When it comes to managing an emergency, you can’t have too much information. Sensor and wireless communication technologies make it possible to monitor and manage fire trucks and rescue vehicles in the field, but relatively few vehicles are equipped with such technologies. The software needed for such systems is often costly and the learning curve steep.

RENCI’s Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) project aims to change that by developing a reliable, cost effective and easy-to-use tracking system that keeps an eye on all vehicles involved in an emergency response. The prototype AVL system, now being tested with the Chapel Hill Fire Department, requires only a GPS-enabled laptop computer with an air card and external antennae connected through cell phone networks to a computer at the emergency operations center.

The computer on the emergency vehicle runs open source software called OpenGTS and transmits information to the emergency operations center, which can then be viewed on a simple website. When a vehicle heads out on an emergency, the software computes the vehicle’s position and speed using GPS coordinates. Back at the operations center, vehicles can be tracked and rerouted as needed. A Google Maps overlay allows the command center to match GPS coordinates with street addresses.

The Chapel Hill Fire Department plans to use the RENCI AVL system on emergency calls early this year and Assistant Fire Marshall Dace Bergen sees many advantages.

“It’s all about knowing where your units are and having the information to make the best decision,” he said. “With a large-scale incident that evolves over time, trucks get bogged down and they move short distances as the situation changes. It’s hard to remember where all your vehicles are, who is closest to handle a particular incident and how they will get there. The AVL can give you all this information in one glance.”

RENCI configured the off-the-shelf AVL system to meet the unique needs of emergency responders and Chapel Hill firefighters are providing the initial feedback on the system.

Because the system is so portable—it can run using a simple GPS-enable cell phone instead of a laptop—it promises to be useful during disasters when many vehicles are called into action or as tool to determine a department’s tracking needs and whether investment in a commercial system is worthwhile.

The AVL is one piece of a comprehensive situational awareness system that RENCI researchers are developing for emergency responders. The complete package will integrate a simple AVL system with data from other sources, such as sensors, video cameras, rain gauges and weather radars, to give responders overall situational awareness. Emergency operations center will then be able to access the big picture: the location of smoke and fire and flooded roads in relation to vehicles in the field, traffic problems, the effects of bad weather, and more.

Emergency managers and responders across the state attended the three-day conference, held Oct. 12-16 in Clemmons. The conference provided a forum about the latest topics, tools and technology in emergency management.

RENCI seized the opportunity to demonstrate its new and existing innovations through a training session and exhibitor’s booth. Over 60 participants attended the RENCI training session about interactive desktop conferencing and the NC FIRST weather portal.

The RENCI booth also featured existing programs and introduced new disaster research projects, such as the North Carolina Geographic Information Systems (NC GIS) Team, the lightning detection network, and the Immersive Media camera system. Over 170 people visited the booth including U.S. Rep. David Price (D-Durham). Rep. Price, who is chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, was recognized by the National Emergency Managers Association for his continued efforts to help state and local emergency managers meet preparedness goals. Recently, Rep. Price visited RENCI headquarters in Chapel Hill and expressed his appreciation for RENCI’s collaborations with the NC emergency management community to improve disaster preparedness, response and mitigation.

The booth also included a video presentation about the Severe Weather Data Inventory (SWDI), a collaboration with the National Climatic Data Center and RENCI’s engagement center at UNC Asheville. The SWDI provides efficient and user-friendly access to an extensive archive of severe weather data. It assists in quality control of severe weather products, facilitates new research and assists in disaster response and mitigation.

Other disaster research tools and prototypes presented at the conference by RENCI are:

• SmileTiger. This is the RENCI-hosted video conferencing system that is available to all NCEMA members. SmileTiger is a low-cost and effective solution that allows members of the NC emergency management community to keep in touch.

• NCEMA Portal. RENCI hosts a Microsoft SharePoint collaborative website for the NCEMA that allows all members to update and post their own content. The site is used by NCEMA committees and working groups and to post training opportunities, documents, and other content.

• Immersive media camera system. RENCI recently acquired a system that captures 360-degree high definition images from a moving vehicle. The system will be tested for its usefulness in rapidly assessing disaster situations from both a car and a helicopter. RENCI has acquired its first data from the camera and will soon begin to collect comprehensive data along the coast in preparation for the next hurricane season.

• NC GIS Team. RENCI and its engagement centers at UNC Asheville and East Carolina University are creating a new volunteer geographic information systems (GIS) support group that will utilize RENCI expertise and capabilities to gather information for county and state emergency managers during disasters. Local capabilities are often overwhelmed when disasters strike, and that’s when emergency personnel need critical information about real-time events. NC GIS Team will make RENCI’s computing resources, staff, and network connections available to state and county emergency workers to ensure they have they have the information they need to respond quickly across the state.

• Lightning detection network. This device is a cost effective way for emergency teams to detect lightning strikes in real-time and display the data visually in a Web portal environment.

• NC FIRST. This weather information portal keeps emergency managers informed about local weather conditions and helps them interpret and easily access scientific weather data so they can make better decisions during weather emergencies.

• Automated Vehicle Location (AVL). This new RENCI prototype is a very low cost system developed to track emergency vehicles in the field. The system relies on open source software and can track vehicles using a Blackberry, a laptop computer and a mobile phone aircard.

RENCI…Catalyst for Innovation
The Renaissance Computing Institute brings together teams of talented researchers, engineers, technologists and leaders in government, business, the arts and humanities to attack major research questions and community issues in ways that accelerate discovery and drive innovation. RENCI has nationally significant expertise and capabilities in high performance computing, visualization, collaborative tools, networking, device prototyping, and data systems as well as engagement sites across the state. Founded in 2004 as a major collaborative venture of Duke University, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the state of North Carolina, RENCI is a statewide virtual organization.  For more, see www.renci.org.

The conference takes place March 2 -5 at Sunset Beach, where state and local emergency managers and researchers will discuss strategies for emergency planning and response. RENCI, in collaboration with emergency management partners at the state and county levels, will conduct sessions about deploying Web-based tools and prototypes of new technologies for disaster planning and response.

RENCI researchers and representatives from the NCEMA Technology Committee and the NCEM Geospatial and Technology Management, will present plans for integrating and deploying a number of electronic tools to the emergency management community. RENCI will demonstrate its Web-based workspace for emergency managers and discuss the initial deployment of the prototype site feedback received so far. The site pulls together a number of RENCI-developed products and services, including NC-FIRST, the RENCI weather information portal, and desktop conferencing software.

The session will include strategies on how these tools can enhance communications and capabilities when used with other tools, such as WebEOC, Web-based software designed to communicate real-time emergency information to emergency operations centers.

RENCI researchers and members of the NCEMA Technology Committee will also unveil initial prototypes of new technologies for the NCEMA, such as:

• Portable GIS. The deployment of portable geographic information systems (GIS) available on flash drives the size of a thumb will enable emergency managers and responders to take critical data and GIS functions to the field. The flash drives with portable GIS data can be used on any computer with no licensing fees for mapping, identifying and using critical information. The portable information will also free up GIS experts to work on more critical tasks, since basic GIS information will be available to anyone.
• GPS tracking. This prototype global positioning system uses wireless cards communicating over cell phone networks to track vehicles in the field and identify what is happening at specific sites during an emergency. The device can be used with a laptop or PDA and is intended to be a low-cost entry into Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems.
• Lightning detection network. RENCI will introduce an early prototype of a device that is designed to detect lightening strikes in real time and display the data visually in a Web portal environment. Commercial lightening detection devices are available; however, they are usually too expensive for county or even state government.
• Micro Rain Radar. This device, which provides advance warning of icing events and other localized weather, will be demonstrated. Data acquired during several winter rain and ice storms will de displayed to illustrate how the MRR can be used.

RENCI…Catalyst for Innovation
The Renaissance Computing Institute brings together computer and discipline scientists, artists, humanists, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, state leaders and educators for collaborations designed to reshape science, the economy, the state of North Carolina and the world. RENCI leverages its expertise and resources in leading edge computing, networking and data technologies to ignite innovation and find solutions to previously intractable problems. Founded in 2004 as a major collaborative venture of Duke University, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the state of North Carolina, RENCI is a statewide virtual organization.  For more, see www.renci.org.