The objective of assisting with tasks and decisions during incident response is to reduce the risks to victims and rescue personnel while increasing the efficiency of the rescue operation. Handling uncertain information during urban search and rescue (USAR) missions represents additional stress to the decision-maker. The aim of this study is to identify the decision-making behaviour of rescuers during USAR missions to pinpoint trapped or buried victims in debris in order to design assistance technologies and decision-support systems that meet their needs. In 2010, a survey was conducted among 10-15 per cent of all German rescue personnel specialised in search tasks. One of the major results of this survey is that a subjective assessment of the reliability of information available from heterogeneous sources influences the rescuers' actions and that there is no methodology for decision-making involving uncertain information. In addition, the study found that compliance with procedures does not require assistance.

This paper presents presents a study on e ciency of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) missions that has been carried out within the framework of the German research project I-LOV. After three years of development, first field tests have been carried out in 2011 by professionals such as the Rapid Deployment Unit for Salvage Operations Abroad (SEEBA). We present results from evaluating search teams in simulated USAR scenarios equipped with newly developed technical search means and digital data input terminals developed in the I-LOV project. In particular, USAR missions assisted by the "bioradar", a ground-penetrating radar system for the detection of humanoid movements, a semi-active video probe of more than 10 m length for rubble pile exploration, a snake-like rescue robot, and the decision support system FRIEDAA were evaluated and compared with conventional USAR missions. Results of this evaluation indicate that the developed technologies represent an advantages for USAR missions, which are discussed in this paper.

No abstract

No abstract

-We present lessons learned in USAR research within the framework of the German research project I-LOV. After three years of development first field tests have been carried out by professionals such as the Rapid Deployment Unit for Salvage Operations Abroad (SEEBA). We present results from evaluating search teams in simulated USAR scenarios equipped with newly developed technical search means and digital data input terminals developed in the I-LOV project. In particular, the "bioradar", a ground-penetrating radar system for the detection of humanoid movements, a semi-active video probe for rubble pile exploration of more than 10 m length, and the decision support system FRIEDAA were evaluated and compared with conventional search methods. Results of this evaluation indicate that the developed technologies foster advantages in USAR, which are discussed in this paper.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract