Survivor-Centric Network Recovery for Search-and-Rescue Operations

In this paper, we introduce a new paradigm for Search-and-Rescue Operations (SAROs) after large-scale disasters, assuming wireless network cells are partially operational (called surviving eNBs, ref-eNBs) and exploiting the recent trend of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as a part of the network (called UA-eNBs), to search for survivors. The SAROs are based on the idea that almost all survivors have their own wireless mobile devices, called User Equipments (UEs). These SAROs (called UE-based SAROs) are life-critical missions intended to find potential survivors, as quick as possible, by searching and locating their UEs without their assistance even in the absence of radio frequency coverage, in which the UEs become human-based sensors on the ground. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to propose this new paradigm, which is mainly aimed at providing significant information to the first responders, as follows: 1) generate immediate crisis maps for the disaster-impacted areas, called UE-Based Crisis Maps (UEBCMs), 2) provide vital information about where the majority of survivors are clustered/crowded and how (e.g., whether located indoor or outdoor). The UE-based SAROs offer the first responders a vital tool to prioritize/manage SAROs efficiently and effectively in a timely manner, supporting the largest number of disaster victims.