Incident Command Systems Workflow Modeling and Analysis

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Incident Command Systems Workflow Modeling and
Analysis

• J. Wang, D. Rosca, W. Tepfenhart and A. Milewski
• Department of Software Engineering
• Monmouth University

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Outline

• Introduction to incident command systems
• ICS workflow modeling and analysis
• Tool support
• Conclusion and current work

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Incident Command Systems

• An ICS allocates people, resources, and services
  for a major natural or terrorist incident
• Resulted from the need for managing rapidly
  moving wildfires in the early 1970s
• too many people reporting to one supervisor
• lack of reliable incident information
• inadequate and incompatible communications
• Now widely used throughout the United States by
  fire agencies
• Increasingly used by law enforcement and many
  other public safety organizations for emergency
  and incident management

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Incident Command Systems

• Common characteristics of ICS
• incidents occur with no or little advance notice
• develop rapidly
• multiple agencies responsible for a single
  incident
• risk of life and property loss can be high

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Typical ICS Structure
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Challenges

• Frequent changes of the course of action dictated
  by incoming events
• Calls for on-the-fly verification of the workflow
  correctness
• Predominantly volunteer-based workforce
• Needs intuitive features for the description and
  modification of the WF
• High stake
• Needs formal approach (no ambiguity, allows
  thorough verification)

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Objective

• Define a new formalism for modeling and analysis
  of workflows (WIFA model)
• Build Tool to implement the model.
• On-the-fly changes
• On-the-fly validation
• Intuitive
• Formal

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Workflow Modeling

• A workflow is a process that contains tasks and
  rules about how the tasks are executed
• Workflow (T, P, C, A, S0) where
• TT1, T2, Tm A set of tasks, m? 1
• P(pij)m x m Precedence matrix of the task set
• C(cij)m x m Conflict matrix of the task set
• A(A(T1), A(T2), ,A(Tm)) Pre-Condition set for
  each task.
• S0 ? 0, 1, 2, 3m is the initial state

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Example
T T1, T2, , T8,
A(T1) Ø, A(T2) T1, T6, A(T3) T1,
A(T4) T2, A(T5) T4, A(T6) A(T7)
T5, A(T8) T3, T7. S0 (1, 0, 0, 0, 0,
0, 0, 0).
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Modeling Power

• Sequential Execution
• Conflict
• Concurrency
• Synchronization
• Loop

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Well-Formed Workflow

• Well-Formed
• No Dangling Tasks
• At least one ending state
• Confusion Free to simplify the logic of
  workflows such that the volunteers can follow it
• And-In-And-Out
• And-In-XOR-Out
• XOR-In-And-Out
• XOR-In-XOR-Out

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ICS Incident Commander Workflow

• Immediate Tasks
• INIT Initiate the ICS
• RJAS Read entire job action sheet.
• PIDV Put on position identification vest.
• ALSC Appoint logistics section chief.
• APSC Appoint public section chief.
• AFSC Appoint finance section chief.
• AOSC Appoint operation section chief.
• ASAM Announce a status/action plan meeting
  with all section chiefs.
• RSRL Receive status report from the logistics
  section chief.
• RSRP Receive status report from the planning
  section chief.
• RSRF Receive status report from the finance
  section chief.
• RSRO Receive status report from the operations
  section chief.
• DIAP Discuss an initial action plan with all
  section chiefs.
• DALS Determine appropriate level of service
  during immediate aftermath.
• RIFD Receive initial facility damage survey
  report from the logistic section chief, and
  evaluate the need for evacuation.
• OPCS Obtain patient census and status from the
  planning section chief.

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ICS Incident Commander Workflow

• Intermediate
• DRB Designate routine briefings with section
  chiefs.
• UAP Update the action plan regarding the
  continuance and termination of the action plan.
• CNR Consult with section chiefs on needs for
  resources.
• ARR Authorize requested resources.
• SDRB Stop routine briefing.
• SCNR Stop consulting
• Extended
• OSVP Observe all staff, volunteers and patients
  for signs of stress and inappropriate behavior.
• RCTP Report concerns to PSUL.
• PRPR Provide for staff rest periods and relief.
• SOSV Stop observing.

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ICS Incident Commander Workflow
DALS
INIT
RIFD
RJAS
PIDV
OPCS
AOSC
ALSC
APSC
AFSC
OSVP
CNR
DRB
ASAM
RCTP
ARR
RSRL
RSRP
RSRF
RSRO
UAP
PRPR
DIAP
SDRB
SCNR
SOSV
DALS
END
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Tool Support

• A tool was developed using C with .NET framework
• Components
• Editor
• Validator
• Simulator
• Models stored as XML files

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Tool Architecture
Objects
Model Constructor
Tasks
Connectors
Notes
Simulation
Validation
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Tool GUI Screenshot
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Validator

• Validate at any time
• Validates that the Workflow is well-formed
• Checks for Starting Task
• Checks for Ending Task
• Checks for Dangling Tasks
• Checks for Live Locks (Infinite Loops)
• Checks for Dead Locks
• Error List Highlighting

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Simulator

• Execute a workflow
• According to state transition rules
• Provides execution control
• Step forward and step back
• On-the-fly changes

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Conclusion

• Supports all phases of workflow management
• Design, modification, validation, simulation
• All implemented with volunteers in mind
• Provides on-the-fly validation and modification.
• Intuitive
• Usability Assessment
• Results Useful and Usability was acceptable

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Current Work

• Data dependency and decision support
• Inter-organizational workflows
• Conversion between WIFA and other workflow
  applications