Needs and opportunities for seismic early warning prior to aftershocks for search and rescue teams: An in-depth analysis of practitioners’ perceptions

Abstract

During their postseismic interventions, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams are particularly exposed to the risk of collapse of buildings due to aftershocks. Risk reduction requires the capacity building of rescuers to anticipate incoming ground motions and to quickly protect themselves, which makes the concept of earthquake early warning (EEW) particularly interesting. In parallel to the recent scientific advances in EEW, it is crucial to understand what are the real expectations and needs of USAR teams in terms of protection against this risk, and to what extent EEW solutions could meet them. In this study, we conduct a survey to collect insights from 104 USAR rescuers (32 teams represented from 11 countries). Results highlight that aftershocks are a major concern for rescuers, and that the current tools and procedures do not allow an effective protection. In this context, we find that the concept of EEW is very favorably received by the respondents, who consider different types of possible actions upon receipt of an early warning. Depending on the time available, the perceive benefits range from simply reducing the surprise effect to moving teams into safe areas and stopping dangerous operations. Combined with the opportunities offered by the miniaturization of seismic monitoring means and by the high level of interoperability of USAR teams on an international scale, this study also provides a basis for the functional specifications of future solutions of EEW useful to all USAR teams, as well as for the definition of their modalities of engagement on the field.