Title: Integration of heterogeneous information sources for an effective emergency management

Authors: Farshad Shams; Paolo Capodieci; Antonio Cerone; Romano Fantacci; Dania Marabissi; Guido Mariotta; Pierluigi Sciuto; Rocco De Nicola

Addresses: IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca, SysMA Group, Piazza S. Francesco, 19, 55100, Lucca (LU), Italy ' Selex Es, A Finmeccanica Company, via Tiburtina, 00131, Rome, Italy ' IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca, SysMA Group, Piazza S. Francesco, 19, 55100, Lucca (LU), Italy ' Information Engineering Department, University of Florence, via S. Marta 3, 50139, Florence, Italy ' Information Engineering Department, University of Florence, via S. Marta 3, 50139, Florence, Italy ' Selex Es, A Finmeccanica Company, via Tiburtina, 00131, Rome, Italy ' Selex Es, A Finmeccanica Company, via Tiburtina, 00131, Rome, Italy ' IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca, SysMA Group, Piazza S. Francesco, 19, 55100, Lucca (LU), Italy

Abstract: The development of strategies, technologies and tools to enhance user collaboration around disasters has become an emergent field, that has triggered the integration of different technologies in order to efficiently drive decision making in emergency management (EM). In this paper, we critically review the existing strategies and technologies for EM and outline a new approach based on the functional integration of the mining of social networks with the capabilities of sensor networks to collect data and the availability of a dedicated telecommunication system to exchange information securely and reliably. The focus is placed on different strategies for decision support and for alert and information dissemination. Effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated by discussing performances of its implementation in a system for the prevention and the management of natural disasters developed with a regional research project.

Keywords: disaster management; emergency management; social media; WSNs; wireless sensor networks; decision making; heterogeneous information sources; user collaboration; social network mining; SNM; information security; information reliability; information sharing; decision support systems; DSS; natural disasters.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEM.2016.074880

International Journal of Emergency Management, 2016 Vol.12 No.1, pp.70 - 94

Received: 15 Jul 2015
Accepted: 02 Oct 2015
Published online: 22 Feb 2016 *

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