09:39:11 AM Louise Comfort:Thanks Amy. Am glad I could make it here today to talk about ... 09:40:21 AM Louise Comfort:An Interactive, Intelligent, Spatial Information System (IISIS): A Community Model 09:40:40 AM Louise Comfort:The problem: the costs of disaster have increased dramatically, estimated at $50 billion a year in the years of heaviest losses, 1993 - 1995. 09:41:02 AM Louise Comfort:Stark increase in costs of disaster reflects growing interdependence of metropolitan regions and a society with an increasing population and advanced technologies. 09:41:19 AM Louise Comfort:ommunities function with increasingly interdependent systems -- transportation, communications, power, water, sewage, natural gas. 09:41:33 AM Louise Comfort:ajor causes of failure: lack of knowledge of the consequences of failure of one system upon others; lack of timely, accurate, information to mobilize effective action. 09:41:53 AM Louise Comfort:hree basic issues are involved: 09:42:16 AM Louise Comfort:1. Practical: how can a community increase its capacity to mitigate and respond to disaster in its environment? 09:42:30 AM Louise Comfort:2. Organizational: how do experienced personnel make decisions in response operations under rapidly changing conditions? 09:42:45 AM Louise Comfort:3. Technical: how can an information system support the changing roles of personnel and organizations as they adapt to shifting demands from the disaster environment? 09:43:10 AM Louise Comfort:Unmet needs: Existing software programs designed for emergency management have not successfully met the needs of practicing managers. 09:43:29 AM Louise Comfort:We suggest four main reasons: 09:43:47 AM Louise Comfort:) lack of staff training and current data in the knowledge base ... 09:44:07 AM Louise Comfort:3) lack of interorganizational decision support that is crucial in a community-wide event ... 09:44:31 AM Louise Comfort:) lack of an intelligent reasoning component that can assist managers in addressing the rapid increase in volume and complexity of information in disaster events. 09:44:45 AM Louise Comfort:he IISIS Approach: 09:45:07 AM Louise Comfort:. Creates a 'sociotechnical' system of interacting computers, organizations, and individuals working toward a common goal of reducing risk. 09:45:20 AM Louise Comfort:3. Supports a dual use system for improved management of disaster at both organizational and community levels. 09:45:39 AM Louise Comfort:4. Long-term goal: to increase the capacity of communities to mitigate and respond effectively to disasters. 09:45:51 AM Louise Comfort:Design issues for an information system to be used in disaster environments: Such a system ... 09:46:03 AM Louise Comfort:1) addresses information needs for decision-makers operating in the dynamic, urgent environment of disaster operations ... 09:46:16 AM Louise Comfort:2) needs to be more flexible than a typical information system to accommodate novel situations and new 09:46:36 AM Louise Comfort:2) needs to be more flexible than a typical information system to accommodate novel situations and new roles ... 09:47:07 AM Louise Comfort:3) provides not only a knowledge base of relevant information and a record of unfolding events, but also an intelligent guid 09:54:33 AM Louise Comfort:ance system to support individual reasoning and cooperative decision making ... 09:54:49 AM Louise Comfort:4) needs to be dual-use, so that staff would use it in their daily operations and update the kno 09:55:03 AM Louise Comfort:The current IISIS prototype consists of three basic components: 09:55:16 AM Louise Comfort:1) interactive communication among distributed knowledge bases ... 09:55:32 AM Louise Comfort:2) dynamic maps as the event unfolds, using GIS; and ... 09:55:47 AM Louise Comfort:3) intelligent reasoning by the computer to integrate incoming information from the environment with stored information about the community. 09:56:00 AM Louise Comfort:Figure 1 shows how observations of a threat are transmitted via a Web page interface to an information system that provides a continuous assessment of the 'state of the community'. First slide please, 09:56:20 AM Louise Comfort:As new information enters the system, it is passed to the intelligent reasoning component, which compares the change reported about the community with stored information from the knowledge base to assess the difference and estimate the degree of risk to the community. 09:56:36 AM Louise Comfort:The human-computer interface is a set of Web pages that receive input from the user, transmit it to the information system, and return new information, processed through the system, to the user. 09:56:49 AM Louise Comfort:he set of functions for the IISIS prototype is organized in three basic subsets. The first identifies the existing conditions in the community as the basic knowledge base for coordinated action. 09:57:11 AM Louise Comfort:The second subset reports the event and assesses its impact upon the community dynamically. The third subset provides a continuous record of disaster operations for the specific disaster event. 09:57:29 AM Louise Comfort:igure 2 shows the field status screen, which allows the user to enter the incident report: time, location, type of hazard, estimated severity, environmental 09:57:45 AM Louise Comfort:Figure 2 shows the field status screen, which allows the user to enter the incident report: time, location, type of hazard, estimated severity, environmental conditions such as temperature and wind direction. Next slide please, Amy. 09:58:11 AM Louise Comfort:The next three figures show aspects of the dynamic assessment of the event. 09:58:55 AM Louise Comfort: 09:59:11 AM Louise Comfort:Figure 4 shows the Disaster Site, building scale. Next slide please, Amy. 09:59:31 AM Louise Comfort:Figure 5 shows the Damage Assessment screen. Next slide please, Amy. 09:59:43 AM Louise Comfort:The intelligent reasoning component will provide continuing assessment as the event evolves. It will identify the area of geographic impact, and within this area, estimate the consequences of this event for the population of the community, its built environment, its lifelines and existing resources for response. 10:00:03 AM Louise Comfort:This information is posted on the 'electronic blackboard' which is monitored by the knowledge sources for the separate organizations that have legal responsibilities for response in disaster: fire, police, emergency medical services, public works, and others. 10:00:18 AM Louise Comfort:The organizational knowledge sources contain the standard operating procedures for each organization in event of emergency. If any one of these procedures is triggered for action by the incoming information, that action is reported to all other emergency response organizations via the electronic blackboard. 10:00:34 AM Louise Comfort:The intelligent component uses this information to calculate the probability of risk to individual sectors of the community, as well as the cumulative level of risk for the whole community. This information is returned to the user (practicing manager) by the computer via the Web page. 10:00:52 AM Louise Comfort:The third set of functions provides a continuous record of disaster operations for the current disaster event. Figure 8 shows the current status of operations for the event. Next slide please, Amy. 10:01:06 AM Louise Comfort:The prototype IISIS tracks the pattern of interactions among participating organizations, creating a common base of knowledge for the event and facilitating mutual coordination of actions among the participating organizations. 10:01:21 AM Louise Comfort:Conclusion -- 10:01:33 AM Louise Comfort:he use of the IISIS prototype will contribute to a community's capacity to adapt and respond to demands from its environment in a more timely, appropriate, and efficient manner. 10:01:47 AM Louise Comfort:I hope this conveys the essence of the paper. I would be happy to take questions or comments now Amy. 10:02:29 AM Louise Comfort:Thanks Amy. Am glad I could make it here today to talk about ... 10:03:11 AM Louise Comfort:An Interactive, Intelligent, Spatial Information System (IISIS): A Community Model 10:03:36 AM Louise Comfort:Stark increase in costs of disaster reflects growing interdependence of metropolitan regions and a society with an increasing population and advanced technologies. 10:03:48 AM Louise Comfort:Communities function with increasingly interdependent systems -- transportation, communications, power, water, sewage, natural gas. 10:04:00 AM Louise Comfort:Major causes of failure: lack of knowledge of the consequences of failure of one system upon others; lack of timely, accurate, information to mobilize effective action. 10:04:46 AM Louise Comfort:Three basic issues are involved: 10:05:23 AM Louise Comfort:1. Practical: how can a community i 10:06:06 AM Louise Comfort:1. Practical: how can a community increase its capacity to mitigate and respond to disaster in its environment? 10:06:21 AM Louise Comfort:2. Organizational: how do experienced personnel make decisions in response operations under rapidly changing conditions? 10:06:38 AM Louise Comfort:3. Technical: how can an information system support the changing roles of personnel and organizations as they adapt to shifting demands from the disaster environment? 10:06:53 AM Louise Comfort:Unmet needs: Existing software programs designed for emergency management have not successfully met the needs of practicing managers. 10:07:06 AM Louise Comfort:We suggest four main reasons: 10:07:32 AM Louise Comfort:1) lack of flexibility in representing the diverse perspectives in a dynamic situation ... 10:08:01 AM Louise Comfort: 10:08:30 AM Louise Comfort:) l) lack of interorganizational decision support that is crucial in a community-wide event ... 10:08:51 AM Louise Comfort:4) lack of an intelligent reasoning component that can assist managers in addressing the rapid increase in volume and complexity of information in disaster events. 10:09:10 AM Louise Comfort:The IISIS Approach: 10:09:22 AM Louise Comfort:1. Links information technology with organization 10:09:37 AM Louise Comfort:1. Links information technology with organizational design and learning to provide decision support to practicing agencies. 10:09:51 AM Louise Comfort:2. Creates a 'sociotechnical' system of interacting computers, organizations, and individuals working toward a common goal of reducing risk. 10:10:04 AM Louise Comfort:3. Supports a dual use system for improved management of disaster at both organizational and community levels. 10:10:16 AM Louise Comfort:4. Long-term goal: to increase the capacity of communities to mitigate and respond effectively to disasters. 10:10:37 AM Louise Comfort:Design issues for an information system to be used in disaster environments: Such a system ... 10:10:50 AM Louise Comfort:1) addresses information needs for decision-makers operating in the dynamic, urgent environment of disaster operations ... 10:11:07 AM Louise Comfort:2) needs to be more flexible than a typical information system to accommodate novel situations and new roles ... 10:11:34 AM Louise Comfort:3) provides not only a knowledge base of relevant information and a record of unfolding events, but also and intelligent guidance system to support individual reasoning and cooperative decision making ... 10:11:49 AM Louise Comfort:4) needs to be dual-use, so that staff would use it in their daily operations and update the knowledge base on a continuing basis. 10:12:06 AM Louise Comfort:The current IISIS prototype consists of three basic components: 10:12:22 AM Louise Comfort: 10:12:38 AM Louise Comfort: 10:12:55 AM Louise Comfort:1) interactive communication among distributed knowledge bases ... 10:13:12 AM Louise Comfort:2) dynamic maps as the event unfolds, using GIS; and ... 10:13:25 AM Louise Comfort:3) intelligent reasoning by the computer to integrate incoming information from the environment with stored information about the community. 10:13:40 AM Louise Comfort:Figure 1 shows how observations of a threat are transmitted via a Web page interface to an information system that provides a continuous assessment of the 'state of the community'. First slide please, Amy. 10:13:55 AM Louise Comfort:As new information enters the system, it is passed to the intelligent reasoning component, which compares the change reported about the community with stored information from the knowledge base to assess the difference and estimate the degree of risk to the community. 10:14:16 AM Louise Comfort:The human-computer interface is a set of Web pages that receive input from the user, transmit it to the information system, and return new information, processed through the system, to the user. 10:14:42 AM Louise Comfort:The set of functions for the IISIS prototype is organized in three basic subsets. The first identifies the existing conditions in the community as the basic knowledge base for coordinated action. 10:14:54 AM Louise Comfort:he second subset reports the event and assesses its impact upon the community dynamically. The third subset provides 10:15:23 AM Louise Comfort:The second subset reports the event and assesses its impact upon the community dynamically. The third subset provides a continuous record of disaster operations for the specific disaster event. 10:15:36 AM Louise Comfort:Figure 2 shows the field status screen, which allows the user to enter the incident report: time, location, type of hazard, estimated severity, environmental conditions such as temperature and wind direction. Next slide please, Amy. 10:16:01 AM Louise Comfort:The next three figures sho 10:16:16 AM Louise Comfort:The next three figures show aspects of the dynamic assessment of the event. 10:16:29 AM Louise Comfort:Figure 3 shows the Disaster Site, Community Scale. Next slide please, Amy. 10:16:56 AM Louise Comfort:Figure 4 shows the Disaster Site, building scale. Next slide please, Amy. 10:17:13 AM Louise Comfort:Figure 5 shows the Damage Assessment screen. Next slide please, Amy. 10:17:27 AM Louise Comfort:he intelligent reasoning component will provide continuing assessment as the event evolves. It will identify the area of geographic impact, and within this area, estimate the consequences of this event for the population of the community, its built environment, its lifelines and existing resources for response. 10:17:42 AM Louise Comfort:This information is posted on the 'electronic blackboard' which is monitored by the knowledge sources for the separate organizations that have legal responsibilities for response in disaster: fire, police, emergency medical services, public works, and others. 10:18:42 AM Louise Comfort:The organizational knowledge sources contain the standard operating procedures for each organization in event of emergency. If any one of these procedures is triggered for action by the incoming information, that action is reported to all other emergency response organizations via the electronic blackboard. 10:18:57 AM Louise Comfort:The intelligent component uses this information to calculate the probability of risk to individual sectors of the community, as well as the cumulative level of risk for the whole community. This information is returned to the user (practicing manager) by the computer via the Web page. 10:19:11 AM Louise Comfort:The third set of functions provides a continuous record of disaster operations for the current disaster event. Figure 8 shows the current status of operations for the event. Next slide please, Amy. 10:19:27 AM Louise Comfort:The prototype IISIS tracks the pattern of interactions among participating organizations, creating a common base of knowledge for the event and facilitating mutual coordination of actions among the participating organizations. 10:19:43 AM Louise Comfort:Conclusion -- 10:20:00 AM Louise Comfort:he IISIS prototype adapts and integrates appropriate information technologies to support interorganizational decision making and providing real time information to practicing managers. 10:20:16 AM Louise Comfort:The use of the IISIS prototype will contribute to a community's capacity to adapt and respond to demands from its environment in a more timely, appropriate, and efficient manner. 10:20:33 AM Louise Comfort:I hope this conveys the essence of the paper. I would be happy to take questions or comments now Amy. 10:22:06 AM Louise Comfort:Amy, I ran through the presentation twice. The file came through nicely, and with wordwrap on, it takes about 20 minutes. 10:22:24 AM Louise Comfort:So, I think it will be OK. 10:23:05 AM Louise Comfort:Back about 12:45 p.m. Cheers, Louise 11:25:08 AM Avagene Moore:I am here. 11:25:16 AM Joanne McGlown:I'm here, too 11:26:19 AM Avagene Moore:Joanne, what about this? 11:31:31 AM Avagene Moore:We can ask any questions you like ... 11:31:42 AM Avagene Moore:so all we have to do is decide .... 11:32:05 AM Avagene Moore:what you want to ask and the approach you want to take. 11:36:07 AM Avagene Moore:Welcome to the Virtual Forum Round Table! ... 11:37:15 AM Joanne McGlown:Welcome to all Health Care participants to the Virtual Forum 11:38:37 AM Avagene Moore:Today our guest speaker is Joanne McGlown. 11:47:26 AM Avagene Moore:Joanne, please join us at 1:00 PM EDT (12:00 Noon CDT) for Dr. Louise Comfort's presentation in the Virtual Library ... 11:48:33 AM Joanne McGlown:I'll be there, Avagene. I think you're wonderful. Thanks for your help. 11:48:43 AM Avagene Moore:also, remember Dr. Wayne Blanchard's presentation on FEMA's Higher Education Project tomorrow at 12:00 Noon EDT (11:00 AM CDT). 12:25:03 PM Louise Comfort:Hi Avagene, I'm here early...to practice one more time. 12:31:51 PM Louise Comfort:Thanks Amy. Am glad I could make it here today to talk about ... 12:32:08 PM Louise Comfort:An Interactive, Intelligent, Spatial Information System (IISIS): A Community Model 12:32:21 PM Louise Comfort: 12:32:35 PM Louise Comfort:Stark increase in costs of disaster reflects growing interdependence of metropolitan regions and a society with an increasing population and advanced technologies. 12:32:49 PM Louise Comfort:Communities function with increasingly interdependent systems -- transportation, communications, power, water, sewage, natural gas. 12:33:04 PM Louise Comfort:ajor causes of failure: lack of knowledge of the consequences of failure of one system upon others; lack of timely, accurate, information to mobilize effective action. 12:33:58 PM Louise Comfort:Three basic issues are involved: 12:34:14 PM Louise Comfort:1. Practical: how can a community increase its capacity to mitigate and respond to disaster in its environment? 12:34:33 PM Louise Comfort:2. Organizational: how do experienced personnel make decisions in response operations under rapidly changing conditions? 12:34:49 PM Louise Comfort:3. Technical: how can an information system support the changing roles of personnel and organizations as they adapt to shifting demands from the disaster environment? 12:35:14 PM Louise Comfort:Unmet needs: Existing software programs designed for emergency management have not successfully met the needs of practicing managers. 12:35:26 PM Louise Comfort:We suggest four main reasons: 12:35:40 PM Louise Comfort:1) lack of flexibility in representing the diverse perspectives in a dynamic situation ... 12:35:52 PM Louise Comfort:2) lack of staff training and current data in the knowledge base ... 12:36:04 PM Louise Comfort:3) lack of interorganizational decision support that is crucial in a community-wide event ... 12:36:17 PM Louise Comfort:4) lack of an intelligent reasoning component that can assist managers in addressing the rapid increase in volume and complexity of information in disaster events. 12:36:30 PM Louise Comfort:The IISIS Approach: 12:36:47 PM Louise Comfort:1. Links information technology with organizational design and learning to provide decision support to practicing agencies. 12:37:00 PM Louise Comfort:2. Creates a 'sociotechnical' system of interacting computers, organizations, and individuals working toward a common goal of reducing risk. 12:37:12 PM Louise Comfort:3. Supports a dual use system for improved management of disaster at both organizational and community levels. 12:37:25 PM Louise Comfort:4. Long-term goal: to increase the capacity of communities to mitigate and respond effectively to disasters. 12:37:43 PM Louise Comfort:Design issues for an information system to be used in disaster environments: Such a system ... 12:37:57 PM Louise Comfort:1) addresses information needs for decision-makers operating in the dynamic, urgent environment of disaster operations ... 12:38:08 PM Louise Comfort:) needs to be more flexible than a typical information system to accommodate novel situations and new roles ... 12:38:14 PM Amy Sebring:Hello Louise. 12:38:21 PM Amy Sebring:Glad you are connected. 12:38:29 PM Amy Sebring:I got you phone message. 12:39:31 PM Louise Comfort:Hi Amy, just practicing.... 12:39:40 PM Amy Sebring:Looks like you are doing ok. 12:40:08 PM Louise Comfort:I've gone through it several times. I think it will be OK. Thanks for the edit, 12:40:31 PM Amy Sebring:Don't forget to use punctuation when you answer questions... 12:40:38 PM Amy Sebring:either ... or just a period. 12:40:53 PM Louise Comfort:Promise....getting used to it is the issue. 12:41:17 PM Amy Sebring:I think we will be fine...just hope we get some folks today since it is a different day of the week. 12:41:43 PM Louise Comfort:My next question...will we have an audience??? 12:42:03 PM Amy Sebring:mine too...be right back 12:43:46 PM Amy Sebring:ok I am back 12:44:00 PM Louise Comfort:Amy, the server debacle apparently knocked out the IISIS home page. We will fix it tonight, but my system administrator couldn't come in until 6:30 p.m. 12:44:01 PM Amy Sebring:Had to receive a delivery of a pallet full of hurricane literature. 12:44:13 PM Amy Sebring:ok. 12:44:24 PM Louise Comfort:The season is upon us...hurricanes, that is. 12:44:35 PM Amy Sebring:I have had a very busy morning today. 12:44:43 PM Amy Sebring:People coming in and calling all at once. 12:45:08 PM Louise Comfort:I'm sure...people are now more aware...and more worried. 12:45:23 PM Amy Sebring:Also trying to get ready for Hurricane Awareness week coming up. 12:45:47 PM Louise Comfort:If anyone asks why they cannot access the IISIS homepage, please tell them it will be back up tonight. 12:45:58 PM Amy Sebring:As if we didn't have enough, are also doing a revision to our HazMat annex. 12:46:14 PM Amy Sebring:ok re IISIS homepage 12:46:21 PM Louise Comfort:Interesting...our prototype is geared toward hazmat. 12:46:33 PM Amy Sebring:Want to check real quick that I have my slides in synch. 12:46:36 PM Louise Comfort:I'd like to see what you are doing. 12:46:59 PM Amy Sebring:Am actually trying to write a REAL plan. 12:47:12 PM Louise Comfort:Bravo! 12:47:26 PM Amy Sebring:With participation from those who should. 12:48:10 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/Giisis/iisis001.gif 12:48:36 PM Louise Comfort:Slide works well. 12:48:49 PM Amy Sebring:Mine loaded really fast, but I probably have in cache. 12:49:10 PM Louise Comfort:Mine also loaded fast...in seconds. 12:49:14 PM Amy Sebring:great 12:49:26 PM Amy Sebring:am checking all users 12:50:31 PM Amy Sebring:Isabel is out in Forum. I asked her to direct traffic for about 10 minutes. 12:51:12 PM Louise Comfort:Good...it would be nice to have a few people to watch. 12:51:42 PM Amy Sebring:Yes...after all our efforts! But at least we will have transcript for posterity. 12:52:02 PM Amy Sebring:The background material stays up on the site and the transcript linked to it. 12:52:07 PM Louise Comfort:And...I will have learned how to use the live chat software! 12:52:21 PM Amy Sebring:Yes, that will be increasingly important I believe. 12:52:32 PM Amy Sebring:I hope you will come back and join us for some of our other chats. 12:52:49 PM Amy Sebring:We are basically covering everybody who is doing anything in this area. 12:53:08 PM Louise Comfort:I will be able to do more, now that the semester is over. We had faculty meetings on Wednesdays all year. 12:53:12 PM Amy Sebring:We have looked at ARIS, and Tim's work in South Carolina, PlantSafe... 12:53:24 PM Amy Sebring:and have coming up later SitRep2200. 12:53:28 PM Amy Sebring:Hi Avagene. 12:53:29 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Hello, Louise and Amy. 12:53:31 PM Louise Comfort:Have you done FEMIS yet? 12:53:48 PM Amy Sebring:Not yet, although we had a Round Table on CCEPP last week. 12:53:53 PM Louise Comfort:Hi Avagene, our audience has increased by one-third! 12:54:04 PM Amy Sebring:Chip or someone will also do NEMIS when it comes out. 12:54:19 PM Louise Comfort:In June??? 12:54:38 PM Amy Sebring:Don't know the latest. Thought there would be something to see in April. 12:54:43 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:I think people are late coming in today. I know of a couple who said they would be here for sure. 12:54:45 PM Amy Sebring:Hi Kevin, welcome back. 12:54:57 PM Amy Sebring:Yes, let's give it until about 5 after. 12:55:09 PM Kevin Farrell:Hi guys... 12:55:10 PM Rick Tobin:Hello Amy 12:55:17 PM Amy Sebring:Pat West called me Avagene to let me know the May 15th VFRE session had changed! 12:55:26 PM Amy Sebring:Hello Rick. Have missed you also. 12:55:31 PM Louise Comfort:Hi Rick, How is California? 12:55:42 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Hello, Rick and Kevin. 12:55:46 PM Rick Tobin:Dismally wet---what can I say? 12:55:53 PM Kevin Farrell:Quack! 12:56:08 PM Kevin Farrell:been raining here since Thurs evening.... steady 12:56:16 PM Louise Comfort:Understand you have broken a record set in the 19th century... 12:56:41 PM Louise Comfort:my daughter confided that bit of information to me. 12:56:43 PM Rick Tobin:In 8 days it will be the longest series of rain days in Sacramento history. 12:57:01 PM Amy Sebring:I was thinking of Tim Murphy in South Carolina with the tornadoes down there. 12:57:02 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:That's normal for TN. 12:57:11 PM Kevin Farrell:we had a power pole fall here yesterday the ground is so saturated.... it's a first for me. 12:57:27 PM Kevin Farrell:never seen that happen before 12:57:41 PM Rick Tobin:I talked to Cindy Bishop in Nebraska this morning. They're sweating bullets over the tornado season. 12:58:05 PM Kevin Farrell:we had one in Huntsville the day I left Rick 12:58:10 PM Amy Sebring:I'll take hurricane anyday. 12:58:16 PM Louise Comfort:In Pennsylvania, we are only dealing with hazmat incidents. 12:58:34 PM Kevin Farrell:'only' Louise? :-) 12:59:04 PM Louise Comfort:Compared to a hurricane...at least there's a chance to get out of the way. 12:59:15 PM Amy Sebring:Will give folks just about 3 more minutes. 12:59:31 PM Rick Tobin:I have a quick general question... 12:59:39 PM Amy Sebring:sure Rick 12:59:54 PM Rick Tobin:Anyone know about hospitals that are doing Business Contingency Planning? 01:00:11 PM Amy Sebring:no knowledge 01:00:32 PM Louise Comfort:Actually, a group of researchers at UCLA are working on the problem. 01:00:48 PM Rick Tobin:Any contact names there, Louise? 01:01:20 PM Louise Comfort:a young researcher at Cal State Long Beach was leading the team... 01:01:48 PM Louise Comfort:I'll check his name and send it to you. I just reviewed an NSF proposal for their research. 01:01:52 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Rick, we are having a discussion in the RT about hospital and health care issues related to emergency management on the 21st. 01:02:02 PM Amy Sebring:I think our hard core group is here... 01:02:15 PM Amy Sebring:since we are all experienced professionals at chatting... 01:02:29 PM Amy Sebring:I am going to skip over my usual instructions. 01:02:42 PM Amy Sebring:On behalf of the EIIP, I am pleased to welcome you to a special event in our Library. 01:02:51 PM Amy Sebring:Because of changes made to our software, we are having an UNMODERATED session today. 01:03:02 PM Amy Sebring:And now, it is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Louise Comfort, Associate Professor, University Center for Social and Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh ... 01:03:12 PM Amy Sebring:Dr. Comfort is also the Principal Researcher for the IISIS project which she will describe for us this afternoon. 01:03:24 PM Amy Sebring:Thank you so much for being with us today Louise. 01:03:39 PM Louise Comfort:Thanks Amy. Am glad I could make it here today to talk about 01:03:58 PM Louise Comfort:An Interactive, Intelligent, Spatial Information System (IISIS): A Community Model 01:04:12 PM Louise Comfort:The problem: the costs of disaster have increased dramatically, estimated at $50 billion a year in the years of heaviest losses, 1993 - 1995. 01:04:24 PM Louise Comfort:Stark increase in costs of disaster reflects growing interdependence of metropolitan regions and a society with an increasing population and advanced technologies. 01:04:38 PM Louise Comfort:Communities function with increasingly interdependent systems -- transportation, communications, power, water, sewage, natural gas. 01:05:05 PM Louise Comfort:Major causes of failure: lack of knowledge of the consequences of failure of one system upon others; lack of timely, accurate, information to mobilize effective action. 01:05:28 PM Louise Comfort:Three basic issues are involve 01:05:42 PM Louise Comfort:1. Practical: how can a community increase its capacity to mitigate and respond to disaster in its environment? 01:05:55 PM Louise Comfort: 01:06:11 PM Louise Comfort:3. Technical: how can an information system support the changing roles of personnel and organizations as they adapt to shifting demands from the disaster environment? 01:06:25 PM Louise Comfort:Unmet needs: Existing software programs designed for emergency management have not successfully met the needs of practicing managers. 01:06:37 PM Louise Comfort:We suggest four main reasons: 01:06:48 PM Louise Comfort:1) lack of flexibility in representing the diverse perspectives in a dynamic situation ... 01:06:59 PM Louise Comfort:2) lack of staff training and current data in the knowledge base ... 01:07:11 PM Louise Comfort:3) lack of interorganizational decision support that is crucial in a community-wide event .. 01:07:22 PM Louise Comfort:4) lack of an intelligent reasoning component that can assist managers in addressing the rapid increase in volume and complexity of information in disaster events. 01:07:33 PM Louise Comfort:The IISIS Approac 01:07:46 PM Louise Comfort:1. Links information technology with organizational design and learning to provide decision support to practicing agencies. 01:07:57 PM Louise Comfort:2. Creates a 'sociotechnical' system of interacting computers, organizations, and individuals working toward a common goal of reducing risk. 01:08:09 PM Louise Comfort:3. Supports a dual use system for improved management of disaster at both organizational and community levels. 01:08:25 PM Louise Comfort:4. Long-term goal: to increase the capacity of communities to mitigate and respond effectively to disasters. 01:08:37 PM Louise Comfort:Design issues for an information system to be used in disaster environments: Such a system ... 01:08:48 PM Louise Comfort:1) addresses information needs for decision-makers operating in the dynamic, urgent environment of disaster operatio 01:09:00 PM Louise Comfort:2) needs to be more flexible than a typical information system to accommodate novel situations and new roles ... 01:09:11 PM Louise Comfort:3) provides not only a knowledge base of relevant information and a record of unfolding events, but also and intelligent guidance system to support individual reasoning and cooperative decision making ... 01:09:27 PM Louise Comfort:4) needs to be dual-use, so that staff would use it in their daily operations and update the knowledge base on a continuing basis. 01:09:39 PM Louise Comfort:The current IISIS prototype consists of three basic components: 01:09:51 PM Louise Comfort: 01:10:06 PM Louise Comfort:2) dynamic maps as the event unfolds, using GIS; and . 01:10:19 PM Louise Comfort:3) intelligent reasoning by the computer to integrate incoming information from the environment with stored information about the community. 01:10:32 PM Louise Comfort:igure 1 shows how observations of a threat are transmitted via a Web page interface to an information system that provides a continuous assessment of the 'state of the community'. First slide please, Amy. 01:10:35 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/Giisis/iisis001.gif 01:11:23 PM Louise Comfort:As new information enters the system, it is passed to the intelligent reasoning component, which compares the change reported about the community with stored information from the knowledge base to assess the difference and estimate the degree of risk to the community. 01:11:36 PM Louise Comfort:The human-computer interface is a set of Web pages that receive input from the user, transmit it to the information system, and return new information, processed through the system, to the user. 01:11:52 PM Louise Comfort: 01:12:08 PM Louise Comfort:The second subset reports the event and assesses its impact upon the community dynamically. The third subset provides a continuous record of disaster operations for the specific disaster ev 01:12:22 PM Louise Comfort:Figure 2 shows the field status screen, which allows the user to enter the incident report: time, location, type of hazard, estimated severity, environmental conditions such as temperature and wind direction. Next slide please, Amy. 01:12:26 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/Giisis/iisis002.gif 01:12:43 PM Louise Comfort:The next three figures show aspects of the dynamic assessment of the event. 01:13:12 PM Louise Comfort:Figure 3 shows the Disaster Site, Community Scale. Next slide please, Amy. 01:13:16 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/Giisis/iisis003.gif 01:13:28 PM Louise Comfort:Figure 4 shows the Disaster Site, building scale. Next slide please, Amy. 01:13:41 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/Giisis/iisis005.gif 01:13:43 PM Louise Comfort:Figure 5 shows the Damage Assessment screen. Next slide please, Amy. 01:13:59 PM Louise Comfort:The intelligent reasoning component will provide continuing assessment as the event evolves. It will identify the area of geographic impact, and within this area, estimate the consequences of this event for the population of the community, its built environment, its lifelines and existing resources for response. 01:14:12 PM Louise Comfort:This information is posted on the 'electronic blackboard' which is monitored by the knowledge sources for the separate organizations that have legal responsibilities for response in disaster: fire, police, emergency medical services, public works, and others. 01:14:29 PM Louise Comfort:The organizational knowledge sources contain the standard operating procedures for each organization in event of emergency. If any one of these procedures is triggered for action by the incoming information, that action is reported to all other emergency response organizations via the electronic blackboard. 01:14:29 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/Giisis/iisis006.gif 01:14:56 PM Louise Comfort:The intelligent component uses this information to calculate the probability of risk to individual sectors of the community, as well as the cumulative level of risk for the whole community. This information is returned to the user (practicing manager) by the computer via the Web page. 01:15:27 PM Louise Comfort:he third set of functions provides a continuous record of disaster operations for the current disaster event. Figure 8 shows the current status of operations for the event. Next slide please, Amy. 01:15:33 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/Giisis/iisis007.gif 01:16:07 PM Louise Comfort:Sorry. ..I think I'm ahead of the slides. 01:16:17 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/Giisis/iisis008.gif 01:16:58 PM Louise Comfort:Conclusion -- 01:17:18 PM Louise Comfort:The IISIS prototype adapts and integrates appropriate information technologies to support interorganizational decision making and providing real time information to practicing managers. 01:17:33 PM Louise Comfort:The use of the IISIS prototype will contribute to a community's capacity to adapt and respond to demands from its environment in a more timely, appropriate, and efficient manner. 01:17:48 PM Louise Comfort:I hope this conveys the essence of the paper. I would be happy to take questions or comments now Amy. 01:17:54 PM Amy Sebring:Thanks Louise. I would like to take a moment here to review how we will handle the Q&A so that we have an orderly session. 01:18:03 PM Amy Sebring:We ask that you indicate that you have a question by typing just a question mark (?). 01:18:13 PM Amy Sebring:Then you can prepare your question, but PLEASE HOLD (don't hit end or send) your question until you are recognized. 01:18:22 PM Amy Sebring:If we run out of time, you will have a chance to ask Louise afterward in the follow up session in the Virtual Forum. 01:18:46 PM Amy Sebring:Ok, ready for questions. 01:18:50 PM David Crews:? 01:18:54 PM Amy Sebring:Yes David. 01:19:43 PM David Crews:How do you propose to cross the traditional political and bureacratic boundaries who keep data that is proprietary? 01:19:47 PM Kevin Farrell:? 01:20:03 PM Louise Comfort:David, this is the hardest part... 01:20:19 PM Louise Comfort:the main issues in using information systems is not the technology... 01:20:34 PM Rick Tobin:Rick Tobin? 01:20:39 PM Louise Comfort:it's getting organizations to work together, to share data ... 01:20:52 PM Louise Comfort:and to accept a common set of standards. 01:21:05 PM Amy Sebring:Kevin Farrell. 01:21:24 PM Kevin Farrell:Louise, I'm assuming that you've tested the model, but what sort of situations (large and small) have you tested it with? 01:21:52 PM Louise Comfort:we have not actually used the prototype in a real situation... 01:22:02 PM Louise Comfort:we've used it for training... 01:22:05 PM Kevin Farrell:simulations? 01:22:14 PM Louise Comfort:and to allow organizations to discover they need to share data. 01:22:31 PM Louise Comfort:yes, primarily simulations. 01:22:36 PM Amy Sebring:Rick. 01:22:44 PM Rick Tobin:One of the toughest part of Artificial Intelligence systems is input and maintenance of relevant data. Any strategies on getting those kind of commitments in a world of bottom line management? 01:23:02 PM Louise Comfort:It has to be a dual use system... 01:23:25 PM Louise Comfort:that way, the personnel who use the dat a every day are updating it constantly. 01:23:56 PM Rick Tobin:I can't imagine most managers using this on a daily basis...at least, not yet. 01:24:01 PM Louise Comfort:People will discover their efficiency increases... 01:24:13 PM Louise Comfort:with better information on daily use alsol 01:24:28 PM Amy Sebring:Louise, can you tell us more about the reasoning component, what type of engine you are using? 01:24:45 PM Louise Comfort:Agency staff need to communicate with their personnel...i 01:25:05 PM Louise Comfort:it helps to do it on a regular basis. 01:25:36 PM Louise Comfort:We are using a blackboard system that was developed at SRI... 01:25:57 PM Louise Comfort:Bruce Buchanan who worked on the system is now at the University. 01:26:12 PM Amy Sebring:Is that a rules based system? 01:26:39 PM Louise Comfort:Yes, which fits the sop's that emergency managers must use... 01:27:02 PM Louise Comfort:they understand clearly the parameters withiin which the machine is reasoning. 01:27:12 PM David Crews:? 01:27:16 PM Amy Sebring:David. 01:27:33 PM Joanne McGlown:? 01:27:51 PM Amy Sebring:While he is preparing his question, SRI Louise? Is that research or private? 01:28:19 PM Louise Comfort:Stanford Research Institute...mostly private, but with lots of federal grants. 01:28:42 PM Amy Sebring:David are you ready? 01:28:52 PM Louise Comfort:The software ..paid for by tax dollars...is now free. 01:29:03 PM David Crews:Have you worked with other universities on this. I received a call from University of North Texas interested in a info/comm partnership with the business community and in forming a core group to determine the need for a strategic plan. 01:29:23 PM Rick Tobin:Rick? 01:29:33 PM Louise Comfort:I've been in conta ct with most researchers working on the problem... 01:29:50 PM Louise Comfort:no one else that I know is working on an intelligent reasoning component. 01:30:10 PM Amy Sebring:Joanne is next please. 01:30:13 PM Joanne McGlown:Louise, I am assuming there is a base of data resident, continuously. If correct, what type? Demographics? GIS mapping? or if off-base... (sorry, couldn't see the slides well) ? 01:30:37 PM Louise Comfort:We are seeking to combine many databases for the region.... 01:30:58 PM Louise Comfort:the prototype will run best on a well- designed knowledge base. 01:31:22 PM Louise Comfort:GIS will be a major component of this system. 01:31:33 PM David Crews:North Texas U wants to do something like this. 01:31:55 PM Amy Sebring:Rick is next. 01:31:59 PM Rick Tobin:I believe California State OES would be very interested in the process you are developing. Is there a formal paper or presentation available on this? We've been discussing AI for 2 years here, but nobody has attacked it as you have. It could be a marriage made in heaven. 01:32:38 PM Amy Sebring:(See background info Rick! http://www.emforum.org/vlibrary/980506.htm ) 01:32:45 PM Louise Comfort:Rick, I would be delighted to work with Cal OES. I'll be at Berkeley this summer... 01:33:03 PM Louise Comfort:and would be very glad to meet with you. 01:33:35 PM Louise Comfort:In fact, I'm leaving for Berkeley tomorrow, just for the weekend, to attend an NSF conference on EQ hazards. 01:33:45 PM Rick Tobin:Excellent! I'll start greasing the skids. 01:33:58 PM Amy Sebring:Louise, in follow up to Joannes question, are you following the FGDC concept of core data elements? 01:34:09 PM Joanne McGlown:? 01:34:10 PM Louise Comfort:Terrific! Meanwhile, I'll send you some papers. 01:34:27 PM Amy Sebring:Please spell out FGDC for me Louise.) 01:34:49 PM Louise Comfort:Joanne, the FGDC concepts are very important...Federal Geographic Data Committee... 01:35:15 PM Louise Comfort:it really outlines the design for a national information infrastructure, which we badly need. 01:35:33 PM Amy Sebring:Joanne, your question please. 01:35:34 PM eric sutherland:I am joining the library by invitaton from A. 01:35:36 PM Joanne McGlown:Louise, I also must raise the Y2K issue when talking about compatabilities... Do you feel this will be an issue for this prototype? 01:35:41 PM Louise Comfort:The FGDC has developed standards, and if all communities would follow them... 01:36:34 PM Louise Comfort:Joanne, it will be an issue only in integrating different kinds of data...but there are major efforts underway to design a conversion program. 01:37:06 PM Louise Comfort:I think it will be solved, but it will be time-consuming and expensive. 01:37:49 PM Amy Sebring:How far along are you with the prototype, and how far to go? 01:38:43 PM Louise Comfort:We have the system design nicely developed. We have the Web pages and a database for one jurisdiction reasonably developed. We are still working on the intelligent reasoning component... 01:38:52 PM Louise Comfort:which is the hardest part. 01:39:12 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:? 01:39:19 PM Louise Comfort:We would very much like to create a consortium of public agencies, universities and private companies... 01:39:34 PM Louise Comfort:to work on this problem. Yes, EIIP is the model! 01:39:43 PM Amy Sebring:Avagene. 01:39:45 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:With whom will you do your field testing? Will it be done in stages or how? 01:40:21 PM Louise Comfort:For licensing reasons, we have been using the Univ. of Pittsburgh as a field site. 01:40:39 PM Louise Comfort:If we use it only at the University, our costs are much lower. 01:41:00 PM Louise Comfort:But we would like to work with practicing agencies for a real test. 01:41:16 PM Amy Sebring:The University is a microcosm of the broader community is it not? 01:41:22 PM Louise Comfort:The University is actually a third-class city of some 32,000 souls. 01:41:53 PM Louise Comfort:It has a hazmat team, campus police, emergency medicine and lots of unruly people. 01:42:43 PM Amy Sebring:What is your approach to gathering the rules for the AI component Louise? 01:43:01 PM Louise Comfort:We've used several sources... 01:43:27 PM Louise Comfort:first, are the emergency plans and the legislation, policies governing disaster management... 01:43:52 PM Louise Comfort:but more important, is the set of field observations I have done over the past 15 years.... 01:44:10 PM Louise Comfort:and crucial are the interviews with practicing managers... 01:44:45 PM Louise Comfort:it is important, however, to follow them around, because they often do very innovative things... 01:45:01 PM Louise Comfort:which are n't in the rules...and which they don't think to tell you. 01:45:23 PM Amy Sebring:or to write down anywhere! 01:45:31 PM Amy Sebring:Any more questions from our audience? 01:45:36 PM David Crews:North Texas U approached me last week wanting to build a Info/comm consortium and have already talked to the States EM in California, Florida and Texas. It sounds like the academic community has several parallel efforts going. As a suggestion maybe a consortium in the academic community would be the place to start, using the iisis as part of the foundation. 01:45:49 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:? 01:45:52 PM Amy Sebring:Avagene 01:46:13 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Louise, you mentioned that we need a national information infrastructure.... 01:46:18 PM Louise Comfort:I am aware of the people at North Texas, .. 01:46:32 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:from your perspective, where are we in such an effort ...... 01:46:44 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:and what do you see on the horizon? 01:46:46 PM Louise Comfort:I think that universities could be a major resource in building the information base. 01:47:15 PM Louise Comfort:We are behind....people are just beginning to be aware of the need... 01:47:39 PM Louise Comfort:we need major public funding...shared with private and nonprofit organizations... 01:47:55 PM Louise Comfort:to build the knowledge base and to train personnel to use these systems. 01:48:17 PM Louise Comfort:I would like to see universities as a major leader in the field... 01:48:34 PM Louise Comfort:they can do the research, test in in partnership with local agencies... 01:48:51 PM Louise Comfort:and then work with businesses to produce and market the software for public use. 01:49:01 PM Louise Comfort:It would save billions in losses. 01:49:05 PM David Crews:NTU is proposing major funding from private sources instead of relying on public funding. 01:49:22 PM Louise Comfort:we may need to go that route...but I worry... 01:49:45 PM Louise Comfort:emergency management shouldn't have to depend on the market. 01:49:51 PM Amy Sebring:Louise, have you considered adding environmental sensors as a component in the future? 01:50:14 PM Amy Sebring:(We can follow up Private vs. Public afterward in Virtual Forum.) 01:50:15 PM Louise Comfort:yes, we will be doing that in a prototype we are designing for the Czech Republic. 01:50:42 PM Amy Sebring:Can you tell us just a little about that? 01:51:17 PM Louise Comfort:This is a major project...still just in the planning stages...but the Czech Republic has a severe problem... 01:51:27 PM Louise Comfort:with environmental pollution. 01:51:51 PM Louise Comfort:In order to get their economy functioning, they need to clean up the mess from the last 50 years. 01:52:29 PM Louise Comfort:We will be working with a consortium of public, private and nonprofit agencies...with funding -- hopefully -- from the World Bank. 01:52:54 PM Amy Sebring:Thank you very much Louise for sharing your work with us today. 01:53:01 PM Amy Sebring:Before we shut down... 01:53:01 PM Louise Comfort:The University of Pittsburgh will work with Czech colleagues in setting up the design and training their staff. 01:53:22 PM Amy Sebring:would like to call on Avagene to tell us what is coming up the rest of this week. 01:53:32 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Thanks, Amy.... 01:53:51 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:tomorrow, Weds, May 13, 12:00 Noon EDT.... 01:54:16 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:hear Dr Wayne Blanchard talk about FEMA's Higher Education Project... 01:54:37 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Thursday, Round Table will be a surprise at 8 PM EDT.... 01:54:46 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Join us for both sessions, please. 01:54:56 PM Amy Sebring:Friday? 01:55:11 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Yes! How could I leave that out? ... 01:55:29 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Friday, our Partner in Puerto Rico, American Red Cross... 01:55:45 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:will have a session about an event going on there this weekend... 01:56:18 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:Harvey Ryland, IBHS, and Mr Kulik, SBA, will be meeting with their business and industry leaders.... 01:56:39 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:They will do a one hour chat in the Virtual Forum on Friday, 5 PM EDT.... 01:57:15 PM Avagene Moore EIIP:On Saturday, they have an air disaster conference and will have another session at 3 PM EDT. So join us and support our Puerto Rican counterparts. 01:57:29 PM Amy Sebring:Thanks Ava. Thank you audience, and since our time is up, we will close down the Library for today, but we will be in the Virtual Forum room for a few minutes longer, and you are welcome to join us there for open discussion. Thank you for your cooperation.