Emergency communications for European citizens Olivier PAUL-MORANDINI Founder – President European Emergency Number Association - EENA From Accidents to Disasters 15 May th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM 2007)

Introduction Citizens calling emergency services Communication btw emergency services Warning and alerting Citizens Conclusions Contents

Introduction

Europeans travel for leisure and business –100 million Europeans cross the intra EU borders every year 65% feel less protected when abroad –They ignore risks and language –They think that emergency services are less well organised, –… Two words about Europeans

Citizens 112 Authorities Sirens, Radio, TV, GSMs Special Networks Emergency services Emergency telecommunications

Citizens calling emergency services Single European Emergency call number 112

112 Statistics CGALIES, million Emergency calls 40 million from GSM 3,5 million bad caller location information  loss of time 2,5 without caller location information  no help sent – more lives could be saved every year in the EU – € saved by emergency services DECO en 2003…in Portugal 1000 calls to the 112 evaluated –15% Spanish and Portuguese –20% French –29% English Never got help Between 15% et 30% of emergency calls are handled inappropriately or not at all ! 2/3 of Europeans are unaware of the 112 !

Knowledge of the 112 –Campaigns, One number Possibility to launch a call –Network availability, Disabled users The call is answered –Call center organisation, Multilingualism The call is handled –Τraining of operators, Standards Help is on its way –Available ressources, Caller localisation Help arrives –Minimal response time standard Caller is taken care of –Quality criteria and standards 112 service chain

Universal Service Directive 2002/22 (art. 6, 7, 26) –Directive 2002/58 – Privacy (art. 9, 10) Availability in parallel with national numbers Free of charge Calls appropriately answered and handled Localisation data (in transparent way) Adequate information about existence and use 112 legal obligations

EENA petitioned the European Parliament European Commission more active –Conference in October is a priority –Eurobarometer –13 infringements, e-call … ETSI EMTEL Working Group … Compare with USA Hillary Clinton – ENHANCE 911 act (2004) Current situation

Communication between emergency services

Analog vs. Digital Spectrum bands –Narrowband, wideband, broadband –Citizens’ Band, Amateurs Technologies –TETRA, TETRAPOL ( MHz) –GSM ( , 1800 MHz) GSM/BOSS, Germany, Vodaphone StateWide Network, New York State, M/A-COM Inc. –Wi-Fi (2,4 – 5 GHz) Several Research Projects in Europe Citywide Mobile Wireless Network, New York City, Northrop Grumman Terrestrial vs. Satellite systems Overview

MESA ETSI and TIA U-2010 project Ubiquitous IP-centric Government & Enterprise NGN Vision 2010 ORCHESTRA Open Architecture and Spatial Data Infrastructure for Risk Management WIDENS Wireless Deployable Network System WIN Wide Information Network DeHiGate Deployable High Capacity Gateway for Emergency Services Interesting on-going projects

Lesson learnt from 11/9 and 7/7 –Communications within and between the emergency services did not stand up on 7 July … (London Assembly report on 7/7/2005 attacks) European Security Research Programme Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS) –Community Mechanism for Civil Protection Interoperability

Warning and alerting citizens

Traffic contol and road accidents Approaching chemical or nuclear cloud Threat of terrorist attacks Upcoming extreme weather conditions Tsunamis … Urgent needs

RDS (Radio Data System) Interconnected radio and TV stations Mobile telephones Sirens (audible signals) Bells But no general, global solution in the EU ! Available technologies

Safety and health signs at work (Directive 92/58/EEC) –Continuous acoustic signal for evacuation –Regular checks Seveso installations (Directive 96/82/EC) –Organisation of alert and intervention –Early warning, alert and information of the public Radiological Emergencies (Directive 89/618/Euratom) –Alert and information of the public –Aplies to transport Authorisation Directive (2002/20/EC) –Use of networks during disasters for broadcasts to the public Transport of dangerous goods –Safety in tunnels Legal obligations

Extremelly fragmented Cell Broadcast (group SMSs) (ETSI mandate) CHORIST project –Alerts from heterogeneous sensors / multiple agencies to citizens Some work at UN level –Conferences on Early Warning Systems for the Reduction of Natural Disasters and reports Legal obligation for warning & alert in upgrading of Civil Protection Mechanism (under discussion) Current situation

Conclusions

US - Proposed «Federal Interoperable Communications and Safety (FICS) Act» (Hillary Clinton, May 25, 2006). –Undersecretary for Emergency Communications and Office of Emergency Communications –National Emergency Communications Strategy –State-wide Interoperable Communications Plans –National assessment of the nation’s interoperability capabilities –Emergency Preparedness Centre –National Alert System EU - European Public Safety Communication (PSC) Forum (relatively small project) Europe behind the US

The response demonstrated a lack of consideration of the individuals … Procedures … focus too much on incidents, rather than on individuals and on processes rather than people. … Plans tend to cater for the needs of the emergency … services, rather than explicitly addressing the needs and priorities of the people involved. – (London Assembly report on 7/7/2005 attacks) Towards a more Citizen-centered approach ?

Knowledge of the 112 is a fundamental citizens’ right Citizens calling the 112 should get the appropriate help, as soon as possible, at the place of the emergency Citizens are entitled to the same high quality safety and security standards and should receive the same high quality aftercare in case of accident or disaster Citizens in a disaster prone area have the fundamental right to be warned and informed in order to ensure their auto-protection EENA believes that …

Non-profit association established in Belgium. Works to promote the knowledge & efficient use of the 112, in Europe –by acting as a discussion platform bringing together all the actors (organizations, emergency services, enterprises and individuals) involved Is also active in the field of early warning of citizens in disaster prone areas What is the EENA

Thank you !

Contact the EENA Web: Post: EENA 262 Avenue Louise, B-1050 Brussels BELGIUM