GEAR for Collaboration (G eoConference® E nhancement for AR GOS ) Real-Time Collaboration Enhancement for the ARGOS Radiological / Nuclear Risk Assessment System – CRTI TD Charles Siegel Consultant for PCI Geomatics Coauthors Kendra Shaw, RPB, Health Canada Eric Pellerin, RPB, Health Canada Yves Carbonneau, PCI Geomatics

Project Partners – GeoConference Enhancement for ARGOS Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response Division, Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada Environmental Emergency Response Division, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada PCI Geomatics Inc. / TGIS Technologies DBx Geomatics Neolore Networks Inc. Special thanks to the Airborne Geophysics Section, Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada for their cooperation.

Objectives of GEAR for Collaboration Integrate COTS conferencing into Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan's ARGOS system: Provide map-based incident discussion, both inside and outside the EOC, using... Internet collaboration... To give a common operational picture to... Provide group decision-support and... Decision recording.

Context: Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan Objective of the Plan is RN safety of Canadians, at home and abroad. Defines roles and responsibilities of the Canadian federal government in the event of nuclear or radiological emergencies. Health Canada is the designated lead department. The custodian of the Plan is the Radiation Protection Bureau's Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response Division. Data gathering and incident information coordination Modeling and prediction Counter- measure and mitigation recom­ mendations Interagency resource coordination (incident) Support for provincial emergency management

ARGOS (Accident Reporting and Guidance System) >Product of successfully-completed CRTI project (CRTI 0080TA) >Analytical heart of the FNEP systems >Runs on Environment Canada supercomputer (CMC-Dorval) eMAP – map-based, Web-accessible interface (input/output) for ARGOS Collaborative working environment Technical Assessment Tools ARGOS+eMAP integration Radiation Protection Bureau, Ottawa ERP code input Monitoring data: -field teams; -Mobile labs; -External labs -External partners; -First responders ARGOS – Data Integration Model

In a GeoConference session, a shared, synchronized map view Active pointers available for all participants Shared, editable, georeferenced knowledge recording Low bandwidth, keep up with conversation Incorporate geoinfo from many sources Shared georeferenced annotations Map pointers A shared map during an on-line meeting...

What's added with geoconferencing? ARGOS+ eMAP already support collaborative work...What's the difference? ARGOS+eMAP: collaboration through database... GeoConference: shared map is part of person-to- person, on-line discussion

So why GEAR? Why integrate GeoConference? Gap 1 – Gathering the Technical Assessment team Where are personnel best located (field or lab or EOC)? FNEP expertise in several locales The incident site may be anywhere Experts assigned away or prepositioned Key staff may be traveling... PCI Geomatics' GeoConference® in use in during an exercise, Sécurité civile du Québec. Photo: Charles Siegel

So why GEAR? Why integrate GeoConference? Gap 2 – Communicate and collaborate with geoinformation Most FNEP info is georeferenced Concentrate on discussion Brief decision- makers and other technical partners in the FNEP Support the provinces and other external partners

So why GEAR? Why integrate GeoConference? Gap 3 – Record, audit, learn Explicitly add georeferenced info: >Annotations >Findings in journal Log and time stamp text messages

So why GEAR? Why integrate GeoConference? Gap 3 – Record, audit, learn Know what we were doing... What we were seeing... And who was present, when... Learn and improve response Require- ment in EM

CRTI Demo Project: integration, development... Integrate off-the-shelf software for geoconferencing (PCI Geomatics' GeoConference®) to the system already in use by the FNEP Add input/output for 'value-added' information (annotations) Add recording and playback components (audit functionality)

Test in Exercise Silver (1) Unite personnel in and beyond the FNEP network (Vancouver, Dorval, Ottawa)

Test in Exercise Silver (2) Discuss dispersion plume output as soon as it becomes available.

Test in Exercise Silver (3) Make recommendations Comment: "Just lets you go out there and get it done."

Project outcomes More timely communication of information, with the expertise required to apply it in emergency situations More efficient use of personnel (reduce time lost in transit) Increased utility of personnel (they can stay in the lab or in the field) Better access to expertise Improved support for decision-makers and external partners Extended decision-recording to support auditing and review (mandated requirements, ISO) More effective exercises

Future work (not necessarily CRTI) From the base established in the demo project, improve the integration of ARGOS, eMAP and GeoConference® (more automation) Improve audit and playback features of GeoConference Build on the interoperability features of eMAP and GeoConference to improve communication and collaboration internally and with other systems Develop GeoRSS features to communicate situational awareness Provide develop a browser version of GeoConference to provide platform for independence and small hand-held devices Ergonomics of a version usable on a small screen Optimize for high-latency communications (satellite communication)