Fire fighters operate in a dangerous, dynamic, and complex environment. Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems can contribute to improve fire fighters’ situation awareness and decision-making. However, the introduction of AI systems needs to be done responsibly, taking (human) values into account, especially as the situation in which fire fighters operate is uncertain and decisions have a big impact. In this research, we investigate values that are affected by the introduction of AI systems for fire services by conducting several semi-structured focus group sessions with (operational) fire service personnel. The focus group outcomes are qualitatively analyzed and key values are identified and discussed. This research is a first step in an iterative process towards a generic framework of ethical aspects for the introduction of AI systems in first response, which will give insight into the relevant ethical aspects to take into account when developing AI systems for first responders.
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Artificial Intelligence systems are more and more being introduced into first response; however, this introduction needs to be done responsibly. While generic claims on what this entails already exist, more details are required to understand the exact nature of responsible application of AI within the first response domain. The context in which AI systems are applied largely determines the ethical, legal, and societal impact and how to deal with this impact responsibly. For that reason, we empirically investigate relevant human values that are affected by the introduction of a specific AI-based Decision Aid (AIDA), a decision support system under development for Fire Services in the Netherlands. We held 10 expert group sessions and discussed the impact of AIDA on different stakeholders. This paper presents the design and implementation of the study and, as we are still in process of analyzing the sessions in detail, summarizes preliminary insights and steps forward.
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Governments should take a cue from a recent German study on how to best support innovation at SMEs, says Rix Groenboom.
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This technical report describes "validation of the 'Target system definition"
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In this article, we assess the potential of alternative land use systems using non-drainage peatland species which could eventually phase out or partly replace oil palm plantations on undrainable peatlands. We have used the ecosystem services approach to analyse what scenarios using drainage-free peatland species could be suitable alternatives for oil palm cultivation on peat and how these scenarios compare to oil palm plantations in terms of selected ecosystem services. Our results indicate that alternative paludiculture systems will provide more direct and indirect ecosystem services than oil palm plantations on peat. We also found that stakeholders were aware of issues with growing oil palm on peat, and that there was a general intention for sustainable use of peatlands amongst several groups of stakeholders. Replacing oil palm with alternative systems such as paludiculture in Malaysia is not yet realistic. The most important impediments are a lack of knowledge on potential of non-drainage peatland species and its associated value chains, as well as the technical difficulty for smallholders to implement such a system. We recommend starting experimental plantings with paludiculture systems to further test species performance, life cycle analysis, growth, intercropping limitations and possibilities, yields and improvements in the value chain.
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In recent years, drones have increasingly supported First Responders (FRs) in monitoring incidents and providing additional information. However, analysing drone footage is time-intensive and cognitively demanding. In this research, we investigate the use of AI models for the detection of humans in drone footage to aid FRs in tasks such as locating victims. Detecting small-scale objects, particularly humans from high altitudes, poses a challenge for AI systems. We present first steps of introducing and evaluating a series of YOLOv8 Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for human detection from drone images. The models are fine-tuned on a created drone image dataset of the Dutch Fire Services and were able to achieve a 53.1% F1-Score, identifying 439 out of 825 humans in the test dataset. These preliminary findings, validated by an incident commander, highlight the promising utility of these models. Ongoing efforts aim to further refine the models and explore additional technologies.
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Ageing-in-place is the preferred way of living for older individuals in an ageing society. It can be facilitated through architectural and technological solutions in the home environment. Dementia poses additional challenges when designing, constructing, or retrofitting housing facilities that support ageing-in-place. Older adults with dementia and their partners ask for living environments that support independence, compensate for declining and vitality, and lower the burden of family care. This study reports the design process of a demonstration home for people with dementia through performing a literature review and focus group sessions. This design incorporates modifications in terms of architecture, interior design, the indoor environment, and technological solutions. Current design guidelines are frequently based on small-scale studies, and, therefore, more systematic field research should be performed to provide further evidence for the efficacy of solutions. The dwellings of people with dementia are used to investigate the many aspects of supportive living environments for older adults with dementia and as educational and training settings for professionals from the fields of nursing, construction, and building services engineering.
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In case of a major cyber incident, organizations usually rely on external providers of Cyber Incident Response (CIR) services. CIR consultants operate in a dynamic and constantly changing environment in which they must actively engage in information management and problem solving while adapting to complex circumstances. In this challenging environment CIR consultants need to make critical decisions about what to advise clients that are impacted by a major cyber incident. Despite its relevance, CIR decision making is an understudied topic. The objective of this preliminary investigation is therefore to understand what decision-making strategies experienced CIR consultants use during challenging incidents and to offer suggestions for training and decision-aiding. A general understanding of operational decision making under pressure, uncertainty, and high stakes was established by reviewing the body of knowledge known as Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM). The general conclusion of NDM research is that experts usually make adequate decisions based on (fast) recognition of the situation and applying the most obvious (default) response pattern that has worked in similar situations in the past. In exceptional situations, however, this way of recognition-primed decision-making results in suboptimal decisions as experts are likely to miss conflicting cues once the situation is quickly recognized under pressure. Understanding the default response pattern and the rare occasions in which this response pattern could be ineffective is therefore key for improving and aiding cyber incident response decision making. Therefore, we interviewed six experienced CIR consultants and used the critical decision method (CDM) to learn how they made decisions under challenging conditions. The main conclusion is that the default response pattern for CIR consultants during cyber breaches is to reduce uncertainty as much as possible by gathering and investigating data and thus delay decision making about eradication until the investigation is completed. According to the respondents, this strategy usually works well and provides the most assurance that the threat actor can be completely removed from the network. However, the majority of respondents could recall at least one case in which this strategy (in hindsight) resulted in unnecessary theft of data or damage. Interestingly, this finding is strikingly different from other operational decision-making domains such as the military, police and fire service in which there is a general tendency to act rapidly instead of searching for more information. The main advice is that training and decision aiding of (novice) cyber incident responders should be aimed at the following: (a) make cyber incident responders aware of how recognition-primed decision making works; (b) discuss the default response strategy that typically works well in several scenarios; (c) explain the exception and how the exception can be recognized; (d) provide alternative response strategies that work better in exceptional situations.
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Short YouTube video about the Firefighters project. Recent increase in wild fires in France, and around the world, are an unfortunate example of the current challenges firefighters face nowadays. Data science can provide a solution for such challenges. Through various visualizations, we can empower our public services to react faster and more efficiently to extreme situations. The firefighter project aims to empower fire departments and provide them with the tools necessary for data based decision-making.
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Through the commodification of nature, the framing of the environment as a ‘natural resource’ or ‘ecosystem service’ has become increasingly prominent in international environmental governance. The economic capture approach is promoted by international organizations such as the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). This paper will inquire as to how forest protection is related to issues of social and ecological justice, exploring whether forest exploitation based on the top-down managerial model fosters an unequitable distribution of resources. Both top-down and community-based approaches to forest protection will be critically examined and a more inclusive ethical framework to forest protection will be offered. The findings of this examination indicate the need for a renewed focus on existing examples of good practice in addressing both social and ecological need, as well as the necessity to address the less comfortable problem of where compromise appears less possible. The conclusion argues for the need to consider ecological justice as an important aspect of more socially orientated environmental justice for forest protection. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892916000436 https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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