualitative observations from early in the data extraction process. This paper adds original methods to the literature and opens the door for future quantitative work in the area of crisis communication and emergency response.

This thesis reports the research efforts conducted in order to develop the Dynamic Response Recovery Tool. The DRRT was developed as a decision support tool under a holistic approach considering both emergency management research and transportation studies. The proposed system was assessed by a series of case studies in order to identify its efficiency and suitability for roading organisations. Knowledge developed from two novel research approaches are comprehensively described throughout the thesis. Initially, we report on the observation of three emergency exercises and two real events in New Zealand. This set of activities indicated the complex and dynamic environment in which emergency management takes place as well as organisational settings and management structures implemented to better respond and recover from disasters events. Additionally, a secondary approach was designed to overcome limitations identified in the observation method. In this context, a game-based scenario simulation was developed and conducted with twelve participants. With a focus in resource deployment decisions during emergencies, the game simulated an earthquake scenario in which participants had to allocate physical resources to fix damage created in a road network. Simulations indicated that Naturalistic Decision-making processes were used to respond to the scenario. Thus, resource allocation followed planning priorities defined previously the simulation, which further considered individual experiences and knowledge. Taking advantage from the findings achieved and knowledge developed by the observations and game simulations, the DRRT was designed using the conceptual background identified in the literature review. The DRRT was conceptualised as a logistics sub-system as part of the broad field of Disaster Management. In particular, the DRRT was geared towards supporting decision-making by providing procedural recommendations and identifying optimum physical deployment strategies. In order to assess the proposed system, an Information Technology application was built according to the DRRT’s specifications. A series of eleven individual and three group simulations was performed in order to assess the DRRT. Data collected through the application indicated that the DRRT enhanced decision-making during extreme events. In specific, case study participants using the system at greater levels achieved better decision-making accuracy than those disregarding completely or partially the system. Case studies also indicated that emergency management knowledge was represented by the application and its logistics model provided participants with vital information to optimise resource allocation.