The application of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Information Technology systems to disaster response

Abstract

Disaster response operations during recent terrorist attacks and natural disasters have been a cause for concern. Lack of planning is one source of difficulties with these operations, but even if a perfect plan is agreed upon before a disaster occurs, it is unlikely that disaster response operations will be successful without better technological support. For this thesis, three prominent and recent disaster cases are analyzed in order to better understand current disaster response problems that result from insufficient Information Technology (IT) and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) support. After presenting this analysis, we provide results of a technology review, whose goal was to search for emerging technologies that could perform better during a disaster response than the standard, currently available systems. .

(cont.) Using these emerging technologies, a Disaster Response Support System (DRSS) is proposed that would provide improved capability, interoperability, and robustness compared to the currently available support systems. Finally, potential barriers to deployment of a system such as the DRSS are discussed and ways in which these barriers can be overcome are suggested