MMS: an electronic message management system for emergency response

This paper outlines the main features of an electronic communication system, MMS, designed to support coordination and exchange of information in connection with emergency management (EM) efforts. The design of the MMS has been motivated by interviews with EM decision makers and reviews of communication and coordination problems observed during EM efforts and exercises. The system involves the use of a small set of message types designed to match the main categories of acts of communication in the domain of EM. Message tokens related to a sequence of message transactions can be linked, and links among messages can be viewed in a graphic tree-like display. By employing the extensive filtration facilities offered by the MMS, users are able to monitor the current status of messages. And, in general, filtration provides users with means of surveying a possibly large number of responses to messages. Thus, users are able to define filters that capture, for instance, "unanswered requests sent out by me today" or "requests from me that have not been answered by an unconditional 'OK' ". Last, the authors describe an associated preparedness plan module, which contains, for a given EM organization, its contingency plan and procedures to be applied during predefined stages of an emergency.