Background

Whenever

		Background Solution Technology Unisys Difference Overview Documents

a major disaster occurs, there is a requirement to be able to identify missing persons with casualties, survivors or dead bodies. Such a scenario requires many different organisations to work together to ensure statistical information is accurate for the media and so that information relating to a missing person is fed back to friends and relatives in a timely and accurate manner.

Interpol and the agencies involved in major disasters identified that this process would be greatly assisted by a centralised computer system that all agencies could access and update as and when appropriate. However, it was felt that such a complex system did not exist.

During an Interpol conference in 2001, Unisys demonstrated Casualty Bureau to the Interpol Committee. Casualty Bureau is one half of HOLMES 2 and is used specifically by the UK Police Forces for major disasters. Casualty Bureau has been used in real-life or in a fully simulated disaster in approximately eight Police Forces to date, with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), for example, using it on approximately 12 major UK and international disasters including 11 September.

At the Interpol conference, it was felt that this could be the solution for a major disaster tool. However, three major changes would need to be made:-

• Full use of Interpol Forms;
• Dental recording/matching facility;
• Multi-language capability.

Solution

MDMS is made up of four sections. The design focuses on agencies being able to purchase and use each module alone, or with one or two other modules, or as the complete MDMS suite. This is to meet the needs of the different organisations involved in a major disaster, e.g., a Police Force, the Red Cross, a hospital, or an airport authority. Where applicable, information is automatically transferred from one module to another. The core information can be entered in one language by one agency, transferred, and then made visible to another agency in a different language. Secure data transfer, as well as data auditing, is provided.

MDMS comprises Call Centre, Scene of Disaster, Casualty Bureau and AM/ PM Match modules. Together the Call Centre and Scene of Disaster are called the Emergency Room. With the exception of Casualty Bureau, each module is available in several languages namely Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish and Swedish (other languages can be added as required).

The Call Centre module is specifically designed for agencies whose key function is to enter and update missing person and caller details. It also provides the ability to enter further information via a message facility.

The Scene of Disaster module enables remote access via the use of a handheld device or a laptop, as well as a PC. Within this module, data can be entered and updated for survivors, evacuees, casualties, body parts, dead bodies, exhibits and vehicles, as well as missing persons, callers and messages.

Information from the Emergency Room can be automatically transferred into Casualty Bureau. Should two or more different agencies (e.g. a Police Force and a hospital) operate a Call Centre or Scene of Disaster, information from each agency can be transferred into the same Casualty Bureau if required. Training for these facilities is via Computer Based Training.

Casualty Bureau is used primarily for matching the information transferred from the Call Centre to the information received from the Scene of Disaster. To that end, tools exist within the module to enable data patterns and most relevant matches to be identified. The tools work equally well when there is little, or vast information. Through the Action Management and Document Management facilities, activities to be carried out can be identified, their outcome recorded and the information easily administered.

The AM/PM Match module is utilised when either a dead body or a missing person cannot be identified. Ante Mortem (AM) relates to live persons; Post Mortem (PM) to dead persons. This facility enables the AM and PM Interpol Forms to be completed, and the data to be analysed. It also provides a dental entry and searching capability. Information is transferred from Casualty Bureau to pre-populate the Interpol Forms.

Information may be transferred from the AM/PM Match module to Casualty Bureau to take advantage of its complex searching tools.

Technology

MDMS utilises three-tier, client-server architecture. The solution is web-enabled, greatly enhancing ease of use.

The server layer consists of an Oracle database on a Unix system.

The application layer for Casualty Bureau comprises a Windows 2000 server with Citrix, while the web application layer for the other modules uses BEA WebLogic on a different Windows 2000 server.

The client layer is simply a PC with Internet Explorer and the Casualty Bureau icon, if required.

In all instances, the Graphical User Interface is consistent across the module and has been designed to be user-friendly. The system is also integrated with third party products, such as the Autonomy product suite, which further enhances the functionality of the solution.

Unisys Difference

MDMS is built on the vast knowledge already gained by Unisys through HOLMES 2, and the successful deployment of Casualty Bureau. The solution provides:-

• A flexible solution which can be utilised by all agencies involved in a major disaster, irrespective of country;
• A multi-language front-end;
• A mutual aid facility;
• A front-end client that is easy to set up, and simple to use;
• A reduction in time required to input data and the removal of the need for double-entry;
• A training program designed specifically to meet the end-user requirements;
• More effective research and analysis of the information, and greater productivity of researchers in the investigation of complex information and presentation of data and charts;
• The ability to transfer the information into a Major Investigation tool (HOLMES 2 Incident Room) should it be required.

Overview Documents

For further information, click on the .PDF document symbol for the file below. Note that you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to be able to view this file. This reader is available free at www.adobe.com, if required.

MDMS and CasWeb

The following Microsoft Powerpoint presentation file is also available for viewing, which was used to present DVI to UK Police Forces during October 2002:-

DVI Presentation October 2002

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