The proposed work plan builds on existing sensor network infrastructure and aforementioned SMART system and extend them to solve the problem of increasing relevant information flow to security and safety officers for counter-terrorism, natural disaster and other public safety events. The plan is composed of 6 Work Packages (WPs).

WP1

Activities in WP1 are focused in assuring maximum compatibility between REACT and existing public safety training and practices in Italy, Georgia and USA. The contextual information also places End-Users’ specific requirements front and center in subsequent WPs, fostering sustainable adoption and lasting impacts. Specifically, we’ll collect and analyze information concerning:

• REACT’s Operational Environment, e.g. existing tools and systems, technology gaps, current practices, processes, workflows, and related regulations and policies
• REACT’s stakeholders, e.g. specific needs and requirements of user groups
• REACT’s data resources, data acquisition (environmental and social media)
• REACT’s culture, legal and linguistic context
• REACT’s implementation challenges, e.g. cost benefit and tradeoff analysis for local agency
  adoptions

WP2

Within WP2, two pilot infrastructures of hierarchical environmental monitoring networks will be developed and set up in the cities of Venice and Tbilisi. Specifically, WP2 tasks include:

• Acquisition of sensors and other infrastructural/communication components; preliminary testing and performance evaluation in the lab
• Installation in the field, realization of the connection infrastructure, calibration; running and testing, implementation of the data treatment settings; performance evaluation, possible reconfiguration of the infrastructure

WP3

SMART has seen successful applications in monitoring and managing a range of safety events by US DHS components. This work package will build on SMART to develop a real-time machine learning based, human-computer collaborative multi-lingual, visual analytics platform, REACT, that ingest multiple data sources including social media and environmental sensor network. We will design, implement and test REACT to maximize its effectiveness to aid end users in preventing, mitigating, and recovering from terrorist attacks. WP3 tasks include:

• Interactive Machine Learning to Improve Multi-Language Classification
• Bot Detection and Information Filtering
• Multilingual Support and European Context Dictionary Addition

WP4

In WP4, we propose three consecutive projects for fusing the two main data sources, social media and environmental sensors, in this project. First, we architect the REACT system for environmental data from distributed sensor network to be ingested into the SMART, considering both real-time monitoring and off-line analysis scenarios. We will leverage state-of-the-art visualization techniques to assure the interaction between end users and available data are intuitive, informative and instructive. Second, we incorporate dynamics and machine learning models developed in WPs 2&3 into REACT. These models leverage domain expertise and empirical knowledge to make prediction on evolutions of the events, providing End-Users with valuable lead time in managing and responding to events. Finally, the integrated system will be evaluated and iteratively improved by engaging End-Users and planning trials in real world events and cases.

WP5

In the framework of promoting coordinated technical and operational development amongst the NATO and partner countries, a key requisite is the ability to translate the results of project REACT into documental deliverables of high operational usability for the maximal range of stakeholders. This objective will be achieved in WP5 thought the elaboration of manuals, training materials and protocols as integrated components of the platform REACT.

WP6

In order to ensure effective transfer of REACT’s emergency management capabilities among NATO countries and their users (that could be policy makers, administrators, population), we will carry out WP6 by coordinating an international team including researchers from a NATO country (Italy) and a NATO partner (Georgia), and in close interaction with several end-user groups belonging to government Institutions in all three countries. The team will focus on promoting and disseminating project outcomes to public emergency response communities, demonstration and training through direct implementation of REACT to future public safety event management, and developing standardization of action protocols at the international level.