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Located within the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, California's transportation infrastructure, especially in the Bay Area, is susceptible to earthquakes. A review of current research and stakeholder interviews revealed a growing awareness of emergency preparedness among local jurisdictions and transit agencies in recent years. However, many have yet to formalize and publish their recovery plans. This study introduces an agent-based multimodal transportation simulation tool to enhance post-earthquake transportation resilience. Integrating a road network simulator with a metro system simulator, the tool employs an optimized Dijkstra-based algorithm to calculate optimal routes, travel times, and fares. A case study is conducted for the East Bay, using the simulator to gauge the impact of a compromised Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. The results suggested that original BART passengers could face either longer commute times or higher costs during the recovery phase of a major earthquake without appropriate policies. Such outcomes could disproportionately burden low-income riders, affecting their mobility and overall travel time.

In the event of a wildfire, government agencies need to make quick, well-informed decisions to safely evacuate people. Small communities, such as in Marin County, with a mix of residences and flammable vegetation in Wildland-Urban Interface zones tend to lack resources to conduct evacuation studies. Consequently, this study uses a framework of wildfire and traffic simulations to test the performance of potential evacuation strategies, including reducing the volume of evacuating vehicles through car-pooling, phasing evacuations by staggering evacuation times by zone, and prohibiting street parking in four representative areas of Marin County. Results show that reducing vehicle numbers lowers the average travel time by 20%-70% and average exposure time to wildfire by 27%-60% from the baseline. Phased evacuations with suitable time intervals lower the average travel time by 13.5%-70%, but may expose more vehicles to fire in some situations. Prohibiting street parking yields varying results due to different numbers of exits and evacuees. In some cases, prohibiting street parking reduces the average travel time by over 50%, while in other cases it only reduces the average travel time by 9%, contributing little to evacuation efficiency. Altogether, Marin County may want to consider developing a communication and parking plan to reduce the number of evacuating vehicles in wildfire situations. Phased evacuation is also highly recommended, but the suitable phasing interval depends on the speed of fire spread and number of evacuees. Further, whether to establish street parking prohibition policies for a certain area depends on the number of exits and the number of vehicles on the streets.

Anthropogenic hazards are unrelenting threat to lives and property, with human irresponsibility emerging as a leading source of urban as well as industrial fires. The complexity of urban structures and crowded layouts make these kinds of fires more lethal. This paper presents an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based framework designed for smart buildings as a solution to the devastating obstacles caused by fire crises. Our system creates a 3D model of the building using floor plans and the A* algorithm for escape route identification. The proposed framework includes a YOLO-based smart monitoring system for the identification and counting of people caught in a fire, with the ability to distinguish between conscious and unconscious persons. The proposed system informs inhabitants in the case of a fire and directs them to the closest exit for a safe evacuation. Moreover, fire and rescue officials receive real-time information on affected persons, such as the number and location of adults and children who are conscious and unconscious. Perhaps most significantly, the suggested framework performs exceptionally well, scoring 96% for precision and 98% for recall in the detection of fire and humans. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the model in locating people within infrastructures affected by fire. The framework considerably outperforms the most advanced algorithms in terms of speed and efficiency for shortest path detection, greatly improving the ability of fire rescue teams to quickly find and aid residents who are trapped in a fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfire impacts are increasing due to the multiplicative effect of several factors, including climate change, increased vulnerability in the wildland-urban interface, and impacts of management decisions. This has also led to an increase in evacuations due to the number of wildfires and people affected. This study collected information on behaviour during wildfire evacuation to fill critical research gaps in human behaviour and evacuation knowledge. Seven videos of residents' evacuations from the 2016 Fort McMurray fire were collected from public platforms. Their routes were analyzed, and notable behavioural events were recorded. The evacuees mainly used major roads before getting onto the highway (the only route available for vehicular egress). The notable behaviours observed included using opposite lanes and driving outside of marked roads to avoid congestion. Much of the observed behaviours appeared to be motivated by the surrounding traffic or fire behaviour, further supporting the need for further studies of evacuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective disaster management can help mitigate both human and financial damage. However, the absence of appropriate disaster preparedness and management efforts can increase the vulnerability of international tourists to natural disasters. International tourists differ from residents and local tourists in various ways, including limited knowledge of disasters and disaster responses, use of different languages, limited access to signs, and shelter locations and evacuation routes. This study developed an agent-based evacuation model to determine the differences in evacuation behaviors among international tourists, residents, and local tourists during a tsunami. Further, it clarified the impact of both soft and hard countermeasures such as information provision and shelter capacity expansion. Our case study was conducted in the Minato Bay area in Osaka, Japan. The simulation results revealed disparities in the evacuation behaviors between international tourists and residents in the arrival times at shelters. The enhanced sign accessibility and provision of signs in multiple languages significantly reduced the arrival time of international tourists at shelters. Consequently, it is necessary to improve disaster management plans that ensure information provision in multiple languages and the establishment of temporary shelters near tourism spots to support international tourists during disaster evacuation. • Disparities exist in the evacuation behaviors of international tourists and residents. • International tourists following other evacuees take more time to reach shelters. • Enhanced sign accessibility reduces international tourists' arrival times. • Information provision in multiple languages reduces international tourists' arrival times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 1945, the Red Army began its Vistula-Oder offensive forcing the German army to abandon many territories that it occupied west of the Vistula River. The offensive also resulted in the westward evacuation of thousands of ethnic Germans, including Mennonites, seeking refuge in the shrinking Third Reich. This paper examines the evacuation strategies and experiences of Mennonites from Deutsch Wymyschle and Gąbin, Poland during this chaotic time. It also investigates the Red Army's brutal treatment of Mennonites following their capture and during the journey back to their villages in Poland. Finally, the paper discusses the way in which Nazi authorities exploited this mass evacuation not only for their own administrative and military purposes, but also to slow down the advancing Red Army. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the possibilities of using an agent-based evacuation model to analyse the formation of queues at the exits of enclosed spaces and the evacuation process of people. The aim is to investigate how the density of people in a crowd affects the safe movement of people and how the width, number, and location of exits affect evacuation time. The analysis was carried out using the Pathfinder evacuation model, which provides two modes to simulate the movement of people: steering and SFPE. An enclosed space of 20 m × 30 m was investigated. First, the differences between the modes of the evacuation model to simulate the movement of people were compared. Then, the steering mode with limited door flow was set and the effect of the width, number, and location of the exits with a total width of 4 m on the evacuation time was investigated. The results of this study highlight differences in the simulation of the movement of people according to the different modes and provide valuable information for the design of safe escape routes. Proper design of escape routes can prevent an adverse situation that could arise when evacuating a large number of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The 2017 Edgecumbe flood in New Zealand triggered the largest companion animal rescue operation in the nation's history, highlighting significant gaps in disaster preparedness for animals. This study aimed to explore the experiences of six first responders from various agencies involved in the rescue efforts. The main challenges identified included the lack of logistical planning during the initial rescue phase, the need for proper animal identification and tracking systems, and the difficulties in decontaminating and providing long-term care for rescued animals. Health and safety issues for responders were also significant, with many facing hazardous conditions and emotional stress. This study concluded that comprehensive collaborative emergency response planning is essential to address the needs of both humans and animals. The findings underscore the importance of including animals in disaster preparedness plans and ensuring that responders are adequately trained and supported. These insights are valuable for improving future emergency responses, promoting community resilience, and ensuring the welfare of animals and humans during disasters. The 2017 Edgecumbe flood in New Zealand necessitated the rescue of over 1000 animals, making it the largest companion animal rescue operation in the nation's history at the time. This qualitative study explores the experiences and perspectives of six first responders from various agencies involved in the animal rescue efforts. Through semi-structured interviews, this study identified several key themes, including challenges during the rescue phase, post-rescue issues, the impact on the human–animal relationship and wellbeing, and the health and safety of responders. The rescue phase was characterised by difficulties in evacuating and rescuing animals, the influence of the socio-zoological scale on rescue prioritisation, issues with feeding animals in place, and the diversity of species requiring rescue. Post-rescue challenges included animal identification and tracking, decontamination, management of deceased animals, and long-term impacts on animals and owners. This study also highlighted the interconnectedness of human and animal welfare during the disaster, as well as the health and safety risks faced by responders. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive collaborative emergency response planning that addresses the needs of both humans and animals, as well as the importance of ongoing efforts to build resilience and preparedness in communities. Lessons learned from the Edgecumbe flood can inform future policy, planning, and practice to enhance the effectiveness and compassion of animal-inclusive emergency management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disaster evacuation increases the risk of becoming overweight or obese owing to lifestyle changes and psychosocial factors. This study evaluated the effect of evacuation on becoming overweight during a 7-year follow-up among residents of Fukushima Prefecture during the Great East Japan Earthquake. This was a prospective cohort study. We analysed data collected from 18,977 non-overweight Japanese participants who completed the 'Comprehensive Health Checkup Program' and 'Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey', as part of the Fukushima Health Management Survey, between July 2011 and November 2012. An evacuation was defined as the moving out of residents of municipalities designated as an evacuation zone by the government or having a self-reported experience of moving into shelters or temporary housing. Follow-up examinations were conducted in March 2018 to identify patients who became overweight. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Among 15,875 participants (6091 men and 9784 women; mean age 63.0 ± 11.1 years) who received follow-up examination (mean follow-up, 4.29 years), 2042 (856 men and 1186 women) became overweight. Age-, baseline body mass index-, lifestyle-, and psychosocial status–adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for becoming overweight after evacuation were 1.44 (1.24–1.66) for men and 1.66 (1.47–1.89) for women. Evacuation was associated with the risk of becoming overweight 7 years after the disaster. Thus, maintaining physical activity, healthy diet, and sleep quality and removing barriers to healthy behaviour caused by disasters, including anxiety concerning radiation, may prevent this health risk among evacuees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counter-terrorism measures and preparedness play a critical role in securing mass gatherings, soft targets, and critical infrastructures within urban environments. This paper introduces a comprehensive Decision Support System developed as part of the S4AllCitites project, designed to seamlessly integrate with existing legacy systems in Smart Cities. The system encompasses urban pedestrian and vehicular evacuation, incorporating predictive models to anticipate the progression of incendiary and mass shooting attacks, alongside a probabilistic model for threat assessment in the case of improvised explosive devices. A notable achievement of this research is the successful implementation and deployment of the system in operational environments through pilot studies. It empowers public and private security operators with real time decision support capabilities during both prevention and intervention stages of potential attacks. The decision support information provided encompasses various aspects, including optimal evacuation strategies, estimated egress times, pedestrian movement profiles, probability assessments, and the potential impact of different terrorist threats in terms of casualties. Additionally, the system offers real-time insights into the status of the traffic network under normal and unusual conditions, enabling efficient emergency management throughout its progression. This includes the ability to identify optimal intervention routes and assess the impact of anomalous traffic resulting from evacuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staircase choice is one of the most critical factors leading to the difference in pedestrian flow and evacuation routes in buildings with multiple staircases. Neither the shortest path to the building exit nor the locally quickest path to the nearest staircase can represent the natural mode of evacuation path choices for an authentic evacuation simulation. Thus, a prediction-based approach is established to predict and simulate evacuation choices, which helps to address three key issues: (1) extracting evacuation data through a controlled experiment; (2) establishing a Logit model for staircase choice prediction based on experimental data; (3) developing a prediction-based cellular automaton model. The proposed approach has achieved the coupling between choice prediction and evacuation simulation. A comparison with Pathfinder software is conducted to reveal the superiority of the prediction-based CA model for simulating staircase choice.

This study examines the process of evacuating Soviet automotive industry enterprises during the Great Patriotic War using the example of the Moscow Automobile Plant named after I. V. Stalin. The relevance of the research is justified by the necessity to reconstruct the activities of the highest bodies of party-state management during the industrial evacuation. Archive documents of the Evacuation Council under the People’s Commissariat of the USSR were analyzed. The Council operated from June to December 1941 as a commission under the Soviet government and was responsible for evacuating enterprises and institutions. The sources of the study were documents of the State Defense Committee of the USSR, the highest body of party-state power in the country during the Great Patriotic War. Correspondence between the plant management and various institutions and departments, as well as evacuation reports, were used as research materials. The existing evacuation options for of the Moscow Automobile Plant named after I. V. Stalin, discussions among Soviet agencies on the location of the plant in rear areas of the country were examined. Based on statistical summaries and reports, the intensity of the evacuation process and its outcomes were studied. It is concluded that the evacuation of the Moscow Automobile Plant named after I. V. Stalin contributed to preserving the country’s industrial potential and had a long-term positive impact on the development of the Soviet automotive industry.

This study analyzes the impact of the standards determined within the Turkish "Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings" scope on evacuation time. The evacuation performance of assembly-purpose structures was measured within the limitations imposed by the regulation. Three classes of assembly-purpose structures were analyzed, including the definition of the highest user load in the regulation. Scenarios A, B, and C, consisting of 230 sub-scenarios with varying user numbers, were created, resulting in a total of 690 different sub-scenarios being analyzed. The scenarios were analyzed using the Pathfinder program. The findings indicate that the user load is a decisive factor in evacuation time. Additionally, the exit width per person specified in the regulation was observed to be larger than necessary to maintain the same conditions. Minimum Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) values were determined for the three different assembly structures with the highest user load definition in the regulation within a fire regulation-compliant building. It was concluded that the exit capacity should exceed the limits set by the regulation to achieve shorter evacuation times. The study's findings demonstrate the need to include performance-based definitions in future amendments to the regulation. This study emphasizes the significance of performance-based analyses to underscore that overreliance on prescriptive definitions can impose limitations during the design process, negatively affecting efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urbanization progresses and the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, urban flooding has emerged as a critical challenge for resilient cities, particularly concerning urban underground spaces where flooding can lead to significant loss of life and property. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of global research on underground space flood simulation and evacuation, this paper undertakes the modelling of inundation in a substantial underground area during the extraordinary rainfall event on 7 September 2023, in Shenzhen, China. Specifically, it introduces a two-step method to simulate the coupled surface-underground inundation process with high accuracy. The study simulates the inflow processes in three types of underground spaces: parking lots, metro stations, and underpasses. Utilizing the specific force per unit width evaluation, the research examines how varying flood barrier heights influence evacuation time and inundation risk. Subsequently, the paper proposes corresponding evacuation strategies based on the obtained findings. By highlighting the vulnerability of urban underground spaces to flooding, the study underscores the urgent need for further research in this domain. HIGHLIGHTS This study conducts a systematic review of existing research findings on urban underground space inundation, categorizing them into four types.; This article employs an authentic case to simulate the water ingress process and utilizes specific force per unit width evaluation to assess the associated risks.; Tailored strategies for addressing diverse underground spaces are proposed in this paper.;

One of the most important purposes of installing fire alarm systems is to provide an alarm signal in the protected building in the event of a fire. Fire alarms are most often provided by networked audible warning devices. The signal must be easily and quickly detectable and identifiable so that the occupants inside can start to escape after the alarm has been sounded. This is apparently a simple expectation, but if you look at the efficiency of fire alarms as a whole, and the effects that determine whether an evacuation will occur in response to an alarm during an actual fire, the question is not so simple anymore. In this article, we will examine the circumstances that may affect the alarm signal. Among these aspects, we will focus on the soundproofing properties of building structures, including interior doors, and their effect on sound propagation. By carrying out on-site measurements, we verify the design principles used in engineering practice, looking for the factors that may influence efficiency of the fire alarms in today’s construction environment. We hypothesise that the increase in sound insulation of certain building materials and structures has an increasingly negative effect on the audibility of fire alarm signals.

The article discusses the challenges of disaster evacuation in the high-density urban neighborhood of Kampung Code in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The rapid urbanization along riverbanks in the area has led to increased vulnerability to flooding and other environmental hazards. The study aims to identify the characteristics and challenges of circulation routes for supporting disaster evacuation in riverbank settlements like the Kampung Code. The research uses a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, interviews, and observations, to gather data using a town-watching approach. The article emphasizes the importance of understanding the specific characteristics of space in these areas to enhance community resilience and disaster recovery. The study occurred in Kampung Jogoyudan, one of the most populated areas along the Code River, and serves as a model for understanding and addressing evacuation challenges in other high-density urban environments.

Background Purpose Several organizations have proposed guidelines or clinical decision tools for the management of patients with disorders of gut‐brain interactions (DGBI) affecting the lower digestive tract including irritable bowel syndrome and chronic idiopathic constipation. Such algorithms are based on sequential therapeutic trials and modifying the treatment strategy based on efficacy and adverse events.The aims of this review are to evaluate the evidence for efficacy of second‐ and third‐line pharmacotherapies and to assess the evidence for the alternative option to manage subgroups of patients with symptoms suggestive of lower DGBI based on diagnostic tests or documented dysfunctions. The preeminent tests to identify such subgroups that present with symptoms that overlap with lower DGBI are detailed: digital rectal examination as well as anorectal manometry and balloon expulsion for evacuation disorders, detailed measurements of colonic transit, and diagnosis of bile acid diarrhea or carbohydrate malabsorption based on biochemical measurements. The review also addresses the cost implications of screening to exclude alternative diagnoses and the costs of therapy associated with the therapeutic options following an algorithmic approach to treatment from the perspective of society, insurer, or patient. Finally, the costs of the diagnostic tests to identify actionable biomarkers and the evidence of efficacy of individualized therapy based on formal diagnosis or documentation of abnormal functions are detailed in the review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural wind velocities in tunnels under different natural conditions are distinct, and the longitudinal ventilation velocity significantly impacts the evacuation environment. This paper examines the evacuation conditions and strategies under varying wind velocities in bifurcated tunnels. Using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) and Pathfinder software, the fire development and evacuation of three distinct longitudinal positions in a bifurcated tunnel are simulated. The simulation results demonstrate that the evacuation conditions for disparate fire sources at varying wind velocities are markedly disparate. In consideration of the construction cost and the maximization of evacuation capacity, the width of the evacuation doors at the three locations should be set to 2 m, 1.5 m, and 1.5 m, respectively. Furthermore, an analysis of the safety of individual personnel through Fractional Effective Dose (FED) revealed that directing evacuees towards the upstream of the fire after the fire is detected can significantly reduce individual personnel injuries while ensuring the overall success of the evacuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, wildfires have become common disasters that threaten people's lives and assets, particularly in wildland–urban interfaces (WUIs). Developing an effective evacuation strategy for a WUI presents challenges to emergency planners because of the spatial variations in biophysical hazards and social vulnerability. The aim of this study was to map priority WUIs in terms of evacuation. The factors considered were the seriousness of the risk of wildfire exposure, and the population centres whose greatest constraints on the evacuation process stemmed from the nature of the exposed population and the time required to travel to the nearest shelter/refuge. An integrated framework linking wildfire hazard, social vulnerability, and the time taken to travel by foot or by car to the nearest refuge/shelter was applied. The study area includes two municipalities (Lousã and Sertã) in the mountainous areas of central Portugal that are in high-wildfire-risk areas and have very vulnerable and scattered pockets of exposed population. The combination of wildfire risk and travelling time to the nearest shelters made it possible to identify 20% of the WUIs that were priority areas for evacuation in the case of Sertã. In the case of Lousã, 3.4% were identified, because they were highly exposed to wildfire risk and had a travelling time to the nearest shelter of more than 15 min on foot. These results can assist in designing effective pre-fire planning, based on fuel management strategies and/or managing an effective and safe evacuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the unique aspects of smoke movement and control requirements in metro tunnel fires, and summarized the key scientific issues in the research of metro tunnel fires. This study reviewed the research progress and achievements of domestic and foreign scholars in various aspects including metro train fire combustion and plume behavior, smoke temperature distribution characteristics under the tunnel ceiling, smoke control characteristics, and characteristics of personnel evacuation. It highlighted the importance of integrating traditional subway section smoke control systems with new technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things to enhance section fire prevention and control capabilities, which is deemed a crucial direction for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between risk perception and evacuation behavior, and the sociospatial contexts that affect evacuation. It is argued that risk perception and contextual conditions have a joint effect on evacuation. Data were collected from 3,756 evacuees in sixteen cities and towns affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake off the Pacific coast. Using geographic information systems (GIS), data from questionnaires on risk perception and activity diary surveys on behavioral response were combined with geospatial data. The main finding was that high risk perception leads to evacuation behavior, but that the difference between immediate and delayed evacuation depends on the sociospatial context. Delayed evacuation, compared with immediate evacuation, tends to occur in the following contexts: (1) the physical context (e.g., being inland at the time of the disaster impact); (2) the household context (e.g., the need to confirm the safety of household members); and (3) the social context (e.g., the need for assistance with mobility). This study extends the literature on disaster science and cognitive-behavioral geography by considering the relationship between perception and behavior in urban spaces in emergencies. The findings are relevant to the development of disaster preparedness planning to minimize human losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In inertial confinement fusion, the sub-atmospheric purging through microcapillaries is of great importance to the high gas purity inside the cryogenic target and the low failure rate of experiments. In this study, a non-continuous flow model is developed for this sub-atmospheric purging process and verified through National Ignition Facility experiments to study the evolution of parameters such as pressure and gas composition that are not possible to measure directly. The effects of microcapillary structures and sizes on the transient evacuation–filling behaviors are analyzed, and the periodic purging scheme is optimized. The results show that the extension of evacuation and filling time caused by the elongated microtube can be described as a linear function of microtube length or an exponential decay function of microtube diameter, and the change of the inner diameter has a more drastic effect. The conical-straight composite can effectively reduce the evacuation and filling time while meeting the thermal and mechanical requirements. The overall performance of the purging process exhibits a strong dependence on the cycle trough pressure. The total purging time firstly decreases and then increases with the increase in the trough pressure, and the optimal trough pressure falls at around 20% of the filling pressure where the evacuation and filling times are almost evenly balanced. These results can provide theoretical guidance for the selection of microtubes and the design of the filling–evacuating scheme in the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research sought to determine whether there was a direct relationship between muscle power, muscle endurance and emergency response times among young adults. While performance capability remains an essential component for emergency teams, this study showed how some physical fitness factors might alter initial emergency response time and lessen the effects of the disaster. Engagement in preparedness exercises, particularly those emphasizing physical activity, offers advantageous health outcomes and enhances disaster response efficacy. These improvements in readiness directly impact the overall outcomes of such disasters. The sample consisted of 21 students, comprising both male and female participants of the same age. Following the American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening Questionnaire for Exercise Professionals, the participants were separated into two groups: the physically active group and the physically inactive group. The study's main objective was to determine whether muscle power and muscle endurance of the participants could influence their fire emergency response movement time to a safe location. Additionally, the study sought to find out whether physically active participants responded more quickly than physically inactive ones. The findings of this study indicate a relationship between emergency response time and measurements of muscle endurance and muscle power. Participants who were physically active had shorter movement time to safe location (p = 0.023), performed better on the standing broad jump test (p = 0.001), and muscle endurance test (p = 0.004). Although performance ability is a key component for emergency teams, this study demonstrated how some factors of physical fitness can affect initial emergency response time and help mitigate the effects of the disaster in young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 67 historical mosques from the 15th and 16th centuries selected from different regions of Turkey were analyzed in terms of evacuation time, exit width per person, average evacuation speed and occupant load. It was aimed to determine the general tendencies of mosques, which are one of the building types with the highest occupant load, in the context of evacuation. Measuring the evacuation efficiency of mosques in cases such as terrorist attacks and fires is an important issue for Turkey, which has more than 89 thousand mosques. In this study which mosques with an occupant load from 113 people to 4799 people were examined, it was detected that the evacuation times of the mosques ranged from 51 seconds to 8 minutes and 19 seconds. It was also observed that the mosques with an occupant load of less than 1000 people and more than 1000 people differ in terms of evacuation outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional storage method of fire accident cases is mainly in the form of text, and it is difficult to effectively conduct comprehensive analysis due to the limited ability to display key information and fire knowledge. In this paper, a structured storage form of building fire cases was proposed based on knowledge graph, which can comprehensively describe and visualize the fire causes, the dynamic fire development process and evacuation process. It enables readers to get information and knowledge from building fire cases intuitively, and supports the comprehensive analysis for building fire prevention strategies. The knowledge graphs are constructed for two common building types (residential and public buildings), and have the capacity to reflect the dynamic development law of fires from ignition to spread in different buildings. Meanwhile, as the occupants' evacuation is the first concern when a fire occurs, the knowledge graphs also visualize the relationship among various conditions in the evacuation process. Different application scenarios are displayed in the paper, including case query, root-cause analysis and consequence forecasting, which shows the advantages and applicability of building fire knowledge graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires and subsequent community evacuations offer a highly visible example of climate change-induced dislocation. In so-called Canada, both the changing climate and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples are policy priorities for the federal government and certain provincial governments, like the Province of British Columbia. Despite these purported policy priorities, we find evidence that colonial logics–like the rejection of Indigenous governments' capacity and knowledge to shape this policy area–underpin emergency management, resulting in the perpetuation of inequities and less effective responses. By analyzing data from Indigenous Services Canada, we find that First Nations are disproportionately affected by largely climate-related disasters, evacuating at a higher frequency–328 times higher, on average. We then employ a decolonial lens to analyze the policy landscape and actions taken to date and examine whether emergency management is moving away from unilateral policymaking in favor of more horizontal, multilevel governance arrangements. We find that both the federal and British Columbia governments perpetuate barriers that prevent First Nations from acting as effective first responders in emergency situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural hazards can present a significant risk to road infrastructure. This infrastructure is a fundamental component of the transportation infrastructure, with significant importance. During emergencies, society heavily relies on the functionality of the road infrastructure to facilitate evacuation and access to emergency facilities. This study introduces a versatile, multi-scale framework designed to analyze accessibility within road networks during natural hazard scenarios. The first module of the framework focuses on assessing the influence of natural hazards on road infrastructure to identify damaged or blocked road segments and intersections. It relies on near real-time information, often provided by citizen science through Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) data and Natural Language Processing (NLP) of VGI texts. The second module conducts network analysis based on freely available Open Street Map (OSM) data, differentiating between intact and degraded road networks. Four accessibility measures are employed: betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, a free-flow assumption index, and a novel alternative routing assumption measure considering congestion scenarios. The study showcases its framework through an exemplary application in California, the United States, considering different hazard scenarios, where degraded roads and connected roads impacted by the hazard can be identified. The road extraction methodology allows the extraction of 75% to 100% of the impacted roads mentioned in VGI text messages for the respective case studies. In addition to the directly extracted impacted roads, constructing the degraded network also involves finding road segments that overlap with hazard impact zones, as these are at risk of being impacted. Conducting the network analysis with the four different measures on the intact and degraded network, changes in network accessibility due to the impacts of hazards can be identified. The results show that using each measure is justified, as each measure could demonstrate the accessibility change. However, their combination and comparison provide valuable insights. In conclusion, this study successfully addresses the challenges of developing a generic, complete framework from impact extraction to network analysis independently of the scale and characteristics of road network types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human crowd behavior is an intriguing example of collective behavior where global dynamics emerge from interindividual interactions. Although most studies of human crowds assume that all individuals are independent, the presence and impact of social groups, such as friends or families, have recently been explored. Spatial structures resulting from group behavior and decision-making processes are key aspects of social groups, and how such structures are formed and the impact of these are largely unknown, especially in the scenario of crowd evacuations. Here we experimentally show that in the vicinity of exits, dyads and triads form a representative formation, which would attenuate a disadvantage of small groups that are typically regarded as moving obstacles toward the evacuation dynamics. In laboratory experiments on crowd evacuations regarding small group behavior, we first observed no noticeable differences of egress time between monads and groups, which is contrary to a naïve intuitiveness but in agreement with recent experimental observations. To resolve this contradiction, a detailed analysis focusing on behavior in front of exits suggests that group members constitute a straight-line structure vertical to the exit. Our findings offer a new perspective on how adaptive small group behavior emerges during crowd evacuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While urban underground space is being built and developed at a high speed, urban flooding is also occurring gradually and frequently. Urban water, in many disasters, has intruded into underground spaces, such as subway stations, often leading to serious casualties, in which it is crucial for people to be able to escape from the staircases. In order to enable and guide the escape of people in underground floods, a staircase model with multiple rest platforms, applicable to common entrance and exit staircase forms, was constructed. The realizable k-ε turbulence model, coupled with a volume of fluid (VOF) method, was used to simulate and analyze the flow patterns when floods of various heights intrude into the structure. The effects of rest platform settings on the ejection phenomena and flow velocity changes in flood flows were summarized. The change rule of flood flow velocity on the stairs under different flood heights and stair heights was summarized, and a linear relationship between the peak flood flow velocity and the location of the peak flow velocity point on each flight of stairs was derived. Combined with the formula of the critical conditions for people to escape upwards in the flood, the proposed escape conditions for staircases with multiple rest platforms were proposed, which provide a basis for guiding the evacuation of people in times of disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the southern coast of Java Island, Pacitan Bay is densely populated and faces Java Trench, making it susceptible to trapping tsunami waves. This geographical setting, characterized by a dense population, bay morphology, and proximity to the trench, increases the risk of a tsunami. Despite the increase in such risk, comprehensive mitigation measures are lacking in the region. Addressing this gap requires the development of effective strategies, advanced modeling, and robust evacuation plans to enhance community resilience. Therefore, this study aimed to model tsunami scenarios using seismic data and assess evacuation routes to identify potential bottlenecks. Numerical modeling was adopted to generate tsunami propagation and inundation. The Delft3D software, based on the Shallow-water Equations, was used for tsunami propagation modeling, while Hloss calculations were adopted for inundation. Subsequently, evacuation routes were generated using network analysis from hazard zones to designated shelters. Approximately 1500 random locations were generated across the hazard zone, and line-to-line overlay analysis was conducted to determine the frequency of route segment usage, thereby enabling the identification of bottlenecks. This study examined three tsunami scenarios based on fault parameters, with Scenario 1 having significant threats characterized by a 6.28-meter run-up, short evacuation times, and extensive inundation. Furthermore, the results showed varying levels of impact across sub-districts. The analysis of evacuation routes indicated varied travel times, signifying potential bottlenecks at Jendral Gatot Subroto Road, Sinoboyo-Plumbungan Road, and roads leading to Shelters 3 and 5. The Tsunami model predicted scenarios of varying severity, assisting in the identification of bottlenecks in evacuation routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The prevalence of infectious diseases and rapid population expansion has increased the number of medical facilities. Due to the patients' limited mobility, these hospitals are more susceptible to fire disasters. Both Pathfinder and Fire Dynamic simulators were used to calculate the required safe evacuation time (RSET), heat release rate, visibility, temperature, CO, and oxygen effects on temperature, and available safe evacuation time (ASET). The safety egress of the medical hospital was then evaluated by comparing the available safe evacuation time (ASET) and required safe evacuation time (RSET). The simulation findings showed that the egress guides depend on delay time when delay time increases the egress guides drop. We also studied the importance of egress route decisions and suggested that at least 20 to 30 egress guides be on duty in the medical facility. The safety criteria for the medical facility have been proposed based on the delay time with the normalized egress guides. The high oxygen concentration in a hospital can put the medical staff and patients in danger and limit the required safe egress time to less than 150s. The proposed measures can be used to assess the evacuation safety of a typical medical hospital in use relatively quickly and efficiently.

The end of the COVID-19 pandemic marks the beginning of a new era in many disciplines, including education. Campus life is starting to flourish, and there has been a significant increase in the use of public spaces, but this has not been accompanied by the renewal and improvement of the campus public spaces that students frequently use for studying and other activities. Many of the street furniture was in poor condition, uncomfortable to use, or could not serve the users. This study aims to define the ideal public space from the perspective of Generation Z students as the users. To collect data, a closed questionnaire is distributed to students from various adjacent faculties. The information is then quantitatively processed to obtain the preferences of street furniture through several parameters, including shape, color, and material. According to the analysis, the best campus street furniture has a circular or face-to-face shape, is geometrically balanced, uses bright, natural colors, and has natural expression. Other improvements include adding more furniture, adding power or electricity, and adding shading. The conclusions of this conversation can act as an outline of guidelines for administrators and stakeholders on campus when planning public spaces and the elements that constitute them up to fulfill the needs of users.

People with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups in building fires. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, an estimated 700 home fires involve people with physical disabilities each year. In parallel, the National Fire Protection Association estimates that 11% of civilian fire deaths were people with disabilities. Despite these statistics, the current body of literature shows few studies focused on the evacuation of disabled people. To bridge this knowledge gap, this paper presents findings on the evacuation processes of wheelchair users in a low-rise apartment (dormitory) building. More specifically, we simulate 1–3 wheelchair users in a dormitory building at our home institution via 327 simulations to examine evacuation time as well as identify structural aids and barriers. As a byproduct of this research, a new dynamic structural ranking system of egress components is proposed for wheelchair users, and a series of suggestions for structural modifications to improve the egressibility of the simulated building are provided.