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| GEO-SAFE -
Geospatial based Environment for Optimisation Systems Addressing Fire
Emergencies (GEO-SAFE) |
May 2016 – April 2020
Project reference:
691161
Project Co-Ordination:
FSEG University of Greenwich.
Funded by: Marie
Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE)
Project Budget Contribution from the EU:
€1,080,000.00
In the EU and Australia, every year
thousands of square miles of forests and other regions burn due to
wildfires. These fires result in significant economic and ecological
losses, and often, human casualties. Both EU and Australian
governments are aware of how crucial it is to improve the management
and containment of wildfires. Scientists from different specialties,
both in EU and Australia, have already developed methods and models
in order to improve the management and decision process pertaining
to preparedness and response phases in case of bushfire.
The
Geospatial based Environment for Optimisation Systems Addressing
Fire Emergencies (GEO-SAFE) project, co-ordinated by FSEG of the
University of Greenwich, is a four year project (running from May
2016 to April 2020) with 17 partners from 7 countries (United
Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Netherlands and
Australia) with an estimated project cost of €1,386,000.00. The aim
of GEO-SAFE is to create a network enabling the two regions to
exchange knowledge, ideas and experience, thus boosting the progress
of wildfires knowledge and the related development of innovative
methods for dealing efficiently with such fires. Major outcomes of
this project are implementing solutions and tools in fire
suppression, life and goods protection, and implementation and
training. The three main fire management domains addressed in
GEO-SAFE are: ‘Fire Suppression and Fire propagation control’, ‘Life
and Property Protection’ and ‘Implementation and Training’. FSEG’s
main role in this project is in the domain of Life protection. The
three main breakthroughs to be achieved in this domain are:
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Computing efficiently good solutions for micro evacuation
simulation software is vital for applying them to large open
spaces such as found in wild fire applications.
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Identification and quantification of the human behaviour
associated with wildfire evacuation scenarios.
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Developing specific models dedicated to wildfire constraints and
merging both agent-based simulation and OR approaches is a
challenging direction of research for handling large-scale
evacuation.
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| FSEG final reports |
The GEO-SAFE project was completed in April 2020. The three reports
produced by FSEG are provided below:
D2.4
Title: Analysis report on specific requirements of large-scale
evacuations in case of wildfires
Authors: Gallego, D.M., Veeraswamy,
A., and Galea, E.R.
Summary: This deliverable provides an
overview of the process of identifying the key requirements for
evacuation modelling tools as perceived by the authorities involved in
planning and real-time management of urban-scale evacuation resulting
from wildfires. The process involves identifying organisations (13 in
total) involved in the management of wildfire evacuation in six
countries (Australia, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK)
and then approaching key staff in those organisations (18 in total) that
are involved in incident management with specially designed interview
questionnaires and on-line surveys. The methodology used to prepare the
interview questionnaires and surveys is described followed by a
description of the interview protocols and each section of the
questionnaire. This is followed by a description of the secondments that
were carried out to collect the data, which forms part of Geo-Safe Task
2.4. The results are then presented with a detailed analysis of the data
collected from the interviews and on-line surveys. Finally, the analysis
of the interview/survey responses are distilled down into 22 key factors
within 10 broad categories that identify the perceived needs and desires
of the emergency management end-user community in relation to the use of
urban-scale evacuation models for planning, real-time applications and
community training.
Click
here to view the report.
Please cite this report as follows:
Gallego, D.M., Veeraswamy,
A., and Galea, E.R., Analysis report on specific requirements of
large-scale evacuations in case of wildfires, GEO-SAFE H2020 project
691161, final D2.4 report, 15 April 2019,
https://fseg.gre.ac.uk/fire/geo-safe_files/D2_4.pdf
D2.5
Title: Report on wildfire large-scale evacuations -
behavioural responses
Authors: Hulse, L.M., Veeraswamy, A, Vaiciulyte, S., and Galea, E.R.
Summary: This deliverable provides an overview of the GEO-SAFE project’s
Human Behaviour Study. Survey data were collected from residents in the
South of France, Australia, and Central Italy, with the aim of
identifying, quantifying, and calibrating behaviours occurring during
wildfire evacuations. The evidence base generated by this study provides
an understanding of various behaviours including evacuation decisions,
response actions, and associated times. This data can be used to assist
the development of an agent-based evacuation model, urbanEXODUS. In
turn, this tool can be used by professionals involved in wildfire
management to aid learning, decision-making, and planning.
Click
here to view the report.
Please cite this report as follows:
Hulse, L.M.,
Veeraswamy, A, Vaiciulyte, S., and Galea, E.R., Report on wildfire
large-scale evacuations - behavioural responses, GEO-SAFE H2020 project
691161, final D2.5 report, 30 April 2020,
https://fseg.gre.ac.uk/fire/geo-safe_files/D2_5_final.pdf
D2.6
Title: Global wildfire large-scale evacuation model
Authors: Veeraswamy, A, Galea, E.R., Lawrence, P.J., Gallego, D.M., and
Blackshields, D.
Summary: This deliverable describes the
large-scale evacuation modelling work performed as part of the GEO-SAFE
project. The task addressed in this deliverable is Task 2.6 in Work
Package 2 and Work Group 6, Phase 3. A key novelty of this work is the
integration of the three models that can be used to manage large scale
evacuations due to wildfires and other incidents that require
evacuations. The pedestrian evacuation model, urbanEXODUS, the vehicle
evacuation model, SUMO and wildfire models such as PHOENIX have been
integrated as part of Task 2.6. The accuracy of evacuation model
predictions can be enhanced by accurate representation of the walking
speeds of people over long distances and on different terrain types and
slopes. Thus, walking speed data collected from four different trials
are being analysed statistically so the empirical data can be included
in the pedestrian evacuation model. The integrated simulation
environment was applied to two demonstration cases by modelling
hypothetical evacuation scenarios in two urban environments, one in
Spain and one in Australia. Finally, the import of Digital Elevation
Model (DEM) data into the urbanEXODUS evacuation model was demonstrated
enabling the incorporation of terrain slope into the evacuation model.
As pedestrian walking speeds are impacted by the slope of the paths, the
impact of terrain slope on evacuation was demonstrated using a
hypothetical evacuation in the Greenwich (UK) area.
Click
here to view the report.
Please cite this report as follows:
Veeraswamy, A, Galea,
E.R., Lawrence, P.J., Gallego, D.M., and Blackshields, D., Global
wildfire large-scale evacuation model, GEO-SAFE H2020 project 691161,
final D2.6 report, 29 April 2020,
https://fseg.gre.ac.uk/fire/geo-safe_files/D2.6_final.pdf
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| Work Packages |
The project brings together the following research organisations and
practical wild fire response organisations undertaking research in the
following 7 workpackages:
| Work Package |
Duration |
Leader |
Participating Partners |
| WP1-Stochastic Cartography |
M1 - M48 |
UTWENTE |
CEREN, UTWENTE, PCF |
| WP2-Innovative Models |
M1 - M47 |
UCM |
CEREN, CNRS/LAAS, UCM, PCF, UBP/LIMOS, UTC, UoG-FSEG, RMIT,
SDIS2B |
| WP3-Robustness and Efficiency |
M1 - M47 |
UNIVAQ |
UPD, UBP/LIMOS, CEREN,UNIVAQ, UNIVPR, PCF, UTC |
| WP4 - Implementation and Training Tools |
M1 - M47 |
UoG-eCentre |
UoG-FSEG, UCM, PCF, EMN, UNIVAQ, UNIVPR, UoG-eCentre, CEREN |
| WP5 - Innovative Solutions Think-Tank |
M1 - M48 |
CEREN |
All partners |
| WP6 - Dissemination and Awareness |
M1 - M48 |
PCF |
All partners |
| WP7 - Project Management |
M1 - M48 |
UoG-FSEG |
All partners |
Research Methodology
The research
methodology will be based on the joint work of 7 multi-disciplinary
research Work Groups each of them meant to bring innovative solutions to
wildfire management problems.
| Work Group |
Related WP |
Leader |
Participating Partners |
| WG1 - Stochastic mapping workgroup |
WP1 |
UTWENTE and UOM |
CEREN, PCF |
| WG2 - Global and alternative models |
WP2 |
UCM and RMIT |
CEREN, CNRS/LAAS, PCF, UBP/LIMOS, UTC |
| WG3 - Robust processes and dynamic environment |
WP3 |
UNIVAQ |
UPD, UBP/LIMOS, CEREN, UNIVPR, UPD, UBP/LIMOS |
| WG4 - Efficient Responses |
WP3 |
GDR and RMIT |
UNIVAQ, UNIVPR, PCF, UPD, UBP/LIMOS, UTC |
| WG5 - Design of the implementation and computational tests |
WP4 |
EMN and RMIT |
UoG-FSEG, UCM, PCF, EMN, UNIVAQ, UNIVPR, UoG-eCentre |
| WG6 - Agent Based Evacuation Models |
WP2 |
UoG-FSEG |
UoG-FSEG, PCF, RMIT, SDIS 2B |
| WG7 - Training tools |
WP4 |
UoG-eCentre |
UoG-eCentre, UoG-FSEG, PCF, CEREN |
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| FSEG’s Role in the Project |
Current urban scale evacuation models do not
generally include pedestrian evacuation, focusing more on
vehicular evacuation or coarsely model pedestrians utilising
only vehicular routes. Disaster managers require a tool that is
capable of simulating pedestrian evacuation of an on-going and
evolving event. FSEG’s objectives in the GEO-SAFE project are
listed below:
Objective 1.0: Identification of Human Behaviour associated with
wildfire evacuation:
- Objective 1.1: Develop a database of
human response to wildfire, based on questionnaire studies involving
those who have experienced evacuation from wildfires and those who
may need to evacuate from a wildfire situation.
- Objective 1.2: Identify, quantify and
calibrate appropriate behaviours identified in the questionnaire study.
Objective 2.0: Develop a Large Scale Wildfire Evacuation Model
- Objective 2.1: Identify model
requirements through interviews with fire authorities and disaster
management organisations.
- Objective 2.2: Develop and implement
these end user requirements within the urbanEXODUS evacuation simulation
tool.
- Objective 2.3: Develop and implement
behavioural responses unique to wildfires within the evacuation
simulation tool based on data collected through the Human Behaviour
study.
- Objective 2.4: Represent the effect of
terrain (paved/unpaved paths) and gradients on the travel speed and
behaviour of agents.
- Objective 2.5: Integrate the evacuation
model with fire spread models.
- Objective 2.6: Represent the interaction
of vehicles with pedestrians within the urban evacuation tool.
- Objective 2.7: Develop a large-scale
wildfire evacuation model that can run at faster than real time and thus
be utilised during an emergency evacuation incident.
- Objective 2.8: Calibrate the model to
provide the right balance between speed and accuracy of the model to
provide reliable results in a timely manner.
Objective 3.0: Embed evacuation simulation environment into a
training environment
- Objective 3.1: Embed urbanEXODUS
within the Pandora+ training environment to enable crisis managers
to make informed evacuation decisions during the training sessions.
- Objective 3.2: Integrate the evacuation
simulation results within the training environment so crisis managers
can formulate appropriate evacuation procedures.
- Objective 3.3: Enable crisis managers to
generate a new scenario on the fly and utilise the results provided at
faster than real time to make informed decisions on the most appropriate
evacuation procedures to apply.
The work of FSEG will be undertaken in three of the seven work
groups:
Work Group 5: Design of the
implementation and computational tests
This work
group involves benchmarking real/realistic instances (either
instances inspired by a past event or simulated ones), testing
different processes on these instances and comparing these
solutions from different perspectives that include the quality
of the solution, the computational time and the flexibility of
the system. For such comparison, a key point is the choice of
standardized technologies making the different systems
compatible and comparable.
FSEG’s role in this work group
is to link the urbanEXODUS simulation environment to the PHONEIX
fire simulation environment (Phase1), demonstrate the link
(Phase2) and demonstrate the integrated urbanEXODUS-Pandora+
prototype at
Service
Departmental d’Incendie et de Secours HAUTE CORSE, France
(Phase 4).
- Phase 1:
Risk assessment solutions implementation:
(Objective 2.5 )
WG5 will
strongly interact with WG1 to develop and interface of the risk
cartography with fire spread simulator (in particular with PHONEIX
used in Australia – Victoria) and integrate the risk cartography
directly in decision models concerning resource allocations in
initial attack and evacuation.
- Phase 2:
Fire fighting solutions:
(Objective 3.3)
Here WG5 will strongly interact with WG2
and WG6 to implement a prototype for controlled burning solutions for
fuel management with Victoria AUS data and of a coherent procedure of
evacuation in wildfires.
- Phase 4: Simulation environment:
(Objective 3.3)
Last
direction will be developed in strong link with WG7. It is possible to
embed the multi-agent simulation environment into a training environment
for first responders and incident managers. Here a prototype for
evacuation will be tested at SIS2B.
Work Group 6: Agent Based Evacuation Models
FSEG is
the manager of this work group. This work group will explore the
application of large-scale multi-agent simulation techniques to
evacuation scenarios associated with wildfire evacuation
situations. The result will be large-scale evacuation tool that
is capable of simulating several interactions of different
agents. This will build upon the existing state-of-the-art
evacuation simulation software, urbanEXODUS. It is proposed that
the EXODUS model can be employed to examine the impact of the
wildfire scenario (e.g. the nature, size, location of the fire,
fire spread rate, the population distribution and
characteristics, their expected response and the routes
available) upon the time for the target population to reach
safety. This will involve a number of research areas including:
- Phase 1: Explore the requirements of large-scale
evacuations resulting from wildfires
(Objective 2.1)
This will
make use of interviews with fire authorities and disaster management
organisations that have experience of managing large scale
evacuations associated with wildfires.
- Phase 2: Develop and implement behavioural responses unique
to wildfires within the modelling environment (Objectives
1.1,
1.2, 2.3)
This will require the development of additional behavioural capabilities
and data sets to quantify and calibrate the behaviours.
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Phase 3: Explore the use of alternative techniques in large-scale
evacuation scenario’s. (Objectives 2.2,
2.4, 2.6,
2.7, 2.8)
This will involve investigating the representation of terrain
effects, such as change in grade, in the different modelling
environments in order to capture the appropriate behaviour of the
agents. Large-scale evacuation scenarios will require an ability to
simulate the interaction of pedestrians with vehicles and must be able
to be executed in reasonable time.
Work Group 7: Training tools
This work group
will be focussed around research and innovation activities in
the training of planners and operational managers for crisis
situations and in particular wildfire situations. The lead
partner in this work group, University of Greenwich (Pandora
team), will bring a novel and innovative augmented
reality-training environment developed from an EU FP7 project,
Pandora+,
as background to provide an appropriate technology for the
management and delivery of a developed training package
encompassing the research outputs from the other workgroups.
FSEG’s role in this work group will involve the integration of
the training tools with the evacuation simulation tool,
urbanEXODUS (Phase 1).
- Phase 1: Adapting Pandora+ to other
environments:
(Objectives 3.1,
3.2)
The potential exists to implement the Pandora+
environment training within the lifetime of the project, building in
as many of the outputs from the other working groups as possible,
dependent on the stability and robustness of those outcomes, within
a framework of the existing tools and expertise provided by the
Australian partners. The work group will also support similar
activities with the end-user European partners, and implementation
of the developed training package within the Pandora+ environment.
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| Evacuation during wild fires must take into consideration
pets |
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| Evacuation by road during the Fort McMurray wild fire |
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| Taken from a dashboard camera of an evacuee evacuating Fort
McMurray and heading south on 3rd May 2016 |
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| An area in Bracknell which was affected by a real fire on
May 02, 2011 simulated in urbanEXODUS. The fire extent shown
here is the simulated fire having a greater extent than the
actual fire. |
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| A snapshot of the Bracknell area simulation at 30 minutes
showing the progress of evacuation while the simulated fire has
just started. |
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| A snapshot of the simulation at 1 hour where all people have
evacuated and the fire is fast spreading towards the evacuated
area. |
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Project Partners |
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| Further Information |
Prof. Ed Galea
Fire Safety Engineering Group
University of Greenwich
Greenwich Maritime Campus
Old Royal Naval College
Queen Mary Building
Greenwich SE10 9LS
UK
Tel: +44 (020) 8331 8730
e-mail:
E.R.Galea@gre.ac.uk
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| Consortium web page |
http://geosafe.lessonsonfire.eu/
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