Incident Scene Mobility Analysis

In an incident scene ad hoc network, mobility of on-scene first responders induces dynamic topology for their carried communication devices. This dynamics has significant impact on network connectivity, quality of communication and resource allocation. In performing evaluation of such networks as distributed systems, it is crucial to use mobility models derived from realistic use cases. In this paper, we examine properties of public safety incidents and discover unique characteristics of associated mobility patterns. Our first goal is to understand how first responders' mobility is influenced by a variety of factors, such as transportation, environmental, and operational factors. Our second goal is to determine and recommend a comprehensive set of parameters to characterize first responder mobility at an incident scene. The set of parameters we suggest includes both personnel and event characteristics. We also show the relationship and interaction between them. This set of parameters can subsequently be used in mobility generation tools for simulation studies. Our main contribution is to characterize the mobility pattern for first responders in incident scenes as a mission-specific, environment-aware and event-driven adaptation process.