An Intelligent Evacuation, Rescue and Recovery Concept

摘要

Recent terrorist incidents have demonstrated that personnel responsible for decision-making in post-attack and structural fire evacuation, rescue and recovery (ERR) activities can significantly benefit from an expert decision support system. In this paper, a concept is proposed for such an expert system that, through the use of sensor technology, can permit real-time assessment of the extent of blast and fire damage to a building, can recommend immediate actions that can be taken to mitigate the situation and prevent further deterioration, can monitor the growth and spread of fire and smoke, and can be used to aid the rescue workers and evacuees in rescue efforts and safe egress. This comprehensive system, once fully operational, can be used for training, blast damage assessment (BDA), target vulnerability assessment (TVA), pre-event emergency preparedness planning, and post-attack ERR operations. The key capabilities of this system stem from the electronic integration of two critical components: a near real-time intelligent BDA/TVA tool and on-line ERR-related optimization techniques. The implementation of this concept will support faster and more efficient evacuation of a building, ship, or other large structure in the event of military attack, fire, natural disaster, chemical attack, discovery of hazardous materials or biological agents, or other circumstances warranting quick escape.