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June 26th, 2013
ALPSAR FINAL REPORT
[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the
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FINAL REPORT
October 1st , 2010 to March 31st, 2013
[Harold Linke]
Version: [01]
06/26/2013
EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
HUMANITARIAN AID AND CIVIL PROTECTION – ECHO
Directorate C – Policy and coordination
ENV.C.4 – Civil Protection – Prevention and preparedness
Grant agreement number: N° 070401/2010/578921/SUB/C4
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ALPSAR FINAL REPORT
CONTENTS
Purpose of this document ....................................................................................................................... 3
Project Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Objectives ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Project Partners ................................................................................................................................... 4
Deliverables ......................................................................................................................................... 4
General summary of project implementation process ............................................................................ 5
General overview of the process ......................................................................................................... 5
Comparative analysis .......................................................................................................................... 6
Time schedule .................................................................................................................................. 6
Planed and used Resources ............................................................................................................ 6
Expected and actual results ............................................................................................................. 8
Evaluation of project management / implementation process ................................................................ 8
Positive aspects / opportunities ........................................................................................................... 8
Internal and external difficulties encountered ...................................................................................... 8
Partnership/core group cooperation (as appropriate) ......................................................................... 9
Cooperation with the Commission ....................................................................................................... 9
Comments on European value added ................................................................................................. 9
Lessons learnt and possible improvements ........................................................................................ 9
Activities .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Presentation of the technical results and deliverables .......................................................................... 12
The ALPSAR cooperative procedure ................................................................................................ 21
Example: THE ASSISTANCE IS REQUESTED FROM THE ITALY (FVG) SIDE ........................ 21
The ALPSAR IT-solution ................................................................................................................... 21
ALPSAR Web Portal ...................................................................................................................... 22
ALPSAR Phone Client ................................................................................................................... 25
Nomadic satellite Communication System NoSaCo ...................................................................... 27
The ALPSAR cooperative exercise ................................................................................................... 28
Evaluation: ..................................................................................................................................... 29
Evaluation of the technical results and deliverables ............................................................................. 31
Follow-up ............................................................................................................................................... 31
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ALPSAR FINAL REPORT
PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
This document is the final report of the ALPSAR project covering the complete timeframe from the start of the project October 1
st, 2010 until March 31
st, 2013.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
OBJECTIVES
On January 18th, 2006 the Republic of Slovenia and FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA Region (FVG) signed a protocol regarding the cooperation between the civil protection services of both countries. One issue that was addressed in this protocol is the cooperation between the Mountain Rescue services of both countries at the common border in the Alps.
In addition, the effectiveness of the mountain search and rescue operations should be improved.
The main objectives of the proposed project are:
Implementation of the collaboration between both Slovenian and PCRAFVG Mountain rescue services according to the signed Protocol to improve the national and international coordination of search missions caused by avalanches or missing or injured people in the Alpine mountains in the border areas.
Support this collaboration with an IT solution that: o Allows a tracking of search teams on 2-D and 3D-maps o Provides all search information to the search team leader, to the respective CP
headquarter (HQ) and distribute the information between the international partners via a web-based portal
o Allows the search and rescue teams to provide pictures and sensor data from the rescue site and the victims to the web-based portal to make them accessible by a doctor or hospital
The general architecture of the ALPSAR solution is shown in the picture below.
Both sides, URSZR in Slovenia and PCRAFVG in Italy, will be equipped with the same “ALPSAR” solution that can be used locally. Already in local mode the solution provides a better visibility and control of a search mission by the headquarter and the team leader.
The headquarter is equipped with the “ALPSAR” server, the ALPSAR middleware and an “ALPSAR” web portal, allowing them to create and manage search missions and trace the location of the search teams on maps. Additional information is available like avalanche warnings, weather sensors information etc.
The search team leader is connected to the headquarter via a satellite link based on ASTRA2Connect and a Nomadic Satellite Communication System. This broadband link allows him to access all relevant information on a robust laptop with an ALPSAR mobile client.
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The search team members are equipped with the same Tab smart phones that allow the localization of the team members, sending of pictures and receiving of information for the search team members.
In an international mission when search teams from URSZR and PCRAFVG work together, the servers can exchange all relevant information and both teams, the team leader and the headquarter can have a complete overview of the mission. The solution includes processes for the alarming of the other side according to the signed protocol.
PROJECT PARTNERS
Coordinating beneficiary of the project:
HITEC Luxembourg S.A. a Luxembourg based engineering company providing solutions for public safety services
Associated beneficiaries:
Uprava Republike Slovenije za zaščito in reševanje, Ministrstvo za obrambo (Slovenian Adminsistration for Disaster Relief) URSZR
Protezione Civile Della Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia (Civil Protection of the Friuli
Venezia Giulia Region) PCRAFVG
DELIVERABLES
This is a summary of the deliverables proposed by the project grouped by activity:
Common Cooperative Procedure Definition
o Approved cooperative procedures for Slovenian and FVG Mountain Rescue Services
o Approved requirements for cooperative mountain rescue solution
Adaptation and Integration of the tool set
o Implementation of a web portal and middleware and a Phone Client according to the requirements, including a 3D-map
o Implementation of a Slovenian and Italian User Interface
o Installation of the solution on the servers in FVG and Slovenia and of the phone Client on the phones used for the field trials
Execution of Field Trial
o Execution of field trials with Slovenian Mountain Rescue Services and Italian Mountain Rescue Services
o Training of the Slovenian and Italian Mountain Rescue team and receive feedback and update the solutions and the procedures accordingly
Execute a Cooperative Exercise in the area of Kanin (Slovenian-Italian Alpine border
Productive use
o Start the productive use of the solution and receive feedback
Publicity
o Website that provides all relevant information about the project and its results
o Presentation of results at PSC-E Forum 2012 in Rome and at the Civil Protection Forum in Brussels 2013
o Demonstration of results at several local, national and international events o Create a pamphlet explaining the results of the project
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GENERAL SUMMARY OF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
PROCESS
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS
The project had to cover two aspects:
The implementation and approval of cooperative procedure between the Slovenian and FVG Mountain Rescue Services
The design, implementation, test and deployment of a HW and SW-solution that improves the cooperation between the Italian and Slovenian Mountain rescue services.
The cooperative procedures have been discussed between the Slovenian and PCRAFVG delegation in several workshops. The procedure has been approved finally in Palmanova (IT) June 13th, 2011.
In several exercises the procedure has been tested and trained. (see list of exercises).
The design, implementation and testing of the cooperative solution has been done in an iterative way to create the best results for the users.
In a first workshop executed February 10th, 2011 in Ljubljana, the discussion on the procedures and the management of the project was started. In a second workshop focused on the cooperative solution executed in Palmanova (Italy) in April 2011, a first already existing solution - including the Nomadic Satellite Communication (NoSaCo) - has been presented to the users. In this workshop the users (Slovenian and Italian Mountain Rescuers) provided their requirements for the cooperative solution. Some of the requirements were already fulfilled by the existing solution, e.g. the automatic exchange of information between headquarters from different countries and team leaders. Also first tracking functionalities and visualisations on maps were available. But a lot of specific functionalities for mountain rescuers and specifics related to the cooperative procedures defined in the signed protocol were missing.
This first basic version of the cooperative solution was then used for first tests by selected mountain rescuers in Slovenian and Italy.
The requirements from the workshop and the feedback from the testing mountain rescuers was used to update the requirements list for the cooperative solution. In the following months the HITEC development team implemented the required features, release at least every 3 months a new version of the solution that then was again tested by the mountain rescuers.
In June 2012 the solution has reached a maturity that the field test could be started.
In a workshop in Slovenia June 19th and June 20th one mountain rescue team from Slovenia and one from PCRAFVG was trained to use the solution. In a common field exercise on June 20th the solution and cooperative procedures were tested successfully the first time with complete teams from the two countries. (see description of Exercise June 20th)
In the following the solution was used by the mountain rescuers on both sides of the border in several real missions to check the robustness, to find bugs and provide new feature requests.
In the final cooperative exercise executed in February 2013 in Sella Nevea near the Slovenian and Italian border the field trial ended and the productive use started.
From February 2013 on the solution is in productive use by the URSZR and PCRAFVG Mountain Rescue teams. All proposed components are in place and in operational use.
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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Time schedule The official start of the project was October 1st, 2010. Due to the late kick-off meeting in December 2010 in Brussels, the real project work could only start in January 2011. With a kick-off workshop February 10th, 2011 in Ljubljana This 3 month delay of the project start caused a first shift of all other milestones by 3 months.
Another problem was created by the financial crisis that hit Slovenia and Italy in 2011. All purchases and payments were more or less blocked by the government making it difficult for URSZR and PCRAFVG to purchase necessary equipment for the field trial or even sign the purchase orders for the Nomadic Satellite Communication System (NoSaCo) and the necessary SW licences. The purchasing process could only be closed beginning of 2013 with payments in April 2013.
E.g. it was not possible for URSZR to buy the foreseen ruggedized laptops for the team leaders. Instead cheaper laptops that were ordered before the purchase blocking had to be used.
To be able to continue with the project and to create the proposed results, HITEC and the supplier EPT Luxembourg took the risk and provided the necessary SW licences and NoSaCos already as of April of 2011 to allow the usage in exercises and for first feedback from selected Mountain Rescuers.
This approach allowed gaining early feedback from the mountain rescuers.
Begin of 2012 the situation showed that the financial blocking by the Slovenian and the Italian Governments will lead to an earliest purchasing of the necessary equipment and SW licences only end of 2012. This late purchase would have delayed or completely jeopardised the start of the productive use of the solution and also jeopardised the success of the project and the sustainability of the solution after the end of the project.
The project coordinator therefore requested in May 2012 a project extension to March 31st, 2013. The requested contract amendment was accepted by EC June 26th, 2012.
The timeplan of the project was updated with this contract amendment.
The updated time schedule foresaw a start of the field trial in May 2012. Actually the field trial was started after a training exercise executed June 20th.
The productive use was planned to start in February 2013. Due to further delays in the purchasing process the exercise finishing the field trial in Sella Nevea could only be executed in February 20th, 2013. So the productive use started End of February 2013.
The project closed with an international conference on the results of the ALPSAR project executed in Palmanova March 19th, 2013.
Planed and used Resources The following table shows the actual declared expenses compared to the planned project budget.
Actual declared expenses
Project budget
Cost categories
Personnel €193,395.93 €151,860.00
Travel and subsistence €13,624.01 €27,023.00
Equipment €100,121.06 €97,810.00
Subcontracting / external assistance €59,709.43 €66,354.00
Other direct costs €36,772.76 €51,778.00
Indirect costs/overheads(1) €9,669.80 €9,562.00
TOTAL ELIGIBLE COSTS €413,292.99 €404,387.00
In the following we will explain the differences between the planned budget and the actual declared expenses:
Personnel: The personnel costs are approx 40.000 Euro higher than planned. This increase is caused by additional effort provided by HITEC Luxembourg to implement the cooperative solution according to the feedback of the users.
The ideas and feedback provided by the users was so valuable that HITEC decided to implement more features and functionality in the solution than planned. For example: Because of the feedback from the Mountain Rescuers during the field trial the phone client had to be completely redesigned. In
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ALPSAR FINAL REPORT
the original plans the phone client was a relative “dumb” device sending the location of the device to the central server to allow a tracking of the device and allowing the user to send pictures he took with the device to the head quarter. Only the team leader had a PC application where he could see the location of all team members of his mission and add information to the map and mission.
In the new design, the phone client includes nearly all functionality of the team leader application, showing the location of the team members and provides information to other team members.
In additional an off-line mode was added to the phone client that allows the phone client to log all information of the mission even when the phone has no connection to the Head quarter and to synchronise the information as soon as the connection is re-established.
This new functionality makes the phone client a very valuable tool for the mountain rescuers. The additional costs of this implementation that exceed the budget for the ALPSAR project will be covered by HITEC.
Travel and subsistence: The travel and subsistence costs are lower than expected as most meetings were finally executed near the Slovenian and Italian border and HITEC personnel could take cheaper flights than expected.
Most of the discussions (every 2 to 3 weeks) were executed via a web conference system reducing the need for meetings.
Equipment: The equipment costs are in plan.
Some remarks about the phone client /tablet and the NoSaCo (technical equipment) and SW licences:
Due to the financial crisis the final purchasing and payment of these items was only possible begin of 2013.
The technical equipment and SW licences are mainly connected to the part of content and realization of the project, (see the application forms) and the use is exclusively essential for achieving the project results. As explained before, the NoSaCo and the SW licenses were already available for use by URSZR and PCRAFVG already as of Mid of 2011. The NoSaCo were used in the training in April 2011 the first time. The SW licences for the servers were installed in July 2011 and used for the first tests by selected Mountain rescuers.
For this reason we ask to consider the full costs as eligible and accept the whole cost of this type of equipment. In this case we assure the maintenance of the ownership and the final use after the end of the project for five years from the end of the project.
The percentage of use for the project is 100% and the equipment and licenses were necessary and indispensable:
The equipment was needed to achieve the project results
The equipment is used for the project purpose only
The equipment will be used in operation after project closure
For the calculation of the depreciation:
As the cost of the tablet (insert in the category of electronic tools and computer) is low (less than the Italian/Slovenian fiscal limit) the cost is entirely amortizable without depreciation.
Subcontracting / external assistance:
The subcontracting costs are lower than expected as the incomes have been reduced due to the financial crisis in Slovenia and Italy.
Other direct costs: The other direct costs are 15.000 Euro less than planned. The planned costs for the exercise in Slovenia of 15.000 Euro were not necessary to be spend by the project as the costs for this event were covered by the administration.
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Expected and actual results The project expected 3 results:
1. Definition and agreement on cooperative procedures 2. Implementation of an IT-solution to support the Mountain Rescue search teams and the cross
country collaboration 3. Execution of exercises to train the cooperative procedures, the usage of the IT-solution and
personal cooperation.
All three expected results have been achieved.
Ad 1) The cooperative procedure was agreed in June 2011
Ad 2) After several iterations starting in June 2011 the final version of the IT-solution supporting the cooperation between the URSZR and PCRAFVG Mountain Rescue services was installed in February 2013 on PCRAFVG and URSZR servers and was used in the final collaborative exercise in Sella Nevea February 2013. Due to the iterative approach the final solution included more features and functions tailored to the needs of the Mountain Rescue services than planned in the project proposal.
Ad 3) Several cooperative exercises have been executed and helped the URSZR and PCRAFVG rescue services to improve cooperation in common missions near the border. In addition to the planned result of the exercises of training the usage of the procedures and the IT-solutions members of the Mountain Rescue services expressed their view that through this project the cooperation and trust on the personal level was much improved between the two countries.
EVALUATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT /
IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
POSITIVE ASPECTS / OPPORTUNITIES
From the project management perspective the project went very smooth, despite the financial issue described in the next chapter. All partners and project participants worked effectively together. There was a will from all partners to achieve all project results and to create something new that creates a benefit for every partner.
As the political agreement was already signed 5 years before the project started and both partners URSZR and PCRAFVG have had already a good relationship, it was possible to get an agreement on the necessary cooperation procedures very fast.
Using an iterative approach for the implementation of the ALPSAR-solution proved as very effective. The users could start using the solutions as soon as possible and provide their feedback to improve the solution and tailor it to their needs. At the end the solution was much better and more effective as anticipated at the start of the project. It proved very valuable that the final end users – the members of the search teams – were involved from the beginning. This reduced the problems of acceptance of a new ALPSAR-solution to a minimum. At the end every team member saw the advantages for him to use the cooperative solution and see the solution as “THEIR” solution.
This acceptance also supports the dissemination of the project results as the Mountain Rescue services are proud of their solution and are eager to show it to other services in common exercises or trainings.
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED
The biggest problem the project faced was the result of the financial crisis. In the 2nd
half of 2011 the Slovenian and the Italian Governments started to freeze their budgets and to not allow any purchases or financial commitments. As several HW equipment (PCs, tablets and NoSaCos) and SW licences (Basis portal and phone clients SW) had to be purchased to allow the implementation and usage of the ALPSAR-solution. The budget freeze and reluctance in accepting new financial commitments lead to the situation that the final signatures on the purchase contracts for the SW licenses and the NoSaCo were only available in February 2013 and the payments were only executed in May 2013.
To work around this issue HITEC and the HW and SW supplier EPT agreed to provide the NoSaCos and the SW licenses as of June 2011 for tests and trials without having any other contract with the Slovenian and Italian Government except the ALPSAR project agreement. Without this engagement the good project results would not have been possible. The project needed to be extended by 6
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months to make it possible that the contract signatures and payments could still be made during the course of the ALPSAR project.
PARTNERSHIP/CORE GROUP COOPERATION (AS APPROPRIATE)
The cooperation between the partner HITEC, URSZR and PCRAFVG was excellent. All three partners had a common goal and all partners discussed openly all issues. Because of the trust between the partners even the financial issues described in the chapter above could be solved without jeopardizing the project.
COOPERATION WITH THE COMMISSION
The cooperation and support of the commission was excellent. Without this support the project would have failed after the financial issues started.
COMMENTS ON EUROPEAN VALUE ADDED
The project demonstrated in several exercises the value of cross border collaboration supported by a dedicated IT-solution. Without the support of the EC such a project would not have been possible and the protocol about cross border cooperation signed in 2006 would not have been put into life until today. Other Alpine countries (e.g Austria, Croatia) have already shown their interest to join this collaboration and to use the ALPSAR IT-solution to improve their collaboration with Slovenia and Italy in the Alps.
LESSONS LEARNT AND POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS
To implement effective cross-border collaboration the support from all levels - from politician, the directors of the rescue administration down to the team member – is necessary. If one level is missing or is not cooperative, the overall project will fail. In the ALPSAR project we had the advantage that all levels were supportive and cooperative. Together with the ALPSAR-IT-solution the project was able to create a sustainable value for all involved in the rescue operations in URSZR and PCRAFVG.
When commercial companies like HITEC are cooperating with governmental entities in a project a high level of flexibility is necessary to overcome issues create by external effects like the financial crisis. But this can be a danger for small companies as delayed or non-payments can bankrupt a small company. EC may think of mechanisms to support when a project partner comes into problems because of decisions of a government – like a budget freeze – that blocks a governmental partner.
ACTIVITIES
o Activity A1: Definition of cooperative procedure and the requirements for the MoReSo tool set. The cooperative procedure has been defined and agreed in June 2011. The requirements for the MoReSo tool set have been defined in two workshops. (E2 and E3)
o Activity A2: Evaluation of the workshop results A result paper was created and the first iteration of the requirements defined
o Activity A3: Final review and approval of the common procedures The common procedures have been reviewed in the workshop in Palmanova April 2011 (E3) and signed in June 2011.
o Activity B1: Implementation of the portal and middleware requirements Several prototypes of the ALPSAR portal and middleware have been implemented and installed on the servers in URSZR and PCRAFVG.
o Activity B2: Implementation of the phone client requirements Several prototypes of the ALPSAR phone client have been implemented and installed on tablets in URSZR and PCRAFVG.
o Activity B3: Implementation of the Slovenian and Italian 3D-map solution The 3D-map solution provided by the Slovenian company X-Lab was implemented into the portal and is in use by URSZR and PCRAFVG.
o Activity B4: Slovenian User Interface The Slovenian user interface is implemented for the portal and the phone client
o Activity B5: Italian User Interface The Italian user interface is implemented for the portal and the phone client
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o Activity B6: Installation of the solution for field trial The solution was installed on the URSZR and PCRAFVG servers.
o Activity C1: Field Trials in Slovenia After the exercise June 20’th 2012, the ALPSAR solution was used by URSZR mountain rescue teams in several events as field trial.
o Activity C2: Field Trials in Friuli, Venetia, Giulia After the exercise June 20’th 2012, the ALPSAR solution was used by PCRAFVG mountain rescue teams in several events as field trial.
o Activity C3: Feedback from Field Trials The feedback from the field trials was provided and discussed continuously in phoneconfs every month.
o Activity C4: Update of Procedures The feedback from the field trials showed that the procedures signed in June 2011 can be implemented successfully.
o Activity C5: Update of tool set The ALPSAR solution was updated at least once a quarter to implement the feedback from the users.
o Activity C6: Cooperative Exercise Slovenia – Friuli, Venezia, Giulia The cooperative exercise was successfully executed February 19
th- 21
st , 2013 in Sella Nevea
(Italy). See detailed description later. o Activity D1: Training of Slovenian Mountain SAR Team
The URSZR Mountain rescue Team was trained in the exercise June 20th, 2012 and before
the final exercise February 19th
o Activity D2: Training of PCRAFVG SAR Team The PCRAFVG Mountain rescue Team was trained in the exercise June 20
th, 2012 and
before the final exercise February 19th
o Activity D3: Start productive use in Slovenia The productive use of the ALPSAR solution started after the final exercise February 20
th,
2013. o Activity D4: Start productive use in Friuli, Venezia, Giulia
The productive use of the ALPSAR solution started after the final exercise February 20th,
2013. o Activity E1: Creation of a website
The website www.alpsar.eu was created o Activity E2: Presentation of results at Public Safety Communications Europe (PSC-E) Forum
2011 and 2012 The results of the ALPSAR project have been presented in the PSC-E Forum December 1
st,
2011 in Warsaw by Harold Linke, HITEC and in the PSC-E Forum November 29th, 2012 in
Rome by Damiano Giordani, PCRAFVG. o Activity E3: Exhibition at Civil Protection Forum Brussels 2012.
The ALPSAR solution was exhibited at the Civil Protection Forum in Brussels 2013. o Activity E4: Demonstration of results at “Alpe-Adria” Mountain Rescue Conference 2012
The ALPSAR results have been demonstrated in several exhibitions and conferences in 2012:
The list of Events is shown in the following table:
Event Id
Location Date Type Note
E1 Brusselles 17/12/2010 Kick-off meeting
E2 Ljubljana 11/02/2011 WS 1st Workshop
E3 Palmanova (UD) 13/04/2011 WS 2nd
Workshop
E4 Tarvisio (UD) 15/09/2011
CONF Presentation International seminar E.U.P.M. - European Union Police Mission
E5 Warsaw (Pol) 01/12/2012 CONF Presentation PSCE conference
E5 Passo Monte croce-Paluzza (UD) 20/05/2012 EXE Exercise field test
E6 Finale Emilia (MO) 21/05/2012 Mission Emilia earthquake real mission
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E7 Training Exercise Slovenia
20/06/2012 – 21/06/2012
Training Training Exercise and Workshop
E8 Kranjska Gora (SLO) 20-21/07/2012 EXE 1st Crossborder Exercise
E9 Forni di Sopra (UD) 09/09/2012 EXE Exercise filed test
E10 Sella Nevea -Chiusaforte (UD) 09/09/2012 Mission SaR real mission
E11 Andreis (PN) 11/09/2012 MISSION SaR real mission
E12 San Vito al Taglimento (UD) 07/09/2012 Conf Presentation Volounteer course
E13 Giais-Aviano (PN) 10/11/2012 EXE Missing person exercise
E14 Udine 20/11/2012
CONF Presentation international Avalanche seminar
E15 Potenza 21/11/2012
CONF Presentation international Earthquake seminar
E16 Rome 29/11/2012 CONF Presentation PSCE conference
E17 Sella Nevea -Chiusaforte (UD) 23/12/2012 EXE Exercise Avalache rescue
E18 Sella Nevea -Chiusaforte (UD) 19-21/02/2013 EXE 2nd
Crossborder Exercise
E19 Palmanova (UD) 19/03/2013 CONF Final conference
E20 Lignano Sabbiadoro (UD) 21/03/2013 EXE Civil protection Schools Camp
E21 Pozzuolo del Friuli (UD) 3-4/05/2013
EXE Dog Friends 2013 (international dog unit meeting)
E22 Brussels 15-16/05/2013 CONF 4th Civil Protection Forum
E23 Ponte di Legno (So) 07/06/2013
EXE National alpine rescue unit dog course
o Activity E5: Public Demonstration of a Mountain Rescue exercise
The public demonstration of the Mountain Rescue Exercise has been split into two events for practical reasons:
o An international collaboration exercise in Sella Nevea (Feb 19th to 21
st 2013)
o an international conference in Palmanova March 19th, 2013, where a video and the
results from the exercise were presented.
o Activity E6: Creation of a pamphlet (1 page A4 format) For the conference in Palmanova a pamphlet has been created and distributed with the invitation.
All planned activities have been executed successfully.
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PRESENTATION OF THE TECHNICAL RESULTS AND DELIVERABLES
As this project created a lot of deliverables the results are summarized in the table below. A more detailed description of the main deliverables can be found in the next chapter.
Deliverable Id
Name Comment - Purpose Result Evaluation Value-added for EU
Dissemination
A1 First workshop First definition of common
cooperative procedure and first requirements for ALPSAR solution
Executed 11/02/2011 in Ljubljana
Successful workshop
A2
Draft of cooperative procedures for Slovenian and FVG Mountain Rescue Services
Created in the workshop A1
A3 Draft of requirements for mountain rescue solution
Created in the workshop A1 – see chapter xxx
A4
Second workshop Update and finalize the cooperative procedure
First presentation of basic solution
Update and approve of first user requirements
Executed 13/04/2011 in Palmanova
Successful workshop
A5
Approved cooperative procedures for Slovenian and FVG Mountain Rescue Services
The cooperative procedure has been approved in Palmanova (IT) June 13
th, 2011.
An important step to improve the cooperation between URSZR and PCRAFVG
Example for a collaborative procedure for Mountain rescue between two EU member states
Press release and final conference
A6 Approved requirements for cooperative mountain rescue solution
The requirements have been approved in the workshop A4
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Deliverable Id
Name Comment - Purpose Result Evaluation Value-added for EU
Dissemination
B1 1st Prototype of web portal and middleware according to the requirements,
for details see chapter ALPSAR Web Portal
The prototype has been released June 2011
B2
1st Prototype of Phone Client according to the requirements
for details see chapter ALPSAR Phone Client
The prototype has been released June 2011 – for details see chapter xxx
B3
Integration of the 3D-map into the Slovenian and PCRAFVG web Portal
for details see chapter ALPSAR Web Portal
The prototype has been released in March 2013 – for details see chapter xxx – delay due to the budget freeze in Slovenia and Italy
B4
Slovenian User Interface The Slovenian user interface has been release in February 2013.
B5
Italian User Interface The Italian user interface has been release in February 2013.
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Deliverable Id
Name Comment - Purpose Result Evaluation Value-added for EU
Dissemination
B6
Final web portal and middleware according to the requirements,
for details see chapter ALPSAR Web Portal
The final version has been released March 2013
The final solution implemented satisfies the needs of the Mountain rescue services and the Head quarter. It is in productive use as of February 2013.
Other European civil protection services are very interested in the ALPSAR solution and the experience gained in this cooperation
The solutions has been and will be presented in several international conferences, exhibitions and exercises
B7
Final Phone Client according to the requirements
for details see chapter PhoneClient below
The final version has been released March 2013
The final solution implemented satisfies the needs of the Mountain rescue services It is in productive use as of February 2013.
Other European civil protection services are very interested in the ALPSAR solution and the experience gained in this cooperation
The solutions has been and will be presented in several international conferences, exhibitions and exercises
B8
Documentation of the mountain rescue solution
The documentation of the mountain rescue solution has been release in March 2013
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Deliverable Id
Name Comment - Purpose Result Evaluation Value-added for EU
Dissemination
B9
The web Portal is installed on the servers in FVG.
for details see chapter ALPSAR Web Portal
The web portal was installed the first time in June 2011. Further improved versions were installed approx ever 3 months.
B10
The Phone Client is installed on the phones used for the field trials and delivered to the Mountain rescue Services
for details see chapter PhoneClient below
The phone client was installed the first time in June 2011. Further improved versions were installed approx ever 3 months.
B11
The web Portal is installed on the servers in Slovenia.
for details see chapter ALPSAR Web Portal
The web portal was installed the first time in June 2011. Further improved versions were installed approx ever 3 months.
C1
The equipment and SW needed for the field trial is delivered to the FVG Mountain Rescue Services
for details see chapter The ALPSAR IT-solution
The equipment and SW was installed the first time in June 2011
C2
One FVG Mountain Rescue team is trained to use the solution
The first training of the mountain rescue team was executed June, 20
th 2012
C3 Feedback from the field trial is provided and documented
Feedback was provided in Monthly phone conferences
C4
The equipment and SW needed for the field trial is delivered to the Slovenian Mountain Rescue Services
The equipment and SW was installed the first time in June 2011
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Deliverable Id
Name Comment - Purpose Result Evaluation Value-added for EU
Dissemination
C5
One Slovenian Mountain Rescue team is trained to use the solution
The first training of the mountain rescue team was executed June, 20
th 2012
C6
Liublijana earthquake exercise
Training and test of the cooperative procedure and the IT solution
The exercise was executed June 21
st,
2012 at the bordering area of Tarvisio (Italy) and Rateče (Slovenia).
The test was very positive. Several possible improvement have been identified and have been implemented in the final solution
C7
Feedback Workshop, summarizing the feedback from the users involved in the trials and defining updates to the procedures and solution
Continuous feedback was provided by the URSZR and PCRAFVG representatives in the monthly phone conferences.
C8
Updated procedures according to the feedback
The feedback showed that the agreed procedures do not have to be updated.
C9
Updated solution according to the feedback
The solution was updated according to the feedback of the users. Approx every 3 months a new version was released for further tests and feedback.
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Deliverable Id
Name Comment - Purpose Result Evaluation Value-added for EU
Dissemination
C10
Cooperative Exercise in the area Slovenian-Italian Alpine border)– Report from the exercise
Goal of the exercise was to improve the cooperation between different rescue teams from Slovenia and Italy. Nearly 100 Rescuers from Slovenian and Italy participated. Details see chapter below.
The exercise was executed 19
th – 21
st of
February 2013 in Sella Nevea (Italy)
The exercise showed the potential of a good cooperation of the defined procedures and the IT solution.
Improved cooperation of rescue service between EU member states.
The results of the exercise were presented in the international conference in Palmanova March 18
th, 2013.
D1
Slovenian SAR teams are trained
The last training of the teams was executed before the Cooperative exercise February 19
th,
2013.
D2
PCRAFVG SAR teams are trained
The last training of the teams was executed before the Cooperative exercise February 19
th,
2013
D3
Feedback from productive use in Slovenia – in the steering committee phoneconference, at minimum once per month the feedback from the users will be presented and discussed and actions defined.
A phoneconf approx once per month was executed and feedback from the URSZR and PCRAFVG representatives collected and discussed.
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Deliverable Id
Name Comment - Purpose Result Evaluation Value-added for EU
Dissemination
D4
Report - Feedback from productive use in FVG - in the steering committee phoneconference, at minimum once per month the feedback from the users will be presented and discussed and actions defined.
A phoneconf approx once per month was executed and feedback from the URSZR and PCRAFVG representatives collected and discussed.
D5
Updated procedures according to the feedback – The procedure document will be updated according to the feedback.
Due to the delay the time frame for the productive use was too short to get feedback for procedure changes
D6
Updated solution according to the feedback – documentation of the updates
The final update of the solution was released end of March 2013 including first feedback from the exercises and one month of productive use
D7
Evaluation report summarizing the feedback from the productive use in Slovenia and Italy
Due to the delay and the late start of the productive use the time frame was too generate a useful feedback.
D8
Alpine rescuer meeting Italia – demonstration of the solution
The ALPSAR solutions was presented in several events to other potential users (events E19 to E23)
Dissemination of the results in several international events. See events list.
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Deliverable Id
Name Comment - Purpose Result Evaluation Value-added for EU
Dissemination
E1 Website that provides all relevant information about the project and its results
The website www.alpsar.eu has been created
E2
Presentation of results at Public Safety Communications Europe Forum 2011
The results have been presented in the PSC-E Forum in Warsaw Dec 1
st, 2011.
Dissemination of the ALPSAR results to European Public safety services
E3
Presentation of results at Public Safety Communications Europe Forum 2012
The results have been presented in the PSC-E Forum in Rome Nov 29
th, 2012.
Dissemination of the ALPSAR results to European Public safety services
E4
Exhibition at Civil Protection Forum Brussels 2012
The ALPSAR project participated in the exhibition of the Civil Protection Forum in Brussels 2013
Dissemination of the ALPSAR results to European Public safety services
E5
Demonstration of results at “Alpe-Adria” Mountain Rescue Conference 2012
The ALPSAR solutions was presented in several events to other potential users (events E19 to E23). It will be presented in “Alpe-Adria” 2013.
Dissemination of the ALPSAR results to European Public safety services
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Deliverable Id
Name Comment - Purpose Result Evaluation Value-added for EU
Dissemination
E6
Public Demonstration of a Mountain Rescue exercise
Training, test and demonstrated the cooperative procedures and the ALPSAR IT solution.
For practical reasons the public demonstration was split into two parts. An cooperative exercise successfully executed February 19
th- 21
st ,
2013 in Sella nevea (Italy) and a public conference executed March 18
th in
Palmanova.(Italy) with international participation.
See C10
E7
A pamphlet explaining the results of the project
The pamphlet has been created as part of the invitation of the conference.
The pamphlet was used for the invitation of the international conference
E8
Layman’s report – 5-10 pages long presenting the results of the project
The summary report has been created presenting the results of the project. The summary has been presented in the conference in Palmanova.
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In the following chapter we will describe the main deliverables in more detail:
The cooperative procedure
The ALPSAR IT-solution
The ALPSAR cooperative exercise
THE ALPSAR COOPERATIVE PROCEDURE
This ALPSAR cooperative procedure is focused on the operating procedures between Slovenian and FVG mountain rescue teams in the case of transborder accident. Emphasis was placed on the definition of outstanding issues in cross-border cooperation in the mountains, with a special emphasis on unresolved cross-border helicopter rescue, cooperation between call centers and collaboration in the intervention on both sides of the border.
The procedure defines 4 fax templates that have to be used to request official assistance between URSZR and PCRAFVG.
»EMER1.it«;
»EMER2.it«, in the case when Italian side asks for help
»EMER1.si«;
»EMER2.si«, in the case when Slovenian side asks for help
Example: THE ASSISTANCE IS REQUESTED FROM THE ITALY (FVG) SIDE
If an emergency occurs in the Friuli Venezia Giulia border region the procedure is as follows:
o the Regional Civil Protection Italy (FVG) asks for help from Slovenia through the Operative Centre SOR (Regional Notification Centre for Civil Protection) of Palmanova by fax to CORS (National notification Centre of the Republic of Slovenia) using the form "EMER1.it".
o CORS sends back the response by fax "EMER1*.it", (digitally signed e-mail or by fax communication) and to the ReCO (Slovenian Regional Notification Center )and to SOR.
o SOR send “EMER2*.it to ReCO. o ReCO sends back the response by fax using the same “EMER2*.it” filled with additional
information o At the end SOR sends to ReCO a certificate of acceptance of the offer of assistance using the
form "EMER2OK.it."
The complete cooperative procedure has been approved finally in Palmanova (IT) June 13th, 2011.
The procedure from Slovenia is similar.
THE ALPSAR IT-SOLUTION
The ALPSAR IT solution has been implemented to support the cooperation between the Mountain rescue service of URSZR and PCRAFVG and to improve the situational awareness of the headquarters, the team leaders and the searchers The main objectives of the solution are:
Allow a tracking of search teams on 2-D and 3D-maps
SOR CORS
ReCO
EMER1.itEMER1.it
EMER1*.itEMER1*.it
EMER2*.itEMER2*.it
EMER2*.itEMER2*.it
EMER2OK.itEMER2OK.it
EMER1*.itEMER1*.it
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Provides all search information to the search team leader, to the respective CP headquarter (HQ) and distribute the information between the international partners via a web-based portal
Allows the search and rescue teams to provide pictures and sensor data from the rescue site and the victims to the web-based portal to make them accessible by a doctor or hospital
The general architecture of the ALPSAR solution is shown in the picture below.
Both sides, URSZR in Slovenia and PCRAFVG in Italy, are equipped with the same “ALPSAR” solution that can be used locally. Already in local mode the solution provides a better visibility and control of a search mission by the headquarters and the team leader.
The headquarter is equipped with the “ALPSAR” server, the ALPSAR middleware and an ALPSAR web portal, allowing them to create and manage search missions and trace the location of the search teams on maps. Additional information is available like avalanche warnings, weather sensors information etc.
The search team leader is connected to the headquarter via a satellite link based on ASTRA2Connect and a Nomadic Satellite Communication System. This broadband link allows him to access all relevant information on a robust laptop with an ALPSAR mobile client.
The search team members are equipped with the same Tab smart phones that allow the localization of the team members, sending of pictures and receiving of information for the search team members.
In an international mission when search teams from URSZR and PCRAFVG work together, the servers can exchange all relevant information and both teams, the team leader and the headquarter can have a complete overview of the mission. The solution includes processes for the alarming of the other side according to the signed protocol.
The main components of the ALPSAR solution are the Webportal and the Phone Client. These components will be briefly described in the following chapters:
ALPSAR Web Portal The main user interface for the headquarter and the mission team leader is the ALPSAR web portal.
The ALPSAR webportal provides following functionality:
Missions definition and organisation
Document sharing
Map annotations
tracking and tracing of users and vehicles
Cameras provide pictures from the field
List of recognized events:
Picture upload
Geofencing alerts
Sensor alerts
Management: Interface to manage the information and the data flows (administrators only)
Help: where to get help
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The portal can be accessed via any web browser.
For international missions it is possible to create missions with team members from URSZR and PCRAFVG. In this case both headquarters are able to access the mission and follow the missions. Both teams can see the members of the other teams too.
The following images show screen shots of the web portal from the exercise in Sella Nevea February 20
th, 2013.
The Screenshot shows
the situation at the
exercise in Sella Nevea
June 20th, 2013.
Several rescues are still
at the lower station in
the valley. Some
rescuers have set up a
communication system
(NoSaCo) at the upper
station on the mountain.
The search areas on the
mountain are marked in
red. The left one is the
avalanche search area.
The right one is the
cave rescuer search
area.
This screenshot shows
a more detailed view of
the activities on the
mountain.
The icon on the right
with the pawn symbol,
represents a search dog
that was equipped with
a GPS device.
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Again the avalanche
search area, using
satellite images as
background. (The
satellite images are
NOT real-time)
The portal supports
different maps. This
screen shot shows the
“Tobacco” map used by
PCRAFVG.
It also shows how
pictures shot by team
members are visualized.
By clicking on the
image, the full screen
image is shown.
Overview of the
exercise scenario.
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This screenshot
demonstrates the use of
trails. These trails allow
the team leader and
head quarter to assess
where the search team
has already searched.
Evaluation of the Portal:
The portal allows the operators in the Slovenian and Italian Headquarters to get a situational awareness about the search missions that they did not have before.
They can see the movement of all team members and the can track the search mission and assess what needs to be done in the next step.
The exchange of pictures of the situation or victims allows a better assessment of the situation.
As all information is automatically synchronized between the team members, the Head quarters and between the two countries everybody involved in a mission has the same information available.
By using annotations on the map HQ can distribute additional information about the search area the team members.
The feedback from the operators and the search team leaders was very positive.
ALPSAR Phone Client The ALPSAR phone client is the tool for the search team members. Every search team is equipped with at least one tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab with additional ruggedized covers was used.
The ALPSAR phone client is an Android application that can run on any Android device. It provides following functionality:
Login and mission selection
Orientation o Map o Follow my position on map o Target o Compass
Situation awareness o Mission details o Team following on map o Scene display on map o Events
Reporting o Trace o Picture o Waypoint o It’s here o Scene edition
Offline mode o Maps o Trace o Pictures o Messages and waypoints
Help
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The application also provides the localisation information for the Headquarter portal.
All information shows on the Phone Client is synchronized with the portal in the headquarter. Every update the head quarter operator does on the map in the portal is reflected on the phone client screen.
In addition the phone client has an offline mode. This was a feature requested by the mountain rescuers after the field trial. As the mobile network coverage in the mountains is not 100% the rescuers requested that all information entered into the phone client, localisation, traces, pictures and maps should be available when the phone has no network coverage. As soon as the network is coming back, al information is automatically synchronised with the ALPSAR server and visible on the portal and the other phone clients in the mission.
Screenshots from the phone client:
Main screen for selecting the
different features.
Mission information
Follow my team
Follow your team in a mission
selecting the “My team” button.
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A scene contains icons (point of
interest), areas, lines describing
the situation during a mission.
Several scenes can be linked to a
mission
Nomadic satellite Communication System NoSaCo
One main request from the mountain rescuers was that the mission team leader who is on-site is able to coordinate the search teams during the mission. To be able to access all information and be able to update information and mission data the team leader needs to have access to the HQ portal. The Team leader has a ruggedized laptop with a web browser that provides him access to the web portal.
To be able to access the portal with the necessary performance and availability a satellite communication solution is foreseen.
The solution is based on a standard satellite internet access with a flat rate and a downstream of 3 Mbit/s and an upstream of 364 Kbit/s.
As terminal a special ruggedized terminal is used, called Nomadic Satellite Communication System NoSaCo.
The terminal is characterized as follows:
o Provide symmetric Internet connectivity o Bandwidth (shared): o Downlink: up to 10240 kb/s o Uplink: up to 364 kb/s
o Designed for outdoor use (rain and dust protected | -10 to +50°C) o Contains:
o The modem for satellite communication o A rugged passive router o A rugged passive computer
o Directly interconnected via a secured link to the Information Management platform
The terminal is shown in the image below:
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The following pictures show the NoSaCo in use in the exercise in Sella Nevea:
THE ALPSAR COOPERATIVE EXERCISE
February 19th to 21
st, 2013 the ALPSAR cooperative exercise was executed in the area of Sella
Nevea (Italy) near the border to Slovenia.
The exercise included nearly 100 rescuers.
Goal of the exercise was to improve the cooperation between different rescue teams from Slovenia and Italy. Over 50 Rescuers from Slovenian and Italy participated.
The Participants:
URSZR:
Mountain Rescue Teams
Cave Rescuers
Avalanche Dog Rescue team
PCRAFVG
Mountain Rescue Teams
Cave Rescuers
Avalanche Dog Rescue team
PCRAFVG Rescue Helicopter
Guardia di Financa
Sella Nevea Team
The Agenda for the exercise:
February 19th:
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14:00 to 18:00 Introduction to the exercise , general briefing and training on the IT solution (portal, phone client and NoSaCo)
February 20: Cave rescue scenarios (example: recovery of a fallen skier in a chimney)
8.30 Base camp installation
Meeting of participants on Guardia di Finanza Helipad or Square of cable (weather conditions)
9.30 start of exercise, transport at high altitude
14.00 Finish of exercise
14.30 Lunch
16.00 Debrief, discussion, problems
18:00 Arrival for avalanche scenario rescuers 19.00 Dinner 20.30 General brief , Planning details of avalanche exercise
February 21: Avalanche scenarios
8.00 Base camp installation
Rescuers Brief on Guardia di Finanza Helipad or Square of cable (weather conditions)
9.00 Start of exercise, transport at high altitude and research buried in avalanches (Exemple: basin Prevala an altitude of 1,800 m and Slovenian side saddle Prevala altitude 2000 m)
13.00 Finish of exercise
14.00 Lunch
15.30 Debriefing and greetings to the participants
The main objective of this exercise was to build up collaboration between the rescuers from Italy and Slovenia. Some of them have never worked together before.
The second objective was to train the team members on the ALPSAR IT solution and to test how the solution works in real missions with several mixed teams from both countries involved.
Evaluation: Due to bad weather conditions the cave rescue exercise had to be stopped at 14:00. Fortunately all rescue operations had been executed successfully. The rescuers had to be brought back to the camp via the PCRAFVG-helicopter which had to pass the Italian/Slovenian border..
On the other hand the exercise was a great success: The cooperation worked well. All rescuers expressed their positive feedback at the end of the exercise. The main positive point was that a good collaboration between the teams from Slovenia and Italy could be established. This is very important as for the rescue missions, confidence in the team members of a missions is absolutely essential. First steps to build up this trust could be established in this exercise.
The ALPSAR IT solution proved that it is a great support in such a big mission. The mission leader in the head quarter (located at Guardia di Financa in Sella Nevea) had a very good situational awareness and could control the mission. The team members working with the phone clients were impressed about the usefulness and the easy way of working. Some good feedback was collected after the exercise to improve the solution. The most important one was the request of an off-line mode for the client. This request was implemented in the last release of the phone client in March 2013.
Below are some pictures from the event:
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EVALUATION OF THE TECHNICAL RESULTS AND
DELIVERABLES
During the exercises the ALPSAR IT-solution – as described in the chapter above – proved to be a perfect tool to support the mountain rescue missions of URSZR and PCRAFVG. The iterative approach providing a basic solution at the beginning and improving it step by step and including the final users (the Mountain Rescue Team Members) from the beginning were the key success factors. With the implementation of most of the features the users proposed during the course of the project made the ALPSAR solution “their” solution. The close cooperation between the developers and the users and the short implementation cycles of new releases provided visible improvements of the solution in every step. This made the application and the testing of the solution very interesting for the users.
The concept of using standard equipment is another positive lesson learnt. The selected Android based Galaxy Tab packed into a ruggedized cover, has proven to be robust enough for the harsh environment in the Alps. The fast evolution of modern communication devices like the tablets makes it impossible to rely only on one specific device. After 6 months the specific device is not available anymore. Therefore one important lesson learnt is, that solutions for end users have to be device independent. The implementation on an Android platform makes it possible to use the phone client on any other Android based device from tablet to smart phone.
The ALPSAR IT solution is as independent as possible from the HW devices. For the portal any PC with a web browser can be used to access the portal. No special HW needs to be installed.
This proved very efficient in the Sella Nevea exercise when we set up the headquarters in the offices of the Guardia di Financa in Sella Nevea. An Internet access and a PC were sufficient to get the connection to the portal.
The part of the solution that was seen as the most complex one for the mountain rescue team at the start of the project was the set up of the satellite connection. Fortunately the NoSaCo was designed for easy setup and in the course of the exercises the rescuers got familiar with the system and were able to set up the Satellite Connection in less than 10 Minutes.
FOLLOW-UP
The solutions and procedures developed in ALPSAR are now in operational use in URSZR and PCRAFVG for the mountain rescue services (since March 2013). It is the intention of the partner to extend the procedures and the tools defined and deployed to additional Search and Rescue teams. Several other countries and organisation have already expressed their interest in the solution and there may be further extensions to other countries possible.
The solution will be demonstrated and used in several exhibitions and exercises.
There are ideas of integration of other communications systems (like LTE). Also the use of other more light and powerful devices is possible and will be checked by the partners.
The results will be used also in other future projects where URSZR and/or PCRAFVG participate: Examples: RiMaComm Interreg ITA-AUT, EPISECC FP7 project.
