An Integrating Framework for Modeling and Simulation for Incident Management

A number of modeling and simulation tools have been developed and more are being developed for incident management applications. Each of these tools has focused on a specific aspect of the selected problem, for example, the simulation of plume dispersion. A set of tools that can help develop and evaluate coordination among plans for multiple aspects can substantially improve incident management capabilities. These tools need to be made interoperable and integrated together to reduce the time and effort for their use. A framework is proposed to facilitate application of modeling and simulation to incident management. The framework addresses incident management on three axes - incident, domain and lifecycle phase. It can help identify the gaps in existence of modeling and simulation tools and help define the integration needs. It is designed to allow use of modeling and simulation across the incident management lifecycle including prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. The framework can be rapidly implemented with the development of interoperability standards for modeling and simulation tools for incident management. Together, the framework and interoperability standards can significantly increase the use of modeling and simulation for incident management. In turn, it will help improve the nation's incident management capabilities.