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applications and the next generation eCall that fully
exploit IoT concepts, IP and packet switch networks.
Despite novel approaches for ES, such as those
taken by the EU funded action NEXES (Next
Generation Emergency Systems) (NEXES, 2015),
which embrace IP technologies and data exchange,
ES worldwide mainly rely on circuit switched voice
calls.
This paper extends the work presented in (Buf et
al., 2017) by describing the implementation and
demonstration of a smart device conveying
environmental data relevant to determine the
occurrence of emergency incidents (related with
fires or combustible gas leaks). In such a case, the
system automatically initiates an emergency call and
conveys a message in audio format, thus being able
to operate with any ES deployed nowadays.
The remainder of the paper is structured as
follows: it starts by presenting two cases where
automated emergency calls can be used to improve
safety of citizens and property; then the system
concept and architecture is described, including the
implementation of the smart device system; the
"Workflow" section presents the sequencing
between the relevant steps, followed by the structure
of the emergency messages; in the "Demonstration"
section we present two examples of the detection of
emergency events that initiate an emergency call; the
paper finalises with the conclusion section.
2 THE NEED FOR AUTOMATED
EMERGENCY CALLS
As part of the NEXES Action, several use-cases
were described involving the use of automated alerts
to enable a prompt response to an emergency and
save lives (Manso et al., 2017). In one scenario, a
tank at a small chemical plant develops a breach and
hazardous materials began leaking out. A security
guard, responsible to monitor incidents, failing to
follow the appropriate security precautions, is
quickly taken ill upon inhalation of noxious fumes
and loses consciousness. Since the chemical plant
uses smart devices, the leak is detected and an
automated alert is initiated. Because no human
intervention is possible (the guard is unconscious), a
call to emergency services is automatically
established. The emergency call taker develops
awareness of the emergency situation and dispatches
relevant personnel and resources, including
specialist containment and decontamination crews
and personal protective equipment.
This futuristic scenario highlights the potentially
vital role of telematics in specific emergency
scenarios. The use of telematics and automated
calling means that in situations in which citizens are
incapacitated, emergency services can still be timely
contacted and properly informed about the incident,
thus enhance the emergency response in terms of
response time, the safety of the citizen and, in this
situation, the safety of first responders as well.
Looking into incidents at homes, we see these
are a major cause of injuries and deaths: according
to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association
(National Fire Protection Association, 2017), in
2015 there were more than 360k house fires causing
more than 2500 deaths, 11k injuries and several
billions $USD in damage. 3 out of 5 home deaths
occurred in houses without smoke alarms. The
utilisation of smart devices and alert systems could
have a significant high positive impact in improving
human safety and reducing financial losses.
3 SYSTEM CONCEPT AND
DESCRIPTION
The concept described in this paper consists in
deploying IoT systems to perform sensing and
incident detection together with components capable
to trigger specific actions - specifically initiate an
emergency call - and convert digital messages into
audio in a form that can be received and understood
by any ES nowadays.
Smart devices are deployed in a cluster
configuration connected to a Hub (within a LAN or
via a router). The smart devices incorporate sensors
capable to measure physical quantities of interest
and detecting key events (e.g., gas concentration and
smoke detection). The devices are considered to be
resource constrained (i.e., limited processing
capabilities, low power consumption) thus they
perform limited functionalities. They are connected
to a Gateway/Hub that collects all sensor data and
perform computational intensive functions. In this
regard, the Hub has the capability to perform data
fusion and correlation to increase detection
reliability (e.g., correlate fire and smoke sensor data
to confirm a relevant event), generate event
messages into audio (using its TTS engine) and, for
our specific use-case, initiate emergency calls using
the public network (other approaches could instead
opt for calling the owner phone or a service
operator).
An overview of the system is depicted in Figure
1 and is described next.
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