Interoperability in the emergency management. A solution based on distributed databases and P2P networks

Abstract

To successfully confront a disaster, it is necessary the coordinated and collaborative participation of multiple agencies related to public safety, which provide a response consistent with the requirements of emergency environment and all those affected. For this, is necessary the permanent information exchange between the involved agencies that allows to joint its efforts and to face the emergency of the best possible way. This article describes the interoperability platform architecture, which enables agencies involved in management of an emergency, exchange information using their own information systems and computer tools. The architecture core is inside its Shared Information Space, which manages it as a single storage entity, all information coming from the information systems integrated to the platform. It is founded on a non-relational distributed database and a P2P communications network, to share out the workload between all the platform nodes in order to award availability and scalability to the architecture.

Blockchain Technology for Emergency Response

“…The diversity of skills, abilities, and knowledge that individual actors provide is essential for complete emergency management. However, this diversity is also one of the obstacles, if, in the event of serious emergencies, all efforts must be directed toward a common goal [52]. The source of diversity is that each actor has its own individual system for leading, coordinating, and directing emergency forces [30].…”

“…The literature on interoperability solutions in emergency management shows that distributed database technologies are used to increase availability. In combination with peer-to-peer network technologies, a distributed and scalable information space is created in which the workload and redundancy are equally configurable [1,52]. However, the approaches do not consider how to add ad hoc new actors with their incident forces and incident resources into the interoperability systems and how to build and sustain trust between all participants.…”

“…In this study, the artifact resembles a framework demonstrating how blockchain technology can be applied in emergency response. Emergency response means reacting quickly and reliably in situations provoked by unforeseen events, which threaten environment, property, and people's lives [52]. According to the literature, an appropriate emergency response is influenced by the severity of the event and the skills and knowledge of the people involved [52].…”

“…Emergency response means reacting quickly and reliably in situations provoked by unforeseen events, which threaten environment, property, and people's lives [52]. According to the literature, an appropriate emergency response is influenced by the severity of the event and the skills and knowledge of the people involved [52]. However, other factors, such as the coordination between emergency response teams with different IS installed, the heterogeneity of the data, and the affected or destroyed infrastructure, may complicate the situation [48,52].…”

“…According to the literature, an appropriate emergency response is influenced by the severity of the event and the skills and knowledge of the people involved [52]. However, other factors, such as the coordination between emergency response teams with different IS installed, the heterogeneity of the data, and the affected or destroyed infrastructure, may complicate the situation [48,52]. Although technology is already in use to support emergency response, in particular in the dispatch center, cooperation and coordination in an emergency situation require high availability, which can be established via distributed databases and peer-to-peer networks [1,52].…”