A user centred design evaluation of the potential benefits of advanced wireless sensor networks for fire-in-tunnel emergency response

This study aimed to assess, from an end-user perspective, the potential role of reconfigurable wireless networks in responding to a fire-in-tunnel incident. The study was based on a multi-media, scenario-based simulation of an incident, and assessment of the benefits and drawbacks of the new technology by subject matter experts in relation to their operational goals, with particular emphasis on support for situation awareness. Advanced wireless networks were shown to have considerable potential for improving the effectiveness, efficiency and confidence of emergency responders at various phases in a fire-in-tunnel incident, due to access to more accurate, complete and reliable information. A key requirement was to ensure that new technologies provided the right information, not just more information, at the point of need.

[1]  Iftekhar Ahmad,et al.  Wireless sensor networks for fire emergency and gas detection , 2012, Proceedings of 2012 9th IEEE International Conference on Networking, Sensing and Control.

[2]  G. Klein,et al.  The Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) Model: Looking Back, Looking Forward , 1997 .

[3]  Erol Gelenbe,et al.  Wireless networks in emergency management , 2012, PINGEN '12.

[4]  M. Turoff,et al.  Session details: Emergency response information systems: emerging trends and technologies , 2007 .

[5]  Markus Scholz,et al.  Evaluation of wireless sensor technologies in a firefighting environment , 2010, 2010 Seventh International Conference on Networked Sensing Systems (INSS).

[6]  Konstantinos Koumpis,et al.  Opportunities and challenges for configurable sensor networks for enabling effective fire-in-tunnel response , 2007 .

[7]  Kim J. Vicente,et al.  An Ecological Approach to Interface Design , 1998 .

[8]  Weisong Shi,et al.  Using Wireless Sensor Networks for Fire Rescue Applications: Requirements and Challenges , 2006, 2006 IEEE International Conference on Electro/Information Technology.

[9]  Ashir Ahmed,et al.  What benefits can be brought forward by adopting RFID in emergency management? , 2010, 2010 Second International Conference on Engineering System Management and Applications.

[10]  T.M. Duffy,et al.  Scenario-Based Design: Envisioning Work and Technology in System Development [Book Review] , 1996, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.

[11]  Xiaojun Li,et al.  A feasibility study of the measuring accuracy and capability of wireless sensor networks in tunnel monitoring , 2012 .

[12]  Ajanta De Sarkar,et al.  A review of fault management system in wireless sensor network , 2012, CUBE.

[13]  Santanu Chaudhury.  Disaster management using mobile robots , 2011, ACWR '11.

[14]  Martha Grabowski,et al.  Human performance and embedded intelligent technology in safety-critical systems , 2003, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[15]  Mica R. Endsley,et al.  Toward a Theory of Situation Awareness in Dynamic Systems , 1995, Hum. Factors.

[16]  Mica R. Endsley,et al.  Designing for Situation Awareness in Complex System , 2001 .

[17]  Murray E. Jennex.  Modeling Emergency Response Systems , 2007, 2007 40th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'07).

[18]  M. King,et al.  GDIA : a Cognitive Task Analysis Protocol to Capture the Information Requirements of Emergency First Responders , 2009 .

[19]  David Benyon,et al.  Scenarios and the HCI-SE design problem , 2002, Interact. Comput..

[20]  Erik S. Connors,et al.  Situation awareness: State of the art , 2008, 2008 IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting - Conversion and Delivery of Electrical Energy in the 21st Century.

[21]  Neil Maiden,et al.  Scenarios, Stories, Use Cases: Through the Systems Development Life-Cycle , 2004 .

[22]  Nigel Bevan,et al.  International standards for HCI and usability , 2001, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[23]  P. Beatty,et al.  Extending hierarchical task analysis to identify cognitive demands and information design requirements. , 2011, Applied ergonomics.

[24]  Mica R. Endsley,et al.  Situation Awareness Oriented Design: From User's Cognitive Requirements to Creating Effective Supporting Technologies , 2003 .

[25]  Lili Yang,et al.  On-Site Information Systems Design for Emergency First Responders , 2009 .

[26]  Jonas Landgren,et al.  Using live video for information sharing in emergency response work , 2009 .

[27]  Wei Zhou,et al.  DistressNet: a wireless ad hoc and sensor network architecture for situation management in disaster response , 2010, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[28]  Murray Turoff,et al.  Human-computer interaction , 2007, Commun. ACM.

[29]  Jan Gulliksen,et al.  Key principles for user-centred systems design , 2003, Behav. Inf. Technol..

[30]  Paula Savioja,et al.  Analysis of work demands of multi-agency emergency response activity for developing information support systems , 2009, ECCE.

[31]  Kamarulzaman Ab. Aziz,et al.  Managing disaster with wireless sensor networks , 2011, 13th International Conference on Advanced Communication Technology (ICACT2011).

[32]  Rob Bogue.  Sensors for fire detection , 2013 .

[33]  Shuang-Hua Yang,et al.  SafetyNET/A Wireless Sensor Network for Fire Protection and Emergency Responses , 2006 .

[34]  James R. Lawson,et al.  Emergency Response Operations. Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster (NIST NCSTAR 1-8) | NIST , 2005 .

[35]  Andrew J May,et al.  Using a 'value-added' approach for contextual design of geographic information. , 2013, Applied ergonomics.

[36]  Raj Prasanna,et al.  Guidance for developing human–computer interfaces for supporting fire emergency response , 2013 .

[37]  Gary Klein,et al.  Naturalistic Decision Making , 2008, Hum. Factors.

[38]  Frank Oldewurtel,et al.  The RUNES Architecture for Reconfigurable Embedded and Sensor Networks , 2009, 2009 Third International Conference on Sensor Technologies and Applications.

[39]  Niv Ahituv,et al.  Principles of information systems for management , 1982 .

[40]  Mica R. Endsley,et al.  Designing for Situation Awareness : An Approach to User-Centered Design , 2003 .

[41]  Daniel J. Garland,et al.  Situation Awareness Analysis and Measurement , 2009 .

[42]  John M. Carroll,et al.  Making Use: Scenario-Based Design of Human-Computer Interactions , 2000 .

[43]  Daniel Gooch,et al.  Communications of the ACM , 2011, XRDS.

[44]  Lili Yang,et al.  Opportunities for WSN for facilitating fire emergency response , 2010, 2010 Fifth International Conference on Information and Automation for Sustainability.

[45]  JeongWook Son,et al.  IMPROVEMENT OF COLLABORATION AMONG FIRST RESPONDERS INCLUDING CIVIL ENGINEERS DURING DISASTER RESPONSE IN URBAN AREAS , 2006 .

[46]  Ann Blandford,et al.  Evaluating the Information Behaviour methods: Formative evaluations of two methods for assessing the functionality and usability of electronic information resources , 2011, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[47]  Zeeshan Aziz,et al.  Supporting disaster response and recovery through improved situation awareness , 2008 .

[48]  Raj Prasanna,et al.  Information Systems for Supporting Fire Emergency Response , 2010 .

[49]  Neville A Stanton,et al.  Hierarchical task analysis: developments, applications, and extensions. , 2006, Applied ergonomics.

[50]  Oscar Mauricio Serrano Jaimes,et al.  EVALUACION DE LA USABILIDAD EN SITIOS WEB, BASADA EN EL ESTANDAR ISO 9241-11 (International Standard (1998) Ergonomic requirements For office work with visual display terminals (VDTs)-Parts II: Guidance on usability , 2012 .

[51]  Marcel Kyas,et al.  Wireless sensor networks in emergency scenarios: the FeuerWhere deployment , 2012, SESP '12.

[52]  David J. Bryant,et al.  Making Naturalistic Decision Making “ Fast and Frugal ” , 2002 .