Modeling and Simulation in Support of Disaster Preparedness

Abstract

Modeling and Simulation (M&S) plays a key role in exercising the decision-making process and in training the use of complex systems and procedures. Authorities, responsible to tackle complex processes in response to a plethora of types of natural and anthropogenic disasters, need tools that could support training and preparedness of teams, challenging them with scenarios as close as possible to reality. This work addresses challenges faced by the project team during the conceptualization, design and implementation of a simulation module of the THEMIS emergency management intelligent system. The aim of this intelligent system is to support disaster response operations and to improve the planning and execution efforts in disaster and crisis’ scenarios. Because the M&S module provides the incident injects to use by THEMIS, it also constitutes a key element in the toolkit considered in the usability evaluation plan of THEMIS, namely regarding the user interactions in the different types of equipment adopted.