Tailoring alert systems for enhanced security

The OPTI-ALERT project was established to enhance the efficiency of alerting systems through culturally sensitive and personalised communication taking place across multiple channels.

Initial work involved an analysis of differences in crisis communication procedures and media habits between seven countries — Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden. Focused on the influence of social, cultural and regional factors on risk perception, risk communication and other behaviours, the research highlighted key differences between the European states, in particular with regard to trust in authorities.

Further analyses provided insight into the countries' media landscapes. For example, authorities need to participate in public discourse on social media, and personalised alerting messages should inform people on what to do and how they are affected.

Sociological research revealed that those operating communication tools should be able to adapt the content of an alert to the targeted recipients. Also, alert messages should be embedded in the national trust context and correspond to the situational context of the area of residence.

Technology development centred on an integrated alerting toolsuite, and simulation tools to analyse the effect of an alert on the population — both generally and inside critical infrastructures. Two alert message generation tools and four distribution systems were integrated in the toolsuite. Alert messages can be personalised based on a baseline message for everybody, with extensions for different target groups.

The team developed two simulators; one to enhance alert planning and one analysing how quickly alert messages are distributed in the general population. The first shows how different agents behave inside critical infrastructures in case of alerting. Further, the different impact of communication media on the agents can be simulated. Standard agent types include people with different handicaps (e.g. deaf people, visually impaired people), and people without any knowledge of the local language (foreign travellers). The simulator enables emergency planners to model how quickly a critical infrastructure (e.g. a station) can be evacuated if necessary. The second simulator, taking into account availability and type of alerting system, situational factors and regional characteristics, can model direct communication between authorities and the population, as well as dissemination effects inside a population.

OPTI-ALERT outcomes enable authorities to communicate swiftly, consistently and effectively through multi-channel communication for maximum impact. Integrating different message production and distribution systems, as well as improved personalisation of alert messages and tools for simulating the impact and effectiveness of alerts will better protect European infrastructures and nations.

Project results have in part been published in a book that can be downloaded for free here: click on “Fulltext”.