SGER-Human Factors and Ergonomics in Disaster Management Information Exchange

该项目解决了缺乏关于通信人体工程学对应急工作的信息交换系统的影响的知识的问题。灾害事件期间的信息交换对于确保协调应对工作、管理资源分配和防止进一步伤害的发生至关重要。然而，与自然灾害或人为灾害相关的不可预见性和紧迫性带来了一系列独特的特殊情况，在这些情况下，普通的方法、程序和基础设施往往被证明是不够的。在重大灾害情况下，固有的情景应激源有可能进一步混淆人的影响风险因素。个体的心理、生理和认知状态日益紧张。特别是，通信人体工程学可能不仅受到新的、不熟悉的和可能无法识别的压力源的引入的影响，而且由于许多组织同时响应事件而没有能力共享所需信息而产生的挑战的结果。适当评估人类对灾害信息交换系统的影响，对于确保在灾害情况下进行有效沟通至关重要。虽然在改善通信基础设施、开发替代通信手段和建立通用协议方面开展了小众工作，但对人为因素对整个系统机制的影响的了解严重不足。PI认为，在设计信息交换系统时，需要考虑人的可靠性建模、人机交互和认知人机工程学。在这个项目中，她将与美国陆军工程兵团(USACE)、佛罗里达州奥兰治县应急办公室、联邦紧急事务管理局(FEMA)、佛罗里达中部大学灾难响应团队以及卡特里娜、丽塔和威尔玛飓风承包商等多家私营公司合作，探索一种将灾难管理中的信息交换系统视为人机接口设计问题的新方法。目标是制定一种方法，收集数据，并在2007年飓风季节验证该方法，因此时间至关重要。项目成果将包括积累和分析历史信息交换数据，确定当前信息交换的概念模型以及影响人的表现和可靠性的人为因素应激源的分类，确定影响提供灾害管理服务的物质和生理因素，制定一种方法来解决灾害管理通信问题中的关键人因问题，以及“模拟”应用程序。中佛罗里达大学校园将作为模拟灾难发生的试验台环境；校园内的住房、医疗设施、应急服务和通信网络，加上独立的警察部队、有限的交通走廊和超过4.5万名学生和1万名员工的人口，中佛罗里达大学可以准确地代表一个大中型美国城市的比例模型。广泛影响：该项目将产生一个新的信息交换概念模型，采用以用户为中心的方法。这项研究将为设计增强人类能力的决策支持系统奠定基础，并为开发可用于将备灾对个人的心理和生理影响降至最低的全球知识库奠定基础。

This project addresses the dearth of knowledge regarding the impact of communication ergonomics on the information exchange systems of an emergency response effort. Information exchange during a disaster event is vital to ensure the coordination of response efforts, to manage the allocation of resources, and to prevent further harm from occurring. Yet yhe unpredictable and urgency associated with natural or man-made disasters presents a unique set of extraordinary conditions in which ordinary methods, procedures, and infrastructure are often proven to be inadequate. In a substantial disaster situation the inherent situational stressors have the potential to further confound the human impact risk factors. The psychological, physiological and cognitive states of individuals are increasingly stressed. In particular, communication ergonomics may be impacted not only by the introduction of new, unfamiliar and possibly unidentified stressors, but also as a consequence of challenges arising from numerous organizations simultaneously responding to the event without the ability to share needed information. Proper evaluation of the human impact on disaster information exchange systems is vital to ensure effective communication during a disaster situation. While niche work has been carried out on improving communication infrastructures, developing alternative means of communications and establishing universal protocols, there is a significant lack of knowledge on the impact human factors have on the overall system mechanics. The PI argues that human reliability modeling, human computer interaction, and cognitive ergonomics all need to be considered when designing information exchange systems. In this project, she will work with first responders such as the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), the Orange County Florida Emergency Response Office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the University of Central Florida Disaster Response Team, as well as various private companies that were contractors in hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, to explore a novel approach that considers information exchange systems in disaster management as a human-systems interface design problem. The goal is to develop a methodology, collect data and validate the methodology in the 2007 hurricane season, so time is of the essence. Project outcomes will include accumulation and analysis of historical information exchange data, definition of a conceptual model of current information exchange as well as of a taxonomy of human factors stressors affecting human performance and reliability, identification of physical and physiological factors impacting delivery of disaster management services, and development of a methodology for addressing critical human factors issues in disaster management communication issues, along with a "mock" application. The University of Central Florida campus will serve as the test bed environment to model disaster occurrence; with on-campus housing, medical facilities, emergency response services, and communication networks, along with an independent police force, limited traffic corridors and a population of over 45,000 students and 10,000 employees, the University of Central Florida can accurately represent a scale model of a medium to large size American city.Broader Impacts: This project will lead to a new information exchange conceptual model using a user centered approach. The research will lay the groundwork for the design of decision support systems that augment human abilities, and for the development of a global knowledge base that can be utilized to minimize the psychological and physiological impact of disaster preparation on individuals.