Enhancing the quality of contingency planning by simulation

Contingency planning is a significant challenge when dealing with rarely occurring cases. First of all, the situation related threats can be difficult to identify. Moreover, it is difficult to conclude what happens when multiple threats occur simultaneously. In this paper we introduce the idea of an application which allows seamless cooperation between many experts. In this paper we describe a computer based simulation application which is designed to support contingency planning - having resources available - in extreme winter condition. First we introduce the background of the simulation - sparsely populated areas in Northern Finland where long distances and extremely cold weather can make disturbance situations even more difficult to be normalized by authorities. Secondly we present the tools that are used to build up the application. Finally, we discuss what benefits the application offers for the authorities, preparedness planning and society.