gis emergency system

Geographic Information Systems Conference and Exhibition “GIS ODYSSEY 2017”, 4th to 8th of September 2017, Trento – Vattaro, Italy Conference proceedings

GIS EMERGENCY SYSTEM Prof. Janusz Kwiecień, Ph.D. UTP University of Science and Technology Department of Geomatics, Geotechnics and Spatial Economy Bydgoszcz, Poland e-mail: [email protected] Abstract This paper describes an interoperable Emergency Management and Reporting System (EMRS) for the integration of a urban telecommunication network within a geographic information system (GIS). An architecture that provides the basic components to integrate the functions of GIS with the functions of telecommunication network is presented. The integration of functions of the City Telecommunication System (CTS), Fleet Vehicles Navigation (FVN) based on distributed real-time GPS data, video-monitoring system and a data acquisition component with GIS capabilities provides mechanisms to access and manage event information, as well as to exploit its capabilities to the fullest in a synergic way. These components are the kernel of any application for emergency management. Key words: GPS, GIS, emergency system Introduction Currently, one of the most important challenges is the fusion of geographic information systems (GIS) and telecommunications. There had hitherto been practically no links between these two communities. There has been a visible evolution in the domain of GIS, especially applied to urban and environmental systems. By today’s standards, an isolated or non-communication database is severely out of date [2], and within a few years all GIS will have some links through the Internet or other communication media. The consequence is that new kinds of systems integrating GIS and telecommunication are merging. To define the city emergency system, the primary task of the overall program is the development of a computer-assisted system for coordinating all emergency action and all emergency services in the city. The appropriate project was designed in the city of Bydgoszcz, Poland (KWIECIEŃ, 1999J). The purpose was to build an integrated Emergency Management and Reporting System (EMRS) on the basis of existing city GIS and telecommunication system for a Command Center. The EMRS is a special operational system that interfaces to the public telephone network. The system allows the use of a 3-digit number (such as “112” number in Europe) to report any emergencies to a single central operation. That operation will collect information from the reporting person on the location and nature of the emergency, verify and permanently record the information, and electronically task the appropriate emergency response dispatching facilities (police, fire, medical, utility, or appropriate combination of resources). Automatic caller identification and geolocation data (using GIS) is the main feature of the EMRS. EMRS overview Using a 3-digit phone number, the Command Center get access to telecommunication subscribers for all kinds of emergency services. The dispatcher of Call Distribution decides who should be called on (i.e. police, fire brigade or medical) and go to the location of the event. The general concept of Emergency Services Management (ESM) is shown in Fig. 1, however Call Distribution (CD) is shown in Fig. 2. The dispatcher enters all essential information concerning a specific event in the database. The basic data include the type of event, place of event (address), personal data, and the caller’s telephone number. Worth emphasizing is the fact that next to the full caller identification and its location on a real-time GIS map is displayed (a building or telephone box). From the results presented in Fig. 2, the basic modules for the Command Center are the dispatchers stations, the switch unit (specialized telecommunication exchange), LAN, and a voice recording unit that automatically captures the conversation.

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Fig.1 Emergency Services Management. Source: own study.

Fig.2. Call Distribution. Source: own study.

Integrated Dispatcher Station Dispatcher stations of the command center are integrated modules both for the sound service coming from subscribers and entering digital information to the computer station. The computer station is a terminal that integrates three techniques: telecommunication, GPS, and video-monitoring with GIS. The general concept of the GIS/CTS/FVN/VIDEO integration is shown in Fig. 3.

Fig.3. The general concept of the GIS/CTS/FVN/VIDEO integration. Source: own study.

Using Digital Maps – Building Emergency GIS The first step was to build a digital map of the city containing indispensable information city management, such as ground, buildings, roads, streets, citizens, city utility networks, education, culture,

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recreation, monuments, parks, woods, medical care, hospitals, gas stations, and housing estates. To build this basic tool, the City Council of Bydgoszcz needed partners interested both in its construction, maintenance, and in sharing the costs of this enterprise. Electric plants, the gas company, the telecommunication company, the heating company, and the water supply and sewage system company were five crucial city utility network companies that accepted the rules, which allowed for the completion of the first step. The digital maps were based on a 1:500 geodetic map (Fig. 4). They account for the whole city and were accomplished within seven years. The maps are continually updated. When the team of designers completed the essential groundwork , the City Council decided to render the data accumulated within the GIS accessible to the emergency system to improve their efficiency. The project aiding the management of all the emergency services was prepared, and highly specialized applications to manage rescue operations were elaborated. The GIS database is a tool that assists in the management of rescue action at the Command Center.

Fig.4. The fragment of digital map. Source: own study.

It provides a capability to develop and access an array of static and dynamic databases and computational software routines in real time from all locations within the emergency service network. The capability provided must include advanced methods for retrieving information stored among diverse distributed database structures. Data typical of that stored and retrieved are as follows: Static data (Non-changing or slowly changing data): ‒ Cartographic, including numerical maps with identification and maps with identification and location of building and roads ‒ Police support data, including vehicle registration, warrants, criminal histories, law, etc. ‒ Historical data pertaining to past emergency reactions ‒ Health service information ‒ Emergency checklist files Dynamic information: ‒ Data pertaining to emergency call/event localization ‒ Data pertaining to near real-time location of all vehicles in the emergency response system ‒ Optimal path routing information to emergency locations ‒ Hospital status information Decision information: ‒ Current emergency unit status ‒ Action procedures CTS/GIS integration The basic task facing the City Telecommunication System (CTS) at Command Center is to provide reliable service of the sound connection between subscribers and dispatchers, as well as other dispatcher stations. Moreover, the technical solutions allow for the realization of other equally important tasks (Fig. 5), including voice recording and automatic caller identification and location using GIS. In addition, dispatchers can send data to other Command Centers for individual emergency services or their vehicles when they need to give departure orders or access roads.

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Fig. 5. The idea scheme of the CTS/GIS integration. Source: own study.

The integration of CTS and GIS was accomplished using a specialized switch unit, special software, and a signal driver. It creates the possibility to get a full exchange between dispatchers of Command Center and other stations. When the dispatcher answers an emergency call, a formatted information sheet (Graphical User Interface, or GUI) will appear on the computer screen (Fig. 6). The dispatcher solicits information from the caller and enters the data into the prompt screen. An application software was developed to facilitate the dispatcher’s work, and dialog boxes appear in the screen to help manage tasks such as registering and connecting with a switch unit, connecting to a database server (GIS), entering data received from the caller, and automatically locating the event on the city map.

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Fig. 6. Integrated GUI for dispatcher station. Source: own study.

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FVN/GIS integration Fleet Vehicle Navigation (FVN) plays an important role in assisting of automobile fleet management. The Bydgoszcz ATR Track III (KWIECIEŃ J. et al, 2004,2009) system was designed and can be applied locally (city) or at a wider scale (region or country). The system can locate 60 vehicles within 60 seconds. The wireless communication and Command Center make it possible to monitor a vehicle fleet on the city GIS map in real-time. Data can also be reviewed depending the options requested. The general conception of the integrated ATR Track III system and GIS is shown in Fig. 7.

Fig.7. The general conception of the integrated ATR Track III system and GIS. Source: own study.

The ATR Track III system is based on mobile stand-alone terminals that combine GPS and GSM technology to determine their own position. GSM wireless networks set a two-way communication between the mobile unit and control center. ATR Track devices use a GSM/GPRS modem to connect with the internet. This medium can then send position data and get messages from a remote server. After connecting to the internet, the ATR track devices retrieve from the GIS-GPS server based on a defined IP number and try to log in. If the device’s IP coincides with the list numbers defined on the server, then it is accepted to service. The GIS-GPS Server starts up to collect position data and make them available to outside clients. Every user equipped with the MultiViewer GIS Integrator console can connect to the server via the internet to receive position data from the whole fleet. The main components of the ATR TRACK III are: ‒ GPS/GPRS/I/O integrated unit with 16 channel GPS receiver, GSM/GPRS modem and digital input/output for optional sensors (i.e. alarm signals Fig. 8). ‒ Data Server (DS) – central unit for system monitoring ‒ A high-performance computer, optimized for running server applications with many users connected at the same time. The DS functionality is implemented through a software application called MultiViewer GPS Server Console (Fig. 9). Its task is to collect, archive and distribute data coming from vehicles that are equipped with GPS/GPRS/IO unit. ‒ MultiViewer GIS Integrator Console (VGIC) ‒ VGIC is an integrated and autonomous Graphical User Interface (GUI) to be designed for viewing and management of city GIS resources. Information from database about characteristics of every object can be accessed automatically at the view window when any element of the map is selected using the cursor. In Fig. 4, one of the moving vehicles with an ID label is show n the Bydgoszcz city map.

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GSM antenna input

GPS antenna input

I/O data port RS232

GSM/GPRS MODEM 16 channel GPS receiver

Fig.8. GPS / GPRS / I/O integrated unit of ATR Track III. Source: own study.

Fig. 9. MultiViewer GPS Server Console. Source: own study.

VIDEO/GIS integration Video monitoring is a one of the components of the Emergency Coordination System. A digital camera generates image digitalization and visualization in real-time, creating a very large information stream that requires the usage of a powerful computer. The application of very effective methods of image compression is needed as well. The current state of technical development of digital devices is insufficient to substitute traditional (analogue) techniques of image transmission. Properties of analogue and digital techniques complement one another. Therefore, it is necessary to apply in video systems mixed techniques (analogue and digital) and use them in these areas. Each of them reach the best result and lower costs. However, it is necessary to underline that the actual development of the equipment and methods of image transmission are very dynamic in connection with the development of computer networks (LAN and WAN). The video system determines the expansion for the whole City Emergency Coordination System (Fig. 10), giving a current monitoring of the city selected areas (i.e. street junctions, important buildings etc.).

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Fig.10. Video monitoring of the Emergency Coordination System. Source: own study.

Conclusion The EMRS fulfills the objective of an integrated and interoperable system that supports the major activities of the Emergency Management and Reporting System in Command Center of Bydgoszcz. The benefits of its functionality are evident. Rescue management is based on, among other things, spatial data. Events and catastrophes such as fires, floods, hurricanes, epidemics, chemical cloud dispersion, and liquid spills can be analyzed, modeled and displayed in a GIS. All crisis management phases require information from various data sources, which should be current and presented logically in a timely manner. Rescue services often need detailed information on terrestrial infrastructure in a digital format, such as the electricity distribution, building and demographic information, and so forth. The use of GIS allows all rescue services involved to share information through a GIS database generated in a single Management Center, or in distributed locations connected by a separate integrated tele-informatics system. References KWIECIEŃ J. 1999. City GIS –Building New Urbanization Network Infrastructure on City Bydgoszcz Case Proceedings of UDMS ‘99 Symposium, Venice, Italy. KWIECIEŃ J., BUJNOWSKI S., MALINOWSKI M, MATHIA Z. 2004. ATR Track II : The real - time GPS for public security. Reports on Geodesy - 2004, nr 1(68), s. 21-26 KWIECIEŃ J., MALINOWSKI M., BUJARKIEWICZ A. 2009. Public Safety GPS Tracking. System Image Processing & Communications Challenges. Part II, Communications / ed.. Choraś S, Zabłudowski A. Warsaw: Academy Publishing House EXIT.

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