Editorial

This issue is insofar “special” as it addresses one single feature – a “show case” story - to demonstrate how, in case of emergency, existing and/or future telecommunication technologies might be used for civil protection purposes to give access to and to ensure information flow between public safety actors with such efficiency as is needed.
It could have appeared in the press last November

Slovak news agency: Radiation Threat over Nitra (Slovakia)
Life in this famous tourist city from Western Slovakia started this morning for all 87.613 inhabitants as usual after a week-end fully devoted to the preparation of the forthcoming holy Christmas period. Nothing exceptisonal seemed able to interrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the pedestrian zone of the city centre until a man crossed the large square Svätoplukovo nám in front of the theatre ANDREJA BAGARA, stopped a few seconds, put his suitcase on the ground and left mysteriously – without his case.



Nitra: Square before theatre ANDREJA BAGARA, Left suitcase (left), Student collapsing mysteriously (right)

Life in this medieval city could have turned out into a major disaster within a few seconds, if the police patrol around the square would not have seen how students chatting in the immediate vicinity called for help as one of them suddenly collapsed.

Talking with the police patrol, the young guys pointed on the mysterious suitcase still standing alone
just a few steps from there. What might further happen?

*****
It’s not so long ago that abandoned suitcases would not have drawn one’s particular attention. But nowadays we all live in a time in which it became a second nature to be, for our own protection, everywhere and at any time sensitive to capture such strange situations.
Indeed, the “incident” in Nitra could have turned out to become a dramatic event but fortunately this was not the case. In reality, the event reported took place as a life exercise on 26 November 2007. It was organised in a secured training area of the Slovakian Civil Protection - not in the city centre as mentioned in the fictive news above. The story board of the “incident” as described is a real scenario. It is setting the scene for a “real life” simulation due to take place in this quiet Slovakian city in the months to come: “Radiation scenario with suspicion of a terrorist attack”.

To prepare such life simulation, first the above test field demonstration has been organised. This demonstration has not been orchestrated by an internet freak seeking for celebrity: It has been thoroughly prepared by the 16 partners from 8 European countries involved in the EU funded research project u-2010 and it was the result of more than 20 months work.

For the Slovakian Crisis Management Section of the Ministry of Interior and for the Slovakian Civil Protection it was a big first to be faced with such a simulation. And,moreover, this test demonstration was a unique chance for all rescue team members to make a real exercise in the case of suspicion of a terrorist attack with radioactivity material.

What is u-2010 about for PSC Europe?
Recent catastrophes in Europe and worldwide have shown that communication is in times of emergency at the very heart of cooperation between all actors having to interact with each others. The irony of the situation is that the same disasters, which make communication so important, are often responsible for disrupting the existing communication channels. Outgoing from this fact, the aim of u-2010 is to demonstrate that communication between disparate first responders’ networks can be achieved in different types of crisis situations.

Continuous communication is a major concern for all those in charge of public safety missions and, insofar, u-2010 addresses nothing else than an ever lasting story. What is innovative in this research project is that the solutions investigated and proposed use not only existing but also future telecommunication solutions. And herewith, we are at the very heart of the discussions on public safety communication and information management systems taking place within PSC Europe Forum.

The field demonstration at a glance
The field demonstration in Nitra translated into practice one of the scenarios worked out in u-2010 and due to take place in real life.

Crisis situation
The event starts with the discovery of some suspect materials in the vicinity of a supposed nuclear installation, possibly with suspicion of a terrorist attack. Potential threat of radioactive radiation requires the involvement of numerous services and organisational measures: police, medical rescue services, fire-fighters as well as the organisation of alert, warnings, immediate healthcare and chemical controls.



Graphical scenario of the crisis situation

Tasks
According to their responsibilities and to a diverging level, participating actors have been involved in the following tasks:
- Launching the alarm
- Taking radioactivity measurement of the suspected material
- Transmitting the data to the laboratory and the central office of the Civil Protection
- Sending all available protection teams to the disaster area using IP based communication.

Planning
The crisis situation has been thoroughly elaborated. A very detailed scenario as shown above has been prepared, step by step, minute by minute, based on a graphical presentation of the whole situation so that tasks were clearly identified for every force intervening on the spot.
The demonstration started at 11:00 and the exercise closed at 12:30.

Participants
Following organisations participated to the successful fulfilment of the exercise:
- The Civil Protection mobile team:
- The Police
- The Metropolitan Police
- The Medical Rescue Team
- The Fire-fighters

Furthermore :
Two authorities:
- Section of the Slovak Crisis Management
- Integrated Rescue System

Technology partners:
- Ardaco (Slovakia: http://www.ardaco.com)
- ArchRock (San Francisco: http://www.archrock.com)
- Cisco (Belgium: http://www.cisco.com)
- Gotive (Slovakia: http://www.gotive.com)
- KORAK SLOVAKIA (Slovakia: http://www.korak.sk)
- m-plify (Luxembourg: http://www.m-plify.com)
- Microstep (Slovakia: http://www.microstep-mis.com)
- WRX (Slovakia: http://cms.wrx.sk)

Technology needs – what approach has been made?
In such a situation, first responders and all rescue teams must be able at all times to communicate over voice in a non-interrupted manner; they also need to be able to send out and receive in a continuous manner different kind of data (persons involved,localisation of event, teams interventions etc.).
Continuity of the communication as well are stringent security are crucial without interruption in the communication transmission as it occurred in previous times because of the so-called “man in the middle”.

The field demonstration intended to show the possibility to use fully IP based communication with encrypted voice communication and use of IPv6 protocol for the data communication offering following facilities:
- Ubiquitous network connections
- Mobility features
- Extended security
- Enhanced alarm system
The Centre of Communication was based in a car using a mobile access router. This router is able to search all possible connections to the internet as well as to the mobile equipment being used in the disaster area. Since the central communication point was mobile, the network was able to move with the mobile team, if this was required during
the intervention.

Technological architecture and equipments
Global architecture:
The Slovakian Civil Protection network (CONET) has been put at disposal as background network, with specific features for the demonstration such as the use of IPv6 protocol for maximal security.



Civil Protection Network CONET for the field demonstration

Softwares:
Different softwares have been developed for this simulation. More technical details and specifications as those presented below can be gathered from the respective company’s websites and from respective project members (see below under:
MicroStep-GoRadMon - Radiation Monitoring Software, open and scalable, with following main specifications:
Communication and Data Presentation to many subscribers satisfying the different needs, via a module utilizing fixed or dial-up serial lines, LAN, WAN, integrated web server and supporting wide choice of formats and protocols:
Warning and notification subsystem, with real-time monitoring of the radiation network, early diagnostics and increased radiation of errors with option of connection tothe crisis - centres Integrated IMS Model Suite, a complex software system for environmental pollution assessment and prediction of consequences of nuclear accident or radiological emergence.

*****
AlarmTILT Emergency - Unified alert and incident management solution, with following main specifications:
- Multi-media messaging adapted to crisis situations and incidents
- Pre-definition of crisis scenarios and destination lists
- No need to have a hardware or a software installation
- ASP web-based solution
- System and telecom operator independence
- International reach (connection to any fixed and mobile public networks)
- System set-up in minutes



AlarmTilt Scheme

Silentel TeamTalk (Secure PTT) - Communication and collaboration solution for crisis management operations by government authorities, national security bodies and rescue operations, with following main specifications:
- Provides real-time communication and interoperability between first responders emergency services emergency operations center public utilities and transportation,
- Complete communication platform,
- Complete infrastructure platform,



Silentel TeamTalk (Secure PTT) Chart, Silentel TeamTalk in use during the demonstration and as scheme


Silentel TeamTalk (Secure PTT) during the demonstration:
- Communication through IP networks including Wi-Fi, 3G or similar data channel
- Group collaboration supported by sending pictures or text commands in real-time
- Voice communication in a group with defined hierarchical policy
- Localization and GPS positioning of present communication participants
- Presence notification and command confirmation
- Ability of automated communication recording and archiving
- Advanced security – communication encrypted

Hardware
Gotive H42 - Technology-packed yet easy to operate rugged handled communicator with following main specifications:
- Collect, process and communicate information/data
- Extensive memory 128 MB RAM and 256 MB ROM (optionally extendable up to 1 GB), high-performance processor Intel® XScale® PXA 270 - 520 MHz
- Standard Windows® CE operating system
- Wide choice of wireless communication options to enable instant data exchange
- voice/text communication over GSM network
- anywhere GPRS for data access and exchange outside of the company
- WLAN 802.11b/g for local area networks
- Bluetooth and IrDA for communication with peripherals and other devices in the personal area.


Gotive H42 in action:
1) Communicator Gotive H42 as a part of mobile probe (radioactivity measurements),
used for data reading and communication



GotiveH42 as communicator for the mobile probe
2) Communicator Gotive H42 as an alternative: mobile terminal for TeamTalk communication among participating persons and teams



GotiveH42 used as mobile terminal for TeamTalk communication

Mobile Access Router Cisco MAR (3200 Series) with following main characteristics:
- rugged routers designed with a flexible, compact form factor,
- optimized for outdoor wireless, mobile, and embedded environments
- provide access, mobility, and interoperability across multiple wireless technologies, including integrated 4.9 GHz 802.11b/g, third-generation (3G) cellular, and satellite
- Standards-based Mobile IP delivers transparent roaming for mobile applications
- Able to endure environments subject to extended temperature ranges, shock, and vibration,
- using Cisco IOS Software to provide secure data, voice, and video communications to stationary and mobile network nodes across wired and wireless links

Cisco MAR Role in the demonstration
All features of Cisco router were used, mainly as communication point for all external devices and as point for searching communication. A second role was to show an ubiquitous network and to demonstrate an automatic searching of available networks. To do so, the simulation included the shuting down of the networks. The mobile router was then searching the next available network (more details can be gathered from the detailed scenario description in the final part of this issue).


Mobile car with all required technologies on board (left), all technologies for use in the car

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ArchRock Sensors : Wireless sensor network with main following specifications:
Network of small-footprint computers Optimized for long-life on low power Equipped to sense physical data Networked using low-power radio

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Iridium: Direct Internet Data Service providing enhanced Internet connectivity through dedicated servers at the Iridium gateway, allowing to execute accelerated file transfers and to more efficiently browse the Internet and exchange email. Connection is directly to the Internet, using Iridium phone as a data modem that appears as an external modem to computer.

To start a dialogue on this subject matter and exchange ideas, we invite you to make use of the @forum facility on PSC Europe Forum website. Just note that you must be registered as Forum Member to have access to this facility. Should you still not be registered, you are most welcome to join.

You also can get in touch with u-2010 partners in charge of the preparation of this demonstration:
Aurel Machalek
Latif Ladid



European Commission
Copyright PSC Europe 2006
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"PSC EUROPE FORUM Special Issue" is mentioned on: Aurel Machalek