Objective
DEDICS is a telematics tool to help prevent and fight a wide range of environmental disasters by supporting the monitoring and control of those in charge of intervention. Early detection for rapid response and simulation for anticipating it are among services with an interactive communication core to link users in offices and on the field. Geared to regional intervention, DEDICS will be tested on forest fires to assist fire control managers, local authorities, and prevention research agencies. It will also boost cooperation by assessing common needs, evaluating solutions and organising demonstrations (involving users from six EU countries)
DEDICS is a telematics tool designed to facilitate the management of environmental disasters by providing users with a set of functions to support monitoring, control and decision-making. The system is composed of elements designed to provide key information to the users: early detection for fast response, simulation for preparing types of intervention, data server for sharing experience, and building up an information asset for post-analysis of disasters. These services use an interactive communication kernel, which links all types of users in headquarters, offices and the in field of operations.
As most environmental disasters are on a regional scale, DEDICS is a regional system. It is designed to be adapted to a wide range of such situations. Its application will be tested on forest fires, which constitute one of the most frequent and difficult kinds of environmental disasters in Europe.
DEDICS concerns three categories of users who share common interests and needs:
- fire managers, involved in prevention and fighting of forest fires
- local authorities, responsible for land management, resource allocation and information to the public
- researchers involved in the study of forest fire prevention and simulation models.
The objective of the project is to increase efficiency in prevention, fighting and understanding of forest fires. It will promote better cooperation in the field of environmental disasters through the assessment of common needs, the evaluation of different solutions and the organisation of demonstrations by users from six European countries.
Major Validation Sites
OANAK, Eastern Crete Development Organisation, Heraklion, GR
Junta de Andalucia, Jaen, ES
DDSIS, Direction Départmentale des Services d'Incendie et de Secours, Villeneuve-Loubet, FR
Fire Brigade, Kassel, DE
Users
The users of the system will be fire managers involved in prevention and fighting of forest fires; local authorities involved in land management, resource allocation and information to the public; and researchers involved in the study of forest fire prevention and simulation models.
Approach
DEDICS will apply the technologies of distributed computing and information processing, satellite, radio and mobile phone communications, decision support systems, and GIS.
Expected Benefits
- reduced damage - due to improved prevention and management of forest fires
- better protection of the population - due to models for predicting fires at the urban-rural interface boundary
- better protection of the environment
- easier decision-making - due to readier availability of data
- improved communications between users
- ability to use simulation models
- improvements in the validation of existing systems and easier introduction of new components adapted to requirements
- specification and promotion of standards for information on natural hazard management.
Contribution to EU Policies
Protection of forests against fires has a particular and urgent importance in the EU (EC regulation 2158/92).
Improved alert criteria guarantee better organisation for fire-fighting and adapt actions to the real situation (4th FP, Environment and Climate).
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcontrol systems
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsmobile phones
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geographynatural disasters
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata sciencedata processing
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
Paris
France