A major Ukrainian software developer, Softline, together with the Texas-based company Radiant RFID, has developed, implemented and tested in real-life conditions an Evacuation Management System for emergencies.
The Evacuation Management System is a hardware and software complex that makes it possible to carry out large-scale (statewide) evacuations of people and animals in emergencies in an effective and organized way. The system consists of mobile RFID portals, wristbands with RFID tags, handheld barcode and RFID tag scanners, a GPS device for tracking the location of buses carrying people, and the corresponding software.
The system makes it possible to identify, search for and locate people during any movement in the course of the evacuation (for example, into or out of a shelter). At the same time, the staff managing the evacuation process receive up-to-date information and can respond quickly to changing conditions.
The solution is based on the principle that everyone being evacuated receives a wristband with an RFID tag and is registered in the system. After that, whenever people move, they pass through mobile RFID portals, where the information is automatically read from the wristbands and each person's location is updated in the system. Thus, the evacuation staff always have the latest information on shelter occupancy and on all movements of evacuated people and animals, and can quickly locate people, which considerably helps reunite family members who have ended up in different shelters.
The use of RFID technology makes it possible to keep records of evacuees fully automatically, allowing the evacuation staff to concentrate on maintaining order rather than on counting people.
The system also includes a pet registration module, which makes it possible to keep records and trace the movements of animals with implanted RFID chips.
The Evacuation Management System was developed at the request of the government of the State of Texas, USA, and has already been tested in real-life conditions during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in September 2008. Along with Softline and Radiant RFID, AT&T, Motorola, Retriever Software and the University of Texas took part in the project.
According to Softline specialists, the system performed well in operation, and the solution was recognized as effective for mass evacuations. Softline and Radiant RFID are working on further improvement and development of the system and plan to implement it in other US states interested in such solutions.