Integrating Decision Support Applications in Computer Based Emergency Management Processes

Abstract

As over the last decades natural disasters are increasing all over the world, Disaster and Emergency Management Systems (DEMS) play an important role to shorten the response time and to improve the supporting measures in case of disaster incidents. Many different DEMS where developed in the last years within national and international research projects. In contrast to those approaches, in this paper a concept for a process-driven emergency management system is presented. With this system emergency processes may be modelled, steered and monitored using a formal process modelling language which also allows dynamical changes. The focus of that paper will be on the integration of decision support applications in the emergency management processes. In integrating these applications, the incident command team using the system may not only be supported by guidance through formally modelled emergency processes but also through the results of the decision support applications, represented as “automatic activities” in the process models.