Use of virtual reality to enhance preparedness for large scale evacuation

Endorsed by
DRIVER+
Motivation

Shortcomings in the use of virtual reality to enhance of first responders in case of large scale evacuation, as a support for and .

Potential Solutions
Following solutions could be addressing this gap.

The ability to ‘play the unexpected’ is crucial in management .As “boots on the ground” type exercises are costly and time consuming, the immersive experience with solutions such as augmented reality, virtual reality is important yet challenging.

Modelling of real environment easily recognisable by users is necessary to support such solutions, and for large , such systems have to accommodate a large number of players from different agencies. Moreover, the affordability is an issue that can be limited by trying to re-use existing facilities.

References in the literature: the for more realistic exercises and the potential of virtual reality and simulation is widely recognised in the literature.

Rationale & related CM function(s)

Develop and conducting all-hazards training needs to include large scale evacuation training for national, regional, and local authorities, thus contributing to their crisis management capacity.
Exercises of sufficient intensity are conducted to challenge the crisis management system.
Hazard-specific simulations and computer and simulations assisted exercises, utilising virtual reality, contribute to reaching an adequate capacity to conduct large scale evacuation.
Virtual reality will enhance the capacity to explore the implications of alternative crisis management futures, identified via rigorous foresight, e.g. involving large scale evacuation, by conducting exercises and simulations.
For a less likely, yet plausible crisis management scenarios, identified by rigorous foresight, e.g. involving large scale evacuation, one needs to develop possible courses of action and estimate respective required resources. Both estimates and awareness may be enhanced by implementation of virtual reality.
Provenance
DRIVER+ D922.11 List of CM gaps, gap 18, pp 65-66
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