Using existing radar infrastructure for tunnel safety management and emergency response
Publication details: Borås : RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB, 2023Description: s. 652-653Subject(s): Online resources: In: Proceedings from the Tenth International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security, Stavanger, Norway, April 26-28, 2023Abstract: Road tunnel fire safety usually involves high uncertainty and high-stakes decisions. Using familiar systems in the event of an emergency is a key part of minimising risk and increasing confidence in decision making. This speed of response is increased further by ensuring that systems are accessible remotely before arriving at an incident. By improving early awareness within in an incident it is possible to reduce the impact and save lives. Using existing ITS radar technology for stopped vehicle detection in the event of an incident can maximise the information available to emergency services, improving emergency preparedness. This consists of two key benefits, the first being the ability of radar to ‘see’ through fog, smoke, fire and still accurately detect vehicle and pedestrian positions. When compared to traditional CCTV and thermal cameras, six minutes into a controlled fire exercise in a tunnel, the control centre has no visibility of the situation. The second benefit is to provide operators and emergency services with a remotely accessible visual map of an incident. Each vehicle and pedestrian is detected, tracked, and identified. When an incident occurs, this situational awareness solution transmits the tracked information in real time, directly to the tunnel operators. By reducing the reliance on in-tunnel operatives and emergency telephone users this enables a smoother, faster, and safer response – minimising casualties, risk to emergency services, and response time.Road tunnel fire safety usually involves high uncertainty and high-stakes decisions. Using familiar systems in the event of an emergency is a key part of minimising risk and increasing confidence in decision making. This speed of response is increased further by ensuring that systems are accessible remotely before arriving at an incident. By improving early awareness within in an incident it is possible to reduce the impact and save lives. Using existing ITS radar technology for stopped vehicle detection in the event of an incident can maximise the information available to emergency services, improving emergency preparedness. This consists of two key benefits, the first being the ability of radar to ‘see’ through fog, smoke, fire and still accurately detect vehicle and pedestrian positions. When compared to traditional CCTV and thermal cameras, six minutes into a controlled fire exercise in a tunnel, the control centre has no visibility of the situation. The second benefit is to provide operators and emergency services with a remotely accessible visual map of an incident. Each vehicle and pedestrian is detected, tracked, and identified. When an incident occurs, this situational awareness solution transmits the tracked information in real time, directly to the tunnel operators. By reducing the reliance on in-tunnel operatives and emergency telephone users this enables a smoother, faster, and safer response – minimising casualties, risk to emergency services, and response time.