Interoperability and Information Brokers in Public Safety: An Approach toward Seamless Emergency Communications

Andreas Kuehn,Andreas Spichiger,Reinhard Riedl,Andreas Kappeler,Michael Kaschewsky

doi:10.4067/s0718-18762011000100005

Abstract

When a disaster occurs, the rapid gathering and sharing of crucial information among public safety agencies, emergency response units, and the public can save lives and reduce the scope of the problem; yet, this is seldom achieved. The lack of interoperability hinders effective collaboration across organizational and jurisdictional boundaries. In this article, we propose a general architecture for emergency communications that incorporates (1) an information broker, (2) events and event-driven processes, and (3) interoperability. This general architecture addresses the question of how an information broker can overcome obstacles, breach boundaries for seamless communication, and empower the public to become active participants in emergency communications. Our research is based on qualitative case studies on emergency communications, workshops with public safety agencies, and a comparative analysis of interoperability issues in the European public sector. This article features a conceptual approach toward proposing a way in which public safety agencies can achieve optimal interoperability and thereby enable seamless communication and crowdsourcing in emergency prevention and response.

Highlights

When severe damage occurs in disasters or catastrophes and large-scale public safety is threatened, close collaboration between emergency workers and government agencies is essential
We discuss how the public may become an important actor in emergency communications by using the information broker as a means to enable crowdsourcing in disaster prevention and response
The relevance of the research emerged from public sector information and communication technology (ICT) practice that focuses on interoperability and public safety, with a particular focus on emergency communications

Summary

Introduction

When severe damage occurs in disasters or catastrophes and large-scale public safety is threatened, close collaboration between emergency workers and government agencies is essential At these times, resources and information – both governmental and non-governmental – must be integrated in order to enable seamless, ad-hoc interaction of otherwise independent, self-organized emergency response units. According to [7], on-demand sharing of maps, situational reports, and the status of medical resources is essential in critical situations; comprehensive standards that could enable the exchange of such vital data – with the exception of voice – do not exist yet Such standards would need to address the sharing of devices, information security, control over resources and robustness to continue availability in uncertain and dynamic conditions. Such systems are heterogeneous and interdependent, and the broad range of required standards is complex [7]

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