Simulation of emergency response operations for a static chemical spill within a building using an opportunistic resource utilization network

We investigate supporting emergency response operations with opportunistic resource utilization networks (“oppnets”), based on a network paradigm for inviting and integrating diverse devices and systems available in the environment. We simulate chemical spill on a single floor of a building and indicate how oppnets can assist first responders in finding optimal rescue routes for evacuating victims. The obtained results show how the number of victims rescued by the responders and the time required for their evacuation depend on: (a) the number of an oppnet´s helpers that the oppnet is able to integrate; (b) the number and distribution of victims within the incident area; and (c) the number of responders (their optimal number is identified). The results demonstrate that using oppnets can significantly improve efficiency and effectiveness of emergency response operations.