Applying Software Product Line Technology to Simulation Modeling of Emergency Response Facility

This paper proposes an effective, reusable solution for modeling and simulation. The approach is to develop a Software Product Line (SPL) architecture that explicitly captures the commonality and variability in a family of similar simulation systems. First responders and incident management personnel need better training resources to prepare for possible catastrophic events, including natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Live exercises are often very expensive to organize and conduct. With modeling and simulation technology, simulation-based exercise and training models could be developed. The SPL technology enables the simulation system to easily adapt to multiple contexts and allows the simulation system to reconfigure quickly. SPL models can be developed at different levels of scope and depth to suit the emergency responder's needs. By reusing the system requirement analysis, software architectures, and design, the development time is shorter, the development cost is lower, and the quality is easily maintained. This paper focuses on the application of SPL technology to simulation systems of emergency facilities, such as hospital emergency rooms, on-site emergency triage stations, decontamination stations, first-aid stations, and ambulances. The paper also introduces a prototype simulation of the SPL member system – a hospital emergency room simulation system that has been developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The detailed modeling of a family of emergency response facility simulation systems is performed based on the Product Line Unified Modeling Language (UML)-based Software engineering (PLUS) method.