Demonstration: disaster evacuation support

Evacuation or sheltering of neighborhoods, cities, or regions is a major component of responding to any natural or other disaster. Poorly chosen and uncoordinated destinations can quickly overwhelm shelter capacities. Insufficient knowledge and decision processes may also lead to mismatches between evacuee needs and shelter capabilites, such as advanced medical units. Unfortunately, the intuitive and easy response of moving evacuees to the closest refuges can easily lead to this situation. This work attempts to address this problem by developing tools and techniques to help emergency personnel create a shared and accurate understanding of the situation, make the best decisions for the group, and effectively conduct disaster evacuations.