Advanced emergency response management in smart environments

In the last decade, progress in low cost, high performance computing networks and digital communications on heterogeneous, mobile and fixed broadband networks (Abad et al., 2012; Kim, 2009; Hofstee, 2005; Pande et al.,, 2005) have supported the development of innovative systems for emergency management. In the literature, there are several systems able to monitor and manage rescue operations in the aftermath of a disaster event. These systems can be classified on the basis of different input data and logical architectures into three categories: 1) Traditional Emergency Management Systems; 2) Smart Emergency Management Systems; 3) Social Emergency Management Systems.