Astri Polska Sp. z o.o.

www.astripolska.pl

Astri Polska is a dynamic joint venture manufacturing company established by the shareholders from Airbus Defense and Space and the leading Polish scientific unit - Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
The company is composed of:

• Applications and Services Division providing space and security applications (including GNSS and EO) and services with a focus on disaster management, satcoms, satellite imagery distribution, virtual reality and data processing and other applications in an integrated approach;
• Electronic and Optical Ground Support Equipment Divisions based on space surveillance, numerical analyses, robotics, electronics and optical instrumentation.

From the very beginning Astri Polska is highly focused on creating and delivering integrated services and tools supporting such sectors as disaster management, security, crisis management, resilience planning, critical infrastructure protection and continuity planning while always emphasing on safety issues.
In case of the crisis situations there are always some consequences, mostly negative. Thus the preparation, prevention, threat assessment are the most relevant indeed and here Astri Polska reveals its potential providing different solutions to minimize the effects. Astri Polska, consisting of the team of Engineers and Experts in their domain as well as technical capabilities including IT, satellite and GIS solutions, is being participated in many security R&D projects of European Commission, the European Space Agency, Eurospace and the Polish National Centre for Research and Development, as technology & services provider with unwavering trust of current partners. The company continually cooperates with different formations and first responders to create demanding products and fulfil gap&need of Polish and international market. Close collaboration with the European Space Agency in accomplishing Technology Transfer Program in the Polish network of technology brokers as well as huge involvement in the EU projects under 7 Framework Programme like Practice, ForLab, D-BOX, EDEN (and currently Horizon2020) allowed Astri Polska to gather necessary knowledge and experience to fulfil the needs of current Reaching-out project.

Astri Polska is strongly experienced as:

• Provider of the technology and security events’ evaluation and validation process;
• Integrator of different international uniform and civil protection units at all levels of administration;
• Provider of dissemination and demonstration activities in a real (operational) environment;
• Supplier of GNSS, EO software and services including satellite imagery distribution, raw satellite data (optic and radar), analysis and satellite imagery processing and interpretation;
• Remote sensing and photogrammetry both know-how and necessary software to provide advanced and difficult converts and analysis;
• 3D environment models supplier, recreation of scenarios, presentation of 3D infrastructure data including aerial systems, laser point clouds, 3D mesh, 3D objects from standard 3D files.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
Currently, Astri Polska is mainly responsible for:

• evaluation and impacts’ activities (conducting the project results measurement and validation; overall quality assessment and Project’s certification; evaluation of the Project’s impacts and uptake measurement, including cost benefits);
• dissemination, exploitation, knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights management;
• delivery of positioning, localisation, guidance and tracking tools (Modulus and Dynamic Routing);
• the demonstration of Project’s Portal first assessment which refers to performing the tabletop crisis exercise connecting simulated and real tools, and existing systems based on the Ebola spread prevention scenario;
• the evaluation and tools/portal validation in each of Project’s demonstrations.

BAE Systems

www.baesystems.com

BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery and support of some of the world’s most advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace, and security solutions. The company employs a skilled workforce of some 82,500 people in over 40 countries. Working with customers and local partners, we develop, engineer, manufacture, and support products and systems to deliver military capability, protect national security and people, and keep critical information and infrastructure secure. This experience and capability includes development of Crisis Management solutions at a technology, product, platform, and system-of-systems level, as well as core skills in knowledge management, systems integration, and project management.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
The main tasks of BAE SYSTEMS in ENCIRCLE will be to take the lead in the information security aspects of tools and capabilities and to provide guidelines for implementation. The tasks also include donating equipment from the EDEN project for hands-free operation of responders during search and rescue, managing WP4, and supporting the evaluation work package based on knowledge accumulated when working on EDEN.

Leonardo s.p.a

www.leonardocompany.com

Leonardo is a global high-tech company and one of the key players in Aerospace, Defence and Security. Headquartered in Italy, Leonardo has about 47,000 employees. Its offices and industrial plants are present in 218 sites worldwide, with a significant industrial presence in four domestic markets (Italy, the UK, the US, and Poland) and with strategic partnerships in major high-potential international markets. Leonardo's structure is organised into seven Divisions:

1. Helicopters.
2. Aircraft.
3. Aerostructures.
4. Airborne & Space Systems.
5. Land & Naval Defence Electronics.
6. Defence Systems.
7. Security & Information Systems.

The R&D activities in REACHING OUT are led by the Security & Information Systems Division. The Security & Information Systems Division is a world leader in safety-through-technology, providing tailored solutions for customers in public administration, public safety and security, critical infrastructure, services, transport, large companies, post, and logistics. Having a strong experience in information technology, communications, automation, and physical and digital security, the Division generates synergies by joining its expertise, processes, and technology across these areas. Competitive solutions and services, including integrated systems, are available to support territory security and control, for the protection of public and private critical infrastructure, and for the security of major events. The offer also includes integrated networks and secure communications that enable reliable and efficient information management. These are ideally suited for public safety and security organisations, emergency services, civil protection agencies, and transport infrastructures. Finally, with a significant track-record in providing advanced systems and control centres for the management and control of air and maritime traffic, the Division is a leader in the field.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
The main role of Leonardo in REACHING OUT is that of a technical developer of advanced tools for medical emergency management, especially for epidemics, working in close relationship with UCSC, which provides the medical expertise. Leonardo will produce for the project a Decision Support System for the coordinated management of hospital resources (people, ambulances, beds, available vaccines …) that would take into account the evolution of an emergency situation; a tool supporting the generation and optimisation of contingency plans for epidemics; a web portal for expert suggestions to stakeholders involved in a health emergency situation; a tool for automatic recording and ex-post evaluation of emergency decisions.

SAMUR Protecction Civil

www.madrid.es/samur

SAMUR-Protección Civil is a pre-hospital emergency service in the City of Madrid, run under the management of the General Directorate of Emergency and Civil Protection (DGEPC) of the City Council of Madrid. SAMUR-PC, as a public institution, has the responsibility to:

1. Provide the first medical and psychological response to emergency situations in public areas of the City of Madrid.
2. Organize relief and provide assistance in situations of disaster and calamity, including CRBN incidents. International disaster response is another area of expertise of SAMUR-PC.
3. Channel and organize volunteer response to medical emergencies..
4. Provide medical services at mass gatherings that are adequate to the identified risks..
5. Teach first-aid and CPR skills to professional first responders or general population and provide relevant training..

SAMUR-Protección Civil handles around 130,000 medical emergencies per year. This is achieved through 22 operating stations strategically located all over the city, a fleet of 200 vehicles (Basic Life Support Ambulances, Advanced Life Support Ambulances, Rapid Intervention Vehicles, motorcycles, and special operations appliances). The staff comprises 705 public employees, including physicians, nurses, EMTs, psychologists, pharmacists, and administrative support staff. In addition, the Organization is helped by 1835 volunteers.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT

WP2. SAMUR-PC will take part in task 2.2, identifying key issues from our past experience in order to define areas of improvement in the demonstrations.
WP5.SAMUR-PC will take part in task 5.1 (population preparation and self-preparedness) and task 5.4 (person identification, authentication, and rapid diagnosis).
WP7. SAMUR-PC will take part in workshops and tabletop demonstrations, in the demonstration design and organization, in the large-scale demonstration in the area of the Dead Sea, and in the evaluation and tools validation.

The main objectives for SAMUR-PC is to train interoperability, cooperation, coordination, and communication between international and multicultural emergency responders and to test technological solutions designed to improve emergency response.

Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety

www.irsn.fr

The Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) is a French public establishment of an industrial and commercial nature placed under the joint authority of the Ministries of Environment, Health, Industry, Research, and Defence. IRSN’s fields of expertise cover all situations involving a risk of exposure to ionising radiation of industrial, medical, or natural origin. Its research activities, mostly carried out within the framework of international programs, enable IRSN to maintain and develop its expertise and to establish its international stature as a world-class specialist on ionizing radiation risk management. IRSN has been charged, in particular, with the task of conducting R&D, developing expertise in the field of radiation protection for humans and the environment, and providing technical assistance to public authorities for the purposes of crisis management. In direct relevance to the proposal, IRSN is in charge of the national early warning network and countrywide radiation monitoring. The institute provides technical support to the French authorities in the event of a nuclear or radiological emergency. Jointly with its partners (University Pierre & Marie Curie, Iffo-RME, Planète Science), IRSN leads is leading OPENRADIATION, a citizen science initiative that will enable members of the public to measure environmental radiation using dosimetric applications on smartphones. IRSN has an extensive experience in working as part of national and international projects.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
Following the Fukushima accident, there emerged a number of civil initiatives aimed at enabling the general public to carry out measurements of radiation in the environment using various devices, including smartphones, and to share data and experiences through collaborative tools and social networks. Such measurements are of interest for two reasons. On the one hand, they offer members of the public the possibility to assess their own risk of exposure to radiation, and on the other hand, they provide real-time data from the field, which could be very useful for crisis management, especially at an early stage. This proposal aims to deliver functional tools and methodology for these purposes. The practical objectives are as follows:

1) to develop a smartphone application using a CMOS camera dedicated to radiation measurement that can be operated by the public in the event of radiological emergency;
2) to develop a methodology for analysing the massive amount of data sent by the public to a centralised database;
3) to demonstrate in practice the feasibility of such a smartphone-based measuring concept with a group of selected members of the public.

Magen David Adom (MDA)

www.mdais.org/en

MDA – Magen David Adom in Israel – was established in 1930 and has served as the National Red Cross Society since 2005. MDA’s mandate is to provide emergency medical services and blood banking services to the entire population of Israel, while serving as an auxiliary to the public authorities during emergency and crisis situations.

MDA has 1,900 paid personnel and 12,000 volunteers who respond to hundreds of thousands of calls every year. This is achieved through 10 state-of-the-art operations centers, a fleet of around 900 vehicles (basic and advanced life-support ambulances, 2 medevac helicopters, motorcycles, and special operations appliances).

As the national EMS and National Red Cross society, MDA holds the mandate to prepare for and response to any emergency or disaster (conflict-related, natural, or technological). MDA preparedness activities include: developing guidelines; purchasing dedicated equipment; training of staff, volunteers, and communities; working with the communities on improving their resilience and response capacities. Prepositioning of stocks and managing supply chains to ensure prompt and efficient response to national and international disasters are of particular interest for MDA.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
Most of MDA’s activity will focus on WP7, “Severe Earthquake in the Jordan valley demonstration.” MDA will lead this work with the support of APHS (Palestinian Authority), Jordan Red Crescent Society and Dead Sea Net. As part of preparation for the simulation, a series of workshops will be organized, in order to determine the detailed needs and present the tools available from the project partners and the supplier’s platform. The tools chosen for demonstration will be submitted to a “pre-demonstration service”, where the users will work together with the suppliers in order to incorporate the tools into their operational procedures. The final stage will include a large-scale simulation that will be organized in the Jordan valley, around the Dead Sea, to demonstrate the capacities brought by the project.

Some of the main challenges to be addressed include:

• creating, updating and disseminating a shared situational awareness;
• damage and needs assessment;
• response in the areas of medical response, shelter, water supply, and hygiene;
• effective coordination of international response with respect to culture, tradition, and protection of human heritage.

The goals of the WP7 earthquake demo are:

• to promote interoperability, cooperation, coordination, and communication of the emergency responders;
• to ground-test and demonstrate innovative technological solutions for better response;
• to promote cultural and social awareness among international (EU) responders to such an event (multicultural response);
• to present decision makers with new technologies and methodologies for improved response.

Other tasks of MDA in the Reaching Out project include:
WP2 – MDA will take part in the creation of the end-user platform, identification of gaps and possibilities for common interfaces with existing systems and will contribute to the dissemination and exploitation of the results.
WP3 – MDA will contribute to the research of existing procedures and guidelines and the analysis of the existing and planned interoperability standards for applications and communications.
WP4 – MDA will help to improve the capability of the existing assets for decision makers and responders through the provision of new tools for the preparedness, response, and short-term recovery stages of the crisis. This includes investigation of new and existing tools and methods for assessment; disaster response and recovery; coordination of response actions; operation and operations support.
WP5 – Population preparedness, capacity building and community participation for better resilience are part of MDA's DNA. As such, in this WP, MDA will take part in the population preparation and preparedness; person identification, authentication and rapid diagnosis; medical support – tools supporting medical services to the population; risk communication; restoration and citizen repatriation.
WP8 – MDA will take part in the evaluation of the tools used in the climate extremes and disaster in Asia demo.
WP9 – In this WP, MDA will help to identify, develop and disseminate best practice in the area of psychological, social, and ethical aspects of crisis management. In addition, MDA will contribute to research on the assessment of social impacts and acceptability for foreign teams.
WP10 – MDA will contribute to the evaluation of the project results, quality assessment, and tools certification.

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC)

www.unicatt.it

The Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, founded in 1921, includes five campuses and comprises 14 faculties, 52 three-year major tracks, 42 graduate-level degrees, 1 four-years degree, over 100 master tracks, 53 specializations, and 5 Postgraduate Schools. Their common goal is to study and gain an understanding of those topics that have proved vital to the well-being of every human being: the new frontiers of economics, bioethics, developments in the judicial fields, family dynamics, new horizons in medicine, and the latest discoveries in environmental research.
The School of Medicine, established in Rome in 1961, covers all modern medical disciplines and employs some of the most renowned medical scholars in the world. In addition to courses in medicine & surgery, nursing sciences, physiotherapy, public health, bioethics, biomedical science, and a variety of other clinical subjects, there is a School of Health Management and Economy. The School of Medicine is closely linked to the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli (www.policlinicogemelli.it). Within this framework, ethical issues are analysed, discussed, and assessed using inter- and multi-disciplinary methods. Researchers draw on different areas of knowledge and expertise in their treatment of problematic and innovative issues related to scientific research, clinical practice, and citizen/patient rapport with healthcare providers. Their primary objective is to evaluate the compliance of experimentation protocols with recognized ethical standards and to verify the safety and integrity of patients/volunteers participating in studies.
Between the years 2010 and 2014, the School of Medicine participated in 52 health-related European and international projects; six of them were successfully coordinated by UCSC.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT

• UCSC is responsible for administrative and financial coordination (WP1);
• Collaboration with other partners as an innovative provider (WP3, 4, 5, and 9); in particular, UCSC participates in the development of:
  • key SOPs in CoEM (Community Emergency Medicine)
  • POST-TELL (an evaluation tool)
  • EPI-EVO-ESP and EMER-SPOT (both are epidemics management tools)
  • New Disaster Victim Identification and ITF-A device (for monitoring the physiological status of victims)
  • First Health Diagnosis Tool and ITF-B device (enhancing medical support)
  • PictoApp, Good Citizen tool and Tip and Tricks tool (communication with the general public)
  • Ethical and Legal Reconciliation Tutor (aimed at providing decision support to medical rescue staff)
• Monitoring ethical activities through the Ethical Helpdesk and managing Ethics External Review Board (EERB);
• Collaboration on support for the End User Platform (WP2) and on the assessment of project results (WP9);
• Contribution to Demo activities (WP6, 7, and 8).

Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (UCL-CTMA)

www.uclouvain.be/ctma

UCL-CTMA (Centre for Applied Molecular Technologies) is a mixed academic, clinical, and military biotechnological platform consisting of three distinct pillars. It mutualizes resources drawn from the following partners: (1) Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC/UCL), which is the civilian academic pillar; (2) CBRN-Defence Laboratories Department for the BEDefence (DLD/BE-MOD), which is the military CBRN research and CBRN operational pillar; (3) St Luc academic hospital (Cliniques Universitaires St Luc, CUSL), which carries out clinical development and testing in molecular genetics. Accordingly, UCL-CTMA hosts a joint civilian/military clinical and research staff of up to 34 people with multidisciplinary expertise. It acts as a reference biotechnological platform specializing in genetics and molecular genetics for IREC/UCL as well as a reference CBRN-biological platform for the BE-Armed Forces. UCL-CTMA is a technological transfer/applied science research unit specifically acting as the “Biothreat control unit of the Defence Laboratory Department (DLD-Bio)” for the BE-MOD, as well as for the CUSL. Consequently, one of the main tasks of UCL-CTMA is to develop clinical and emerging DNA- and protein-based methods for a rapid diagnosis of genetic disorders and for rapid, specific, and sensitive detection, identification, and monitoring (DIM) of infectious agents. The latter includes DNA-based identification of pathogens, virulence and antibiotic resistance genotyping, and clonal microbiological forensics analysis. New emerging technologies such as nanotechnologies and high-throughput sequencing are used to produce innovative methods for better detection and protection against known and unknown threatening infectious agents while contributing to patient care improvement.
From December 20, 2014 to March 20, 2015, the UCL-CTMA team has been deployed as part of the Belgian contribution to the international fight against the Ebola virus in West Africa. UCL-CTMA deployed its analytical laboratory in the forest region of Guinea, on the outskirts of the city of N’Zerekore (Guinea).

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT

• UCL-CTMA leads WP6, Ebola crisis demonstration. The field demonstration will take place in Guinea, December 2018.
  
• UCL–CTMA participates in WP3 with the responsibility to use the ontological approach to systematize, categorize, and represent the knowledge on the actors, processes, information flow and decision making mechanisms from the multiple elements of the Reaching Out solution to feed into the CoEM logic.

Atrisc

www.atrisc.com

ATRISc provides consulting services for enhancing organizational response to crises and large-scale disasters, including.:

• the development of preparedness/training/change programs
• implementation of the Incident Command Systems (ICS)
• operational support 24/7 in case of crises
• a wide scope of services in case of crisis abroad, from weather forecasts to trained emergency personnel through an ATRISc-led joint venture (Blacklight)

ATRISc also conducts R&D projects in High Reliability Organizing and Resilience Engineering

The company employs highly experienced civil protection officers (Head of COGIC, SDIS directors, former ENSOSP risk management director, etc.), former or current practitioners in high risk industries (Air France pilots, nuclear industry), and researchers in HRO/Resilience Engineering specializing in the organization of crisis response.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
Task 2.2 EU and international experience - Identification of key issues from past incidents and joint review with US organizations (FEMA in particular)
Task 5.2 Population protection and support - Private involvement coordination tool based on protocols involving private organizations (e.g. transportation companies, such as Airbus Foundation, FedEx, Hotels) to be applied from the reception of the service offer to its integration in the global response.
Task 5.6 Communication with and for the population - Public Portal tool to communicate official information during the crisis to avoid disinformation, chaos or unexpected displacements.

• UCL-CTMA leads WP6, Ebola crisis demonstration. The field demonstration will take place in Guinea, December 2018.
  
• UCL–CTMA participates in WP3 with the responsibility to use the ontological approach to systematize, categorize, and represent the knowledge on the actors, processes, information flow and decision making mechanisms from the multiple elements of the Reaching Out solution to feed into the CoEM logic.

Public Health England (PHE)

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england

Public Health England (PHE) was established on 1 April 2013 by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to bring together public health specialists from more than 70 organisations into a single public health service. PHE is the expert national public health agency which fulfils the Secretary of State for Health’s statutory duty to protect health and address inequalities, and executes his power to promote the health and wellbeing of the nation. It has operational autonomy, an Advisory Board with a non-executive Chairman and non-executive members. PHE employs scientists, researchers, public health professionals, and essential support staff, and it works transparently, proactively providing government, local government, the NHS, MPs, industry, public health professionals, and the public with evidence-based professional, scientific, and delivery expertise and advice. PHE ensures there are effective arrangements in place nationally and locally for preparing, planning, and responding to health protection concerns and emergencies, including the future impact of climate change. PHE provides specialist health protection, epidemiology and microbiology services across England. PHE works in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer for England and with colleagues in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to protect and improve the public’s health, as well as internationally through a wide-ranging global health programme.

The teams from PHE involved in the REACHING-OUT proposal are very experienced in working on collaborative European projects and lead on Psychosocial and Behavioural Science, Exercises and Training, Public Health Risk Assessment, Decontamination and Recovery, and Emergency Response.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
PHE are making a substantial contribution to the REACHING-OUT project, with input on six of the ten Work Packages. There are two teams within PHE that are responsible for tasks and tools within the REACHING-OUT project. Behavioural Sciences within the Emergency Response Department (ERD) are task leaders on Work Package 9, which involves supporting the generation, adaptation, and application of social and human innovations in the demonstration regions. ERD are also working with other suppliers to develop and manage the REACHING-OUT SMEs/Suppliers/Operators (ROSE) Platform as part of WP2. This platform will facilitate the use and distribution of appropriate and validated tools for the REACHING-OUT demonstrations and provide access to these tools to interested parties beyond the project.

The CRCE team at PHE will be delivering two tools for the Reaching Out demonstrations. These are:

Audio Visual Assessment (AVA)

AVA will assess live video streaming tools (wearable cameras/portable) using low-bandwidth networks and will guide decision makers and responders by improving communications, information management, and overall disaster response. AVA will evaluate existing tools/assets such as wearable camera/portable and a web/mobile-based platform/apps and will provide a harmonised communication infrastructure. AVA will develop the standards, procedures, and guidelines for the use of live video streaming technology using low-bandwidth networks for remote risk assessment and decision making.

Disaster Recovery Tool (DRT)

The Disaster Recovery Tool will be an interactive web-based tool for sharing information with people (with a hard-copy backup) and is being developed for use by decision makers and also members of the public/ affected community. The DRT is being designed as a guidance tool to aid decision makers in developing a recovery strategy for the environment, to facilitate clean-up, depollution and expedite a return to normal.

As a public health organisation that responds to national and international health emergencies and disasters, PHE will also be providing end-user expertise where required.

Fire and Rescue Department of Upper Corsica

www.sdis2b.fr

Service Départemental d’Incendie et de secours de la Haute Corse

The Fire and Rescue Department of North Corsica (SDIS2B) is responsible for fire prevention and protection and firefighting. SDIS2B's main missions involve:
1. preventing and assessing civil protection risks,
2. preparing safeguard measures and emergency rescue planning,
3. protecting people and environmental assets,
4. providing emergency services to victims of accidents, incidents, or catastrophes and their evacuation.
In order to successfully perform these missions, SDIS2B benefits from 20 centres, spread geographically throughout Upper Corsica.

In compliance with the provisions of the French law No. 96-369 of 3 May 1996 relating to fire and rescue services, of French law No. 2004-811 of 13 August 2004 on the modernisation of civil defence and the CGCT general local authorities code of practice and, in particular, sections II and IV on fire and rescue services, SDIS2B is responsible for providing Upper Corsican authorities with the operational means required to assume their respective policing powers in civil security matters.

With a team formed from 1,100 firefighters, SDIS2B protects a population group varying from 161,000 to approximately 400,000 people in summer. SDIS2B benefits from an operations platform that manages 15,000 operations per year (more than 1,000 forest fires every year). We are also developing specific expertise in model testing and reviewing tactics in real situations. Our institution is the perfect tool for testing new tools and concepts. Our database contains more than 15,000 different scenarios for fighting forest fires, and we own graphical imaging mechanisms for large fires (GIS). 7 to 17 employees are present 24h/24h in the operations centre of SDIS2B for its management and control. It benefits from numerous tactical coordination and modelling tools at all times.

SDIS2B analyses and monitors more than 450,000 hectares of highly flammable forest and vegetation, with less than 1,500 hectares of forest burned down every year since 2003. It also plays a role in providing emergency rescue services (road, sea, and mountain rescue, etc.) and urban firefighting services and is active in all sectors connected to civil defence. The island of Corsica is prone to many disasters. As a consequence, the fire department is very reactive and boasts significant experience as a first responder. SDIS2B also has impressive credentials in performing missions abroad through its participation in multiple international relief efforts and training (Lebanon, Haiti, Fukushima, Mayotte, Oceania, Tunisia, etc.). With its extensive experience and large inter-agency crisis network, SDIS2B is well prepared to tackle the cultural differences and organisational challenges faced by this project. Within the framework of operational readiness for crisis management, SDIS2B conducts numerous national and regional exercises in conjunction with the French authorities and French Home Office. It works hand in hand with the French national civil defence and protection directorate (DDSC). SDIS2B has also conducted several projects as part of fruitful cooperation with the European funds (FEDER)..

SDIS2B is able to design, prepare, conduct, and evaluate tabletop exercises with multiple international teams using virtual reality platforms in crisis rooms as well as full-scale forest fire exercises in the field. It proposes the implementation and testing of air monitoring systems in real time during crisis situations. It makes use of audio and video recordings to improve after-action review methodology and identify strengths and areas for improvement. The Fire and Rescue Department of Upper Corsica is an ideal living lab and tool for testing new technologies and concepts.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
As part of this promising project, SDIS2B will participate in the demonstrations and work on proposing a new operational concept which will be effective from the first hours after the disaster, during the shock phase.

This new “Drop & Forget“ concept will enable a quick and effective deployment of humanitarian aid in perfect coherence with the real needs.

Ministère de l’Intérieur – Sous-Direction de la Police Technique et Scientifique (SDPTS)

www.interieur.gouv.fr

The “Sous-Direction de la Police Technique et Scientifique” (SDPTS) is part of the French national police. Based in Ecully, near Lyon, it is the national forensic service headquarters. The “service central d’identité judiciare” (SCIJ), the main department of the SDPTS, focuses on forensic investigation and is in charge of finding, collecting, recovering and analysing all evidence on a national scale. The SDPTS has three national response teams: one of which can be deployed in France and abroad in case of terrorist attacks or major crime scenes. The second one called “CONSTOX” that can be deployed on a crime scene or on a technological accident involving CBRN material. The third one is the national disaster victim identification (DVI) unit which is available 24/7 and dedicated to perform victim identification in case of major disasters or crisis in France and abroad.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
The SDPTS is involved in five work packages: WP2, WP3, WP5, WP7 and WP8 and is the leader of Task 5.4 “Person identification, authentication and rapid diagnosis”.
The role of the SDPTS within “Reaching Out” will be to share its expertise and know-how on disaster victim identification (DVI) for major disaster crisis at national and international level. Based on INTERPOL’s DVI standards (official INTERPOL guides and DVI forms) the SDPTS will demonstrate how DVI operations are conducted.
On the basis of INTERPOL’s protocol, the SDPTS is dedicated to performing victim identification operations in case of major disasters in France and abroad. A structured procedure is followed, enabling a coordinated and monitored situation of the disaster.
Two different teams are deployed: the ante-mortem (AM) team that deals with collecting information on the missing person through interviews with families, relatives or friends. Their function is to obtain detailed descriptions on the missing person’s clothing, jewellery, property items, fingerprints, dental and medical records, radiographs, photographs and family DNA samples.
The post-mortem (PM) team is deployed on the disaster site and is in charge of collecting identification markers on the bodies and personal belongings, through fingerprinting, DNA sampling, radiology, photography, and odontology.
A reconciliation phase is then organised with the aim of matching the post-mortem data with the ante-mortem data in view of identifying the victims so that the bodies can then be released to the families.
It must be highlighted that a victim can never be identified exclusively by means of visual recognition. The methods of identification must be based on scientifically reliable sources.

The SDPTS, always eager to developing and upgrading its tools, is open to any technological innovations and wishes to also share a recent tool they have acquired on DVI. This software named “Plass Data” is a web-based application which enables to enter data on missing persons (ante-mortem data) and deceased victims (post-mortem data), based on the INTERPOL DVI forms. The software compares the data and pinpoints plausible matches which are subsequently validated in detail before final identification of victims. The data is sent and collected in real-time which accelerates and facilitates the work of the reconciliation centres. Furthermore, this software saves considerable amount of time for all the teams involved. It is possible to work offline and to register data on a notebook computer even at remote disaster sites without any internet connections.

Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES)

www.aies.at

The Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) is a private non-partisan research institute established in September 1996. As a research institute and think tank the AIES contributes to the enhancement of the knowledge and awareness of European and international policies and security issues in Austria. In addition to their academic research, members of the AIES expert team provide praxis-oriented analyses and recommendations on the aforementioned topics at both the national and supranational levels. The Institute conducts its interdisciplinary activity in collaboration with academic, political, economic, social, and military institutions, civil organisations and the media as well as international organisations. The AIES forms part of various national, regional and European networks and is currently participating in two H2020 projects financed by the European Commission.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
The AIES contributes actively to WP3 and WP9. As part of WP3, the AIES analyzes relevant EU and UN structures and doctrines from both a legal and a policy-oriented perspective in order to identify the existing shortcomings and strengths, in line with the UNISDR recommendations and existing UN procedures in this field. As part of WP9, the AIES leads Task 9.2 “Legal and Policy Innovations Proposals” and in particular the subtasks on future EU modules and pooling, dual-use influence on effective crisis management, and the development of a coherent and sustainable legal framework for disaster law, based on functional requirements, valid for the EU and international partners and integrated with external disaster management mechanisms.

Rinicom Ltd

www.rinicom.com

Rinicom is a UK-based telecommunications company specialising in bespoke wireless broadband communications for first responders, video surveillance applications, and digital TV broadcasting. Founded in 2002, Rinicom has a strong portfolio of products, including COFDM IP mesh radios and a range of optic and thermal cameras, suitable for large and small-scale deployments. Rinicom also specialises in video analytics, with a powerful library of detection, classification, and tracking solutions. Rinicom also develops a series of innovative healthcare technologies that include a mobile tablet system for patient monitoring using a suite of wireless biometric devices.

Rinicom was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2013 and enjoys close working relationships with several leading UK universities, hospital trusts, and industry partners. The expertise from across several industry areas allows Rinicom to design and develop innovative products utilizing a unique combination of technologies. Rinicom is also involved in several EU-funded projects including NEXES, UNITY, INTER-IoT, TRAX, and TENSOR.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
Rinicom is the leader of work package 5 and the leader for tasks 2.4, 4.4 and 5.6. Rinicom will develop tools for healthcare (PRIME and TELECARE), surveillance (eyeQuad and DarkEye), and communications (Pod Nodes, UNITY, NEXES 112-APP).

Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNS)

www.polytech.unice.fr

Nice-Sophia Antipolis University is the second largest multi-disciplinary French university, with 26,000 students and more than 2,500 staff members. Being research-oriented, the university develops innovative pedagogic approaches and directions of research in collaboration with a large number of international partners. Polytech Nice-Sophia is the graduate school – grande école – of Nice-Sophia Antipolis University; it hosts about 1,400 students following the five main engineering specialisations: electronics, computer sciences, applied mathematics, bio-engineering, and water engineering/hydroinformatics. Polytech Nice-Sophia is a key member of the new SophiaTech campus located at Sophia Antipolis, the largest European technopark. It is actively involved in the three majors strategic axes: ambient computing, ICT for health and biology, and ICT for water & environment. The Polytech Nice-Sophia teams develop original pedagogic and research topics drawing on different fields of technology in order to create added value relevant for ICT. Within Polytech, the Innovative CiTy (I-CiTy) team brings together scientists and researchers from multiple disciplines whose research is focused on water issues, risk management in urban environments, and the development of methodologies for resilience evaluation. Their current research activities are integrated in a number of national and international projects. As part of international collaboration, the team has established active links with various industries and research groups. At the same time, the I-CiTy team works in close cooperation and synergy with other research teams based at Polytech Nice Sophia in the specific fields of ICT solutions, sensors, communications protocols, and toxicology.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
The UNS/Polytech Nice/I- CiTy team leads WP8, “Climate Extremes and Disasters in Asia demonstration.” The I-CiTy team is also involved in the following work packages:

• WP2: Reaching Out Collaborative Portal and Platforms
• WP3: Effective Governance & management
• WP4: New tools and improved use of existing assets for decision makers and responders.

University of Agder (UIA)

www.uia.no

UIA is a public university that runs its activities on two campuses: Kristiansand and Grimstad, Norway. It has 22 departments under six faculties. The university is affiliated with 180 partner institutions worldwide through research collaboration and faculty and staff exchanges. Internally, research activities at UIA are mostly funded by the Norwegian Government, but externally it receives funds from the Research Council of Norway, EU’s Horizon 2020, other EU and EEA research programs, regional funds, ministries and directorates, private organizations, and industrial partners. The UIA team for the ReOut project consists of three academics from two different departments (ICT & IS) who work together in the CIEM (Centre for Integrated Emergency Management) research group. CIEM consists of around 30 researchers and concentrates on providing the fundamental theory, algorithms, and associated infield testing to open a completely new era of emergency management. It combines expertise from Big Data, Engineering, Network Technologies, Information management, Decision Support, Critical Infrastructures, Sense-making and Social Media to build solutions for next-generation responders.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
UIA is involved in several WPs (WP4, WP6, WP7, WP8, WP10) and is the task leader on Task 4.7 (Coordination of response actions), with the main focus on the design and development of the desired decision-support systems. Specifically, we are working on the development of FOREPREDICT and DSS toolboxes in collaboration with AIRBUS to facilitate rapid decision making on effective (reaching target service level), efficient (minimizing use of resources, cost, and time) and equitable (facility location, flow mapping, routing and scheduling) planning for the distribution of disaster relief goods.

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd

www.vtt.fi

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd is a state owned and controlled impartial non-profit technology company. VTT provides research, development, testing, and innovation services for domestic and international customers and partners, both in the private and public sectors. VTT has over 2300 employees; with its wide range of scientific capabilities, hands-on expertise, and dedicated personnel VTT increases the technological and economic competitiveness of its clients and its owner as well as social welfare.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
VTT will participate in the Ebola crisis demonstration in Guinea. VTT will provide rapidly deployable biohazard containment systems, including an air-transportable infectious patient isolation unit, decontamination system, and an air handling system that allows aid workers to follow on-site infection control precautions in the available health care facilities (deployable field hospitals or existing buildings).

European Union Satellite Centre

www.satcen.europa.eu

The European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen) is an agency of the Council of the European Union (EU) whose mission is to support the decision making and actions of the EU in the field of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and, in particular, the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), including EU crisis management missions and operations, by providing (at the request of the Council of the European Union or the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) products and services resulting from the exploitation of relevant space assets and collateral data, including satellite and aerial imagery, and related services.

As such, the EU SatCen is an institution linking Space and Security with technical and operational expertise as key primary user of satellite data as well as product and service provider in the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The EU SatCen is one of the EU agencies actively involved in Copernicus; in particular, the EU SatCen contributed to the definition and pre-operational setup of the Copernicus Security Services (e.g. participating in FP7 projects such as BRIDGES, G-NEXT, G-SEXTANT, SAGRES and LOBOS), where it is foreseen to have a role in the Maritime Surveillance, Border Surveillance, and Support to EU External Action services. The EU SatCen is a Copernicus Core User having access to Sentinels and various Contributing Missions data through the Copernicus Space Component Data Access (CSCDA).

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
1. Support to the Advisory board and End User Platform activities (WP1 and WP2)
2. Development of three tools, including their integration with other tools and adaptation to demonstration

• CARTOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT & PRODUCTION: carto production tool to help during the pre-deployment and deployment phases, connected to reference databases and Portal (WP4).
• Risk analysis tool: identification of homogenous regions of vulnerability by integrating a set of susceptibility and lack of resilience indicators through geospatial analysis (WP4).
• EU citizen evacuation tool: provides geospatial information to support the evacuation of EU citizens from crisis areas (WP5).
  

3. Participation in the organization and management of the Field demo (Ebola scenario-WP6)
4. Participation in the evaluation and validation process (WP10).

LDI Innovation

www.ldi-innovation.eu

LDI INNOVATION, Estonian SME, is an R&D, engineering, and manufacturing company specializing in novel photonics and information and communication technologies. The Company develops sensors and systems providing real-time and on-line sensing solutions for industries, environmental protection, bio-chemical security and safety, and medical applications.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
Providing a photonic sensor for rapid assessment of the physiological status of victims for the optimization of medical treatment. Intended users include medical personnel in emergency care units and hospitals.

UNINA-PLINIVS

www.plinivs.it

The PLINIVS Study Centre (Study Centre for Hydrogeological, Volcanic, and Seismic Engineering) is a part of the LUPT Research Interdepartmental Centre, based at the University of Naples Federico II. Since 2006, PLINIVS has been a National Competence Centre on Volcanic Risk for the Italian Civil Protection.

In the last 30 years, PLINIVS has developed several probabilistic simulation models to assess the impacts of natural hazards taking into account the distribution of impacts in time and space and the cumulative effects of possible cascading events. Another important field of activity is a continuous collection of data on the built environment and population at both the national and regional scales. The data collected is used to build a comprehensive GIS database that includes population data, classification of different building types, and characteristics of transport networks. These methods have been successfully transferred to several case studies conducted at an international level, in which models and tools employed by PLINIVS were customized to provide effective support to decision makers and emergency planners.
PLINIVS’s main research and consultancy activities include:

• exposure and vulnerability analysis
• impact assessment
• emergency planning
• emergency management
• cost-benefit and multi-criteria analyses
• decision support systems and tools

Involvement in several national and EU research projects (among the most recent are: EU-FP5 Vesuvius; EU-FP6 EXPLORIS; INGV-GNDT SAVE; ITA-DPC SPeeD; EU-FP7 SafeLand; EU-FP7 CRISMA; EU-FP7 Snowball; H2020 ESPRESSO; H2020 CLARITY) has allowed PLINIVS to continuously update its models and tools. Its extensive experience places the PLINIVS Study Centre among the most authoritative research units in the field of seismic, volcanic, and hydrogeological risk modelling and assessment.
Centre among the most authoritative research units in the field of seismic, volcanic, and hydrogeological risk modelling and assessment.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
Within Reaching Out, UNINA-PLINIVS leads WP3, titled “Effective Governance & management (doctrines and procedures, cost efficiency, interoperability and standards).” The PLINIVS team has acquired extensive knowledge and experience that pertains to national and regional crisis management and supporting emergency operations and decision making processes at the national and international levels. This expertise will be shared with REACHING OUT partners to define effective governance and management strategies at the international level.

UNINA-PLINIVS has also a key role to play in the implementation of the WP7 demo, “Severe Earthquake in the Jordan valley demonstration.” The methodology employed by PLINIVS (probabilistic dynamics modelling, Bayesian networks, event tree analysis, Monte Carlo methods, fuzzy logics, and error propagation calculation for the treatment of uncertainties) in order to derive realistic impacts on the built environment from hazard modelling (single or multi-risk approach), will be transferred in the context of the envisaged modelling activities and during the implementation of the Jordan Valley demo. A consolidated approach to the integration of mitigation actions within the hazard/impact modelling, their performance and cost-benefit assessment will constitute an important reference for the implementation of system resilience evaluation methods. Our expertise in economic modelling in the context of natural hazards, including direct and indirect costs of emergency management and restoring operations, will be transferred as part of the financial modelling activities envisaged.

Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)

www.iai.it/en

The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) was founded on 11 October 1965 on the initiative of Altiero Spinelli, a political thinker and European federalist. IAI is a non-profit think tank funded by individual and corporate members, public and private organizations, major international foundations, and a standing grant from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its policy-oriented research, traditionally addressed to the government, business, international organizations, and European institutions, is characterized by an independent approach.

IAI’s Security and Defence (S&D) Programme works at the intersection of four strands of research: policies adopted by national and international institutions and organizations in the defence and security field; relevant industrial and technological developments; operational developments in the military and civil security areas; the politico-strategic interaction in the Euro-Atlantic framework. Since 2001, IAI’s S&D team has been involved in over 20 research projects, mostly supported by the European Commission, the European Defence Agency, and the European Space Agency. IAI’s security research focuses on: civil security and crisis management, national security, European space policy, defence and security industry, the EU Common Security and Foreign Policy (CSFP) and Defence Policy (CSDP), NATO and Euro-Atlantic security framework.

IAI has developed an extensive expertise in conducting analysis of security and crisis management scenarios, investigating the political and economic as well as technical and operational aspects of such issues. In addition, over the years, IAI’s security research team has acquired specific skills in managing end-user platforms and security experts’ networks as well as skilled required for active participation and involvement in demonstration activities in the field of crisis and risk management.

In the last decade, IAI has been active in a number of EU-funded projects with a focus on emergency management, including EU-CIVCAP (Preventing and responding to conflict: developing EU civilian capabilities for a sustainable peace), EDEN (End-user driven Demo for CBRNE), EvoCS (The evolving concept of security: A critical evaluation across four dimensions), ANVIL (Analysis of civil security systems in Europe), and CRESCENDO (Coordination action on risks, evolution of threats and context assessment by an enlarged network for an r&d roadmap).

In addition, the S&D team runs research projects, writes and edits scientific publications, and organizes both public conferences and closed-door seminars. In its activity, the team adopts a multidisciplinary approach the subject of analysis, so that its strategic, political, institutional, legal, economic, operational, and technical aspects are all considered.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
Within R-OUT, IAI is active in WP1 and WP2 by managing the End User Platform (EUP) and the Advisory Board (AB) activities. In WP9, IAI will lead the research input concerning dual-use influence on effective crisis management.

Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon (ENS-L)

www.ens-lyon.fr

The Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon (ENS DE LYON or ENSL) is the product of a very recent integration of two Ecoles Normales: Humanities on the one hand, Sciences on the other. The ENS DE LYON is only accessible through a highly selective entrance examination (about 6 000 candidates for 228 openings). The ENS DE LYON includes 23 research laboratories covering a wide range of skills (humanities and exact sciences) and maintaining close links to several national research organizations (CNRS, INRA, INSERM, INRIA, Universities, etc.) and 11 technological platforms. Laboratories at the ENS de Lyon engage in significant national and international activities: European and French programs (FP7, the French National Research funding Agency ANR), publications (around 1000 publications a year), and agreements with 224 university partners in 26 countries. Expertise and research foci of the institution are based on strong disciplinary competence (in the Humanities, Letters, Social Sciences or Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry), search for interdisciplinary projects (through Systems Sciences) and international cooperation (through joint research institutes in China and Japan). At both national and international levels, the ENS DE LYON develops innovative research programs. It has incubated 12 start-up since 1994 (more than 140 jobs created). Within ENS de Lyon, the French Institute for Education is the leading French centre for research and expertise on education (health education included), while LADEC is a CNRS research centre specializing in anthropology with a particular focus on current challenges and metamorphoses. Frédéric Le Marcis, as a political anthropologist studying health issues, is part of both departments.

The strong experience of Frederic Le Marcis gained during his fieldwork in West Africa and in a context of health crises and epidemics is a warranty for the feasibility of the research. PhD fellows Pauline Claudot and Rubis Le Coq dedicate their field and research work to the ReOut project by offering deep and well-documented insights into what is at stake during a crisis such as an Ebola outbreak in Guinea and how it should be handled.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
The ENS-L team is involved in two work packages, namely WP6 and WP9. Within these WPs, our experts will use anthropological methodologies and epistemologies to develop an understanding of the social, cultural, and political stakes of the demonstration. Building on the extensive experience acquired during the last Ebola outbreak in Guinea, they will provide tools to anticipate difficulties that may arise during the demonstration (communication, interaction, cultural and political sensitivities). Their work will facilitate the interaction of the demo and its actors with the local context and population. Lastly, their ability to observe, describe and analyze will be employed in the debrief of the demo.

Stockholm University

www.su.se

Stockholm University, founded in 1878, is one of the world’s top 100 universities. Stockholm University serves 70,000 students and 1,800 doctoral students. Some 5,000 staff members are active within the natural and human sciences.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
SU is mainly involved in WP9: Addressing Human and Social Issues in Crisis Management. First, SU examines how the integration of the EU’s external Crisis Management with other EU instruments may be improved. An innovative tool will be created in the form of a database of EU instruments, across the policy spectrum related to disasters. Second, SU works on recommendations for future evolutions of EU and UN policies related to disaster law. Third, SU examines the legal protection among volunteers from a disaster law perspective.

EUREKA COMUNICAZIONE TELEMATICA SRL

www.eureka.it

Eureka has been active in the field of management consulting since 1993, making full use of the knowledge and experience of its senior consultants.
By integrating different professional skills of its team members, Eureka gains the flexibility required to cater for the needs of small and medium-sized companies and institutions of public administration:
Simulation Model for the evaluation of the economic impact of natural disasters. We analyze natural phenomena (earthquakes, storms, floods, etc.) to assess their impact and to develop sensitivity analysis models. Having identified the main input parameters/output variables and the corresponding units of measurement, we develop algorithms that can be used for outcome simulation.On this basis, we create simulation models in Microsoft Excel and test them using available and/or estimated data.On this basis, we create simulation models in Microsoft Excel and test them using available and/or estimated data.
Business Planning. Using an original methodology for the assessment of the economic and financial results, we develop business plans tailored to the customer’s needs(request for facilitated loans, feasibility verification, presentation to potential providers of funds). Business planning services are available both to existing businesses and to startups.
Financial modelling. Related to business planning, financial modelling provides a representation of some or all aspects of a business using specialized software for performing calculations based on financial data. The models may also summarize particular events for the end user and provide guidance for the coverage of financial needs.
Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). We provide methodological and calculation support for public administrators in the process of assessing the feasibility of investments in public infrastructure.CBA is also performed as part of the quantitative evaluation of mitigation actions undertaken to reduce the negative impact of natural or man-made events.
Decision support systems. Business consulting and technical assistance for management control systems; workload detection systems; budget formulation, etc.

ACTIVITIES IN REACHING OUT
Eureka participates in the design and development of decision support tools that can be used for:

• project management, also via the portal and its platforms;
• development of the intervention model, the guidelines and protocols for integrating different procedures and roles of individual Member States;
• simulation of the impact of the intervention model designed and demo-tested as part of the project in terms of its economic and organizational efficiency.

Eureka is involved in all WPs, except WP1 and WP9.