DSS for enhanced emergency call services: a Dalmatia case study

Because of international agreements and protocols, as well as hosting numerous tourists during summer, Croatia needs to establish Enhanced Emergency Call Services. For Split-Dalmatia County a Pilot project called "Enhanced Emergency Call Service 112" was evaluated. The approach is based on available infrastructure, resources, knowledge and potentials, aiming to conceptualise "Centre 112", mainly from telecommunication and decision support model aspects, in organisational and functional manner. Starting from the telecommunication infrastructure base, we analysed the digital records for "Centre 112" infrastructure efficiency (areas covered, covering of specially risk areas, capacities, reliability, technical and technological functionality, interoperability, etc.). Moreover, analysis of available resources for rescue and help was performed regarding telecommunication equipment and possibility to fit into unique emergency management systems (police, fire brigades, hospitals and ambulances, marine and river rescue teams, mountain rescue teams and other SAR brigades, various anti-accident biological, chemical-technological and other brigades, special mobile mechanisation, experts in certain fields, etc.). To make "Centre 112" more efficient, based on the analysis of collected data, a DSS for Enhanced Emergency Call Services is conceptualised. It consists of several modules containing model and software support for "Centre 112" functioning. The most important modules are: GIS (geographic information system), locating critical infrastructure network using GIS, locating the calls in the fixed phone network, locating calls in the mobile telecommunication network, determining the nearest station for intervention and the fastest route for intervention by using GIS "network analyst" software, establishing alerting and warning function via fixed and mobile telecommunication networks, location the user of mobile phone within SAR activities, offering services to the tourists that calls "Centre 112" (identification of communication language and establishment of some automatic dialogs), etc.