Public Safety Networks

Public Safety Networks

Giuliana Iapichino (EURECOM, France), Daniel Câmara (EURECOM, France), Christian Bonnet (EURECOM, France) and Fethi Filali (EURECOM, Qatar)
Copyright: © 2014 |Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4707-7.ch016

Abstract

Disaster can be defined as the onset of an extreme event causing profound damage or loss as perceived by the afflicted people. The networks built in order to detect and handle these events are called Public safety networks (PSNs). These networks have the fundamental role of providing communication and coordination for emergency operations. Many of the problems of the PSN field come from the heterogeneity of systems and agencies involved in the crisis site and from their mobility at the disaster site. The main aim of this book chapter is to provide a broad view of the PSN field, presenting the different emergency management phases, PSNs requirements, technologies and some of the future research directions for this field.
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2. Emergency Management Phases

Disasters can be of different types: natural disasters, as hurricanes, floods, drought, earthquakes and epidemics, or man-made disasters, as industrial and nuclear accidents, maritime accidents, terrorist attacks. In both cases, human lives are in danger and the telecommunication infrastructures are no longer operational or seriously affected.

Disaster management involves three main phases:

  • 1.

    Preparedness must be to some extent envisaged:

    • o

      PSN must be operational when some disaster occurs.

    • o

      To observe the Earth, to detect hazards at an early stage.

  • 2.

    Crisis from break-out (decision to respond) to immediate disaster aftermath, when lives can still be saved. Crisis is understood as the society’s response to an imminent disaster; it must be distinguished from the disaster itself.

  • 3.

    Return to normal situation must be envisaged with provisory networks.

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