Users Guide - the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersReal Time Evacuation Planning ModelUsers GuideVMASC Version 1.0As ofJune 2013The Discipline of M&S 1030 University Blvd., Suffolk, VA 23435 - 757.686.6200 - www.vmasc.odu.edu

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersThis page intentionally left blankThe Discipline of M&S 1030 University Blvd., Suffolk, VA 23435 - 757.686.6200 - www.vmasc.odu.edu

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersAnimating Simulation Results ............................................................................................................. 24Common Errors ................................................................................................................................... 26RtePM Map Functions ........................................................................................................................ 26Bookmarks .......................................................................................................................................... 28Print .................................................................................................................................................... 29Navigation Functions .......................................................................................................................... 29Pan ...................................................................................................................................................... 30Zoom In/Zoom Out ............................................................................................................................. 30Full Extent ........................................................................................................................................... 30Next Extent and Previous Extent ........................................................................................................ 30Tools .................................................................................................................................................... 31Find an Address................................................................................................................................... 31Draw .................................................................................................................................................... 32Appendix A: Acronyms ....................................................................................................................... 33The Discipline of M&S 1030 University Blvd., Suffolk, VA 23435 - 757.686.6200 - www.vmasc.odu.edu

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersBackgroundReal Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM – pronounced “route-PM”) was developed in response tothe emergency management community’s desire to have an easy-to-use tool that quickly estimates thetime required to evacuate an area in the event of natural or man-made disasters such as hurricanes,wildfires, and terrorists incidents (e.g. a “dirty bomb”). The main purpose is to enable emergencymanagers the opportunity to gain insight form testing various evacuation scenarios thus enablinginformed decision making and improved information sharing between federal, state, local, and tribal firstresponders and all levels of government.RtePM accepts external data such as:TransportationInfrastructureDemographicRtePM uses a color-coded map interface and is designed to:collect, process and store traffic network and behavior model parametersaccept and verify parameters specified to generate traffic flow and clearance timesgenerate traffic flow information and clearance timesmaintain a repository of public and private evacuation scenariosinject static data and pre-set traffic conditions.Hardware/Software OverviewRtePM runs in a PC environment. The end user application is accessible via any web browser (e.g.Internet Explorer TM , Firefox TM , Safari TM and Chrome TM ) with Flash TM plug-in version 10.0 or higherinstalled. No additional installation steps are required.The Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM) was initially developed by John Hopkins UniversityApplied Physics Laboratory (JHU-APL) as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Virtual USA (vUSA) initiative. The vUSA initiativeresulted from collaborations between the Department of Homeland Security, the emergency responsecommunity and eight states across the nation.Under the guidance and direction of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM),VMASC expanded on the initial work a dynamic mode using randomness (“probabilistic”) to enhancesituation awareness, capability and flexibility. Additional features have been added. Independentverification and validation testing has been completed and identified short comings.Point of Contact (POC)The email address rtepm@odu.edu reaches a common email mailbox at VMASC. Email received at thisaddress will be routed internally to the appropriate POC for information or action as indicated.Accessing RtePMTo access the RtePM tool, type into the address bar of your web browser, the URLhttp://rtepm.vmasc.odu.edu/RTEPM/ and press enter. Once the program has loaded completely, youshould see an image of the U.S. map with the pop-up overlay shown in Figure 1.1

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersFigure 1 -- Accessing RTEPMThe overlay shown here is a “Notice” informing users of the software’s purpose and limitations. Youmust read and then click the upper left box of the notice to acknowledge your understanding of the tool’spurpose and limitations. Once you have checked the box, the login buttons will be activated. You cannow login as a registered user or guest user.RtePM Main ToolbarThere are twelve toolbar options currently displayed at the top of the Evacuation Planning window(Figure 2). A brief description also appears as you move your cursor over each of these icons.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121. Bookmarks – opens a window of stored profiles2. Find an Address – allows user to search for an address3. Earthquakes (GeoRSS) – enables access to real time feeds on earthquake data from around the world4. Draw and Measure – allow user to annotate text and shapes directly on the map5. Print – lets user print map image6. Evacuation Planning (RtePM) – opens the evacuation planning window7. MapQuest Traffic – shows real-time traffic alerts and road conditions8. RtePM Resources – Links to current RtePM documents, resources and contact information9. ALOHA (Area Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres – allows user to draw point of origin forhazardous materials incidents10. HotSpot Health Physics Code – allows user to draw point of origin for radioactive material incident11. KML Layer – allows for the loading and display of kml overlays on the map12. Shapefiles – allows for the loading and display of shapefile overlays on the mapFigure 2 -- RTEPM Menu Options2

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersUsing RtePM Evacuation Planning ToolYou should now see a window with two repositories for evacuation scenarios (Figure 3). They are titled“My Private Scenarios” (upper half) and “Public Scenarios” (lower half). Within both repositories arecolumn headings titled as follows: “Name” (scenario title), “Simulation Results” (evacuation duration)and “Last Modified” (date and time last edited). The “lock” icon, , in the Public Scenarios window inthe lower repository indicates the scenario is locked and can only be edited by the creator. An additionalicon, , not shown indicates another user is currently editing a scenario. This feature prevents morethan one user from editing a scenario at the same time. Also note that the “New” and “Import” buttons atthe bottom of the window are the only available options at this time. Accessing the full range of optionsis discuss on the following pages.Figure 3Clicking on the right-pointing triangles to the left of each evacuation time (Figure 4) expands the“Simulation Results” column. The icons, and indicates the simulation was successfullycompleted and the simulation has changed since the displayed result was provided, respectively.Figure 43

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersFigure 5 is another view of Figure 4 and now shows a series of additional options along its lower edge.This expanded range of options is activated when you click on any existing scenario. Reading from leftto right, the options are “New”, “Import”, “Summary”, “Edit”, “View”, “Export”, and “Delete”. A briefdescription of each follows beginning with the “Import” and “Export” options and ending with the “New”option.Figure 5The “Import” and “Export” options allow a user to transfer .xml file formatted evacuation scenarios anddata to and from RtePM, respectively (Figure 6).Figure 6The “Summary” option (Figure 7) allows users to view the full summary of a scenario showing detailssuch as date, time and configuration inputs used, etc.Figure 74

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersModifying Existing Evacuation ScenariosYou can modify an existing evacuation scenario by double clicking on it from the scenario list or byselecting a scenario name and clicking “Edit” (Figure 8).Figure 8The existing scenario will be recalled in the Evacuation Planning window as shown in Figure 8.1. Thisoption is used to modify and recalculate previously completed scenarios. Once modifications are made,click “Save” then the “Calculate” button to rerun the updated information for the modified evacuationscenario.Figure 8.1Referring back to Figure 8, the next option is “View”. This window, (Figure 9), allows you to viewscenario configuration settings under any of the six headings shown in the upper portion of the screen.Each heading is explained in greater detail in the following sections. Also note that NO modificationscan be made to scenarios in the “View” mode. Moreover, you’ll observe in Figure 9 that both “Calculate”and “Save” buttons are not highlighted as functioning options.5

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersFigure 9Again referring back to Figure 8, the next option is “Delete”. If an existing scenario is to be deleted and itis not locked by its creator or is not currently in use, you can select it and then choose the “Delete” buttonto remove. You will be prompted with the option to continue deleting or cancel. Once a scenario isdeleted, it is no longer retrievable. It may take a few seconds for the work area to reflect this change.Creating New Evacuation ScenariosFinally, you have the option to create a new scenario by clicking on the “New” button at the bottom lefton the Evacuation Planning tool window (refer back to Figures 3, 4, 5, or 8). Selecting this option willopen the new scenario window as shown in Figure 10. Across the top are tab headings used indeveloping and configuring evacuation scenarios. Each is discussed further in the following sections.Figure 106

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersThe New Scenario window has the following fields:SummaryoooooooScenario Name: In the case of a new scenario this will be the descriptive name of theevacuationPublic: The public flag allows users to make their scenarios public to both registered andguest that loginLocked: The locked flag allows users to ensure that a scenario cannot be modified (e.g.,a template for a frequently evacuated area or a completed simulation that the user wouldlike to preserve)Created: Displays the date the scenario was createdModified: Displays the date the scenario was last modifiedStatus: Displays the status of the scenario as In-Progress or Completed. In-Progressscenarios require additional information prior to running the simulation; whereascompleted scenarios have the required information for running the simulation.Population: Displays the population total for the regions included in the scenariodisplayed after the scenario is definedLevel of Detail: Change the level of detailooRegional Evacuation: Evacuations covering large geographic areas (default setting)Local Evacuation: Evacuations that are localizedThese must be defined before choosing roads and evacuation locations. If not, changing betweenthe two will reset the roads and evacuation locations.Simulations – Located mid-screen, Simulations incorporates a table with the following headers:oooooStatus: Displays the status of the simulation e.g. Finished, Running, Queued, or editedsince last runStatus Message: Displays the current status of the scenario simulation. If there is anerror in the simulation this field will display the description of the error.Started: The date and time the simulation was started.Finished: The date and time the simulation was completed.Evac Time: The total time the scenario predicts an evacuation will take displayed afterscenario executionNOTE: If the Evacuation Planning window is accidentally closed, it can be reopened by clicking theRtePM iconfrom the tool bar at the top of the screen.Naming and Saving Your ScenarioYou can name your scenario by typing it in the “Scenario Name” field and clicking the “Save” button.The “Created,” “Modified,” and “Status” fields are now populated (Figure 11). In an existing evacuationscenario, these fields are already populated.7

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersFigure 11 --Saved ScenarioAdding an Evacuation AreaTo add one or more evacuation areas (whether creating a new scenario or working in an existing one),select the “Evacuation Area” tab from the Evacuation Planning window. By default, Evacuation Zone1will be displayed. Additional evacuation zones can be added using the green plus sign located in theupper right-hand corner. Each evacuation zone is configured using the main headings or upper most tabsand their respective sub tabs. For example, “Evacuation Area” has sub tabs: “Population Blocks”,“Configuration”, “Response”, “Access Points” and “End Point Assignments” shown in Figure 12 below.Figure 12 -- Creating an Evacuation Area8

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersPopulation Blocks TabPopulation Blocks are evacuation areas defined by demographic data. Under this tab, there are five toolsfor adding population blocks to evacuation zones and four converse tools for deleting population blocksfrom evacuation zones. Tools for adding population blocks within a geographic area include “Freehand”“Polygon”, “Bounding Box”, “Circle”, “Point”, and “Predefined Zones” (Figure 13). Likewise there arefour converse tools for deleting whole or portions of an evacuation zones (Figure 14). The “add” and“delete” tool options are further defined in Tables 1 and 2 below their respective figure.Figure 13 Figure 14 Green Freehand Polygon – allows a user to selectany shape or size evacuation zone on the map byholding down the left mouse button and dragging ashaded wedge on the map to define the area. Green Bounding Box – allows a user to define theouter bounds of the population blocks to beincluded and is done by holding down the leftmouse button and dragging a shaded box on themap. Green Circle – allows a user to choose a centerpoint and identify in miles a radius from that point. Green Point – allows a user to select specificpopulations on the map by double clicking. Red Freehand Polygon – allows user to removea freehand polygon. Red Bounding Box – allows user to remove abounding box Red Circle – allows user to remove a circle. Red Point – allows user to remove a point.Table 1 Table 2After highlighting the area of interest, the program selects corresponding population blocks and theoverall evacuation area as illustrated by the table and orange shaded area in Figure 15.9

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersFigure 15 -- Updated RtePM display showing shaded Population BlocksThe Population Blocks tab includes five sub tab fields (Id, Nighttime Pop., Daytime Pop., Number ofHouseholds and Avg. Household Size) that further define a given evacuation area (Figure 16).Population Blockssub tabsFigure 16 Id – Defines the evacuation areas by census block/block group. Depending on whether theevacuation area is local (census block) or regional (census block group), they consist of thefollowing 15-character Id code and is a concatenation of fields consisting of:o 2-character state Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Codeso 3-character county FIPS codeo 6-character census tract codeo 4-character tabulation block code. The block group id is the same, but leaves out the block code.Nighttime Pop – the number of overnight residentsDaytime Pop – the number of people in an area during daytime hours, but out of the area overnightNumber of Households – the number of residents per population blockAvg. Household Size – the average number of residents per household for a population block10

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersConfiguration TabUsers can re-label the evacuation zone, redefine the color of the evacuation zone on the map, or editConfiguration Variables and Population Destinations (Figure 17).Figure 17 – Configuration Tab ScreenConfiguration Variables Population Change (%) - The percent the population has increased or decreased since thepopulation data was obtained. People/Vehicle – The average number of people in each vehicle during the evacuation. Vehicle Towing (%) – The percentage of vehicles which are towing boats, trailers, etc. (%) of Population Evacuating – The percentage of people who will be leaving the evacuation area.Population Destinations (%) of Evacuees to Shelters– The percentage of people who will evacuate to shelters. NOTE:RtePM users must ensure that the percentage of population going to shelters is less than the sheltercapacity. If this principle is violated, the simulation scenario will not complete and will give anerror message. (%) Using Private Vehicles - The percentage of people who will be leave the evacuation area viaprivate transportation. (%) Using Public Transit – The percentage of people who will be leave the evacuation area viapublic transportation. (%) As Pedestrians – The percentage of people who will be evacuating on foot.Additional configuration variables displayed in the “Configuration” windowTotal Population Total Population Evacuating Population Using Public TransitTotal Vehicles Total Evacuees to Shelters PedestriansTotal Vehicles TowingPopulation Using Private Vehicles11

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersResponse TabThe Response window (Figure 18) allows users to set evacuation response parameters that help managethe volume of evacuees exiting affected zones. Under the “One Day” option, there are two types ofresponses, Standard (slow/medium/fast) and Custom. Standard response timing is a preset correspondingto the 11 (Slow), 8 (Medium) and 5 (Fast) hour response curves from the Army Corps of EngineersHurricane Evacuation Study. Custom timing is set using the Custom (Hours) field. Clicking the radiobutton next to "Custom (Hours)" allows you to select a custom response time from 1-24 hours.Additionally, users may want to define a Starting Hour. The Starting Hour defines how long into theevacuation people will wait before they start entering the road network. For example, if there are twozones, A and B, and A has a starting hour of 0 and B has a starting hour of 6, vehicles from zone A wouldstart entering the road network as soon as the evacuation started while vehicles from zone B would startentering the road network 6 hours after the evacuation started. This gives the planner the ability tostagger or phase evacuation zones.Figure 18 – Single Day Response ScreenResponse timing can also be defined over a period of days by selecting the Multi Day option (Figure 19).When choosing the Multi Day option, the following field must be defined:Day 1 Starting hour of evacuation on first day Ending hour of evacuation on first day Percentage leaving on first dayDay 2 Starting hour of evacuation on second day Ending hour of evacuation on second day Percentage leaving on second dayMulti Day response timing provides the planner with additional flexibility when executing scenarios.12

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersFigure 19 – Multi Day Response ScreenAccess PointsNOTE: Access Point and End Point Assignment tabs under the Evacuation Area Tab can only beperformed once Population Blocks have been selected and steps outlined in the Roads Section have beencompleted. Once the “Roads” step is completed, the tables under Access Points will be populated.The fourth tab within Evacuation Area is Access Points (Figure 20). These are the points at which theroad network is accessed from a population block and are automatically calculated as follows:Access points include those within and slightly outside the population block. Access pointsslightly outside the population block capture instances where the population block is bordered bya road that is not contained within the block but would be used during egress.If no access points are found within the population block, the system will examine all accesspoints contained within a circle centered around the middle (or centroid) of the population block.Figure 20 -- Access Points Screen13

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersSometimes automated calculations may choose access points that a user of the system with localknowledge of the road system would consider unrealistic. RtePM allows the user to modify access pointsfor a selected population block via the following steps:To change an access point:Click on the "Access Points" sub tab in the Evacuation Zone tab.Click on the appropriate "Id" in the "Population Block" list. Note: Hovering over the Id willhighlight the respective zone on the map.The right side list view will now be populated with access points from the road network. If thereare no access points shown, then the road network does not support the population blocks chosen.If the right side is not populated after clicking on the Population Block ID, road networks are notyet defined. (See Defining Roads on page 15)Note: Hovering over the row will highlight the access point on the map.Click on the checkbox under the "Active" column to activate/deactivate access points. A checkedbox indicates that the access point will be used in the clearance time calculations. A transparentcircle on the map indicates a non-active access point. Repeat these steps as needed for otheraccess points.Note: These steps assume that population blocks and road networks have already been selected for anevacuation zone. The access points selected will be a subset of the network nodes.Note: If the road network is changed after selecting access points, new candidate access points are notadded to any overridden lists. It is recommended that the population blocks and road networks becompleted and finalized before editing the access points.End Point AssignmentsThe final tab in the Evacuation Zone sub tab is End Point Assignments. Evacuation End Points definewhere evacuees are being sent. End Points are not available until after Roads are assigned. Endpoints aredisplayed as yellow circles on the map. Each yellow circle corresponds to an end point named in thetable. Moving the cursor over end points in the table will highlight their location on the map (Figure 21).Figure 21 - End Point Assignment14

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersPopulations can be distributed to particular endpoints by specifying a percentage of the population beingrouted to that endpoint. The aggregate percentage cannot exceed 100%. If no percentages are assigned,all endpoints are considered equal in the simulation.Removing Population BlocksPopulation blocks may be removed by selecting the “Remove” option as shown in Figure 22. Similar tothe “Add” button, population blocks may be deleted using either the freehand polygon, bounding box,circle or point option. After selecting the desired option, locate the shaded area on the map to be deleted.Once removed, the area will no longer be shaded. If an area is deleted by mistake, restore it using the“Add” option. All evacuation Zone data may be removed by selecting the waste can image to the left ofthe hand image or “Pan Mode” icon.Defining RoadsFigure 22 - Removing Population BlocksThe user has the option to add or remove roads and road networks when defining evacuation routes in aneffort to adequately portray varying scenarios. This is accomplished by selecting the “Roads” tab in theEvacuation Planning window. The “Roads” tab (Figure 23) has four sub tabs and are defined below.Figure 23 -- Defining Roads15

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First Responders Selected Roads – potential pathways out of an evacuation zone. The RtePM programautomatically selects the most efficient pathways from the evacuation zone using NAVTEQ dataEvacuation Endpoints – points that denote safe destinations or distances from the evacuation zoneModified Roads – Contraflow, Shoulder Use and Road Closures (optional): these options are notpopulated by default, but allows planners and first responders to select highways that may beconfigured for Contraflow and Shoulder UseAdditional Roads – allows planners and first responders to define additional roadwaysTo add roads, use the “Add” button and select from the drop-down menu as shown in Figure 24Figure 24 -- Add Road ToolsThere are also four road options in the “Filters” window for describing road networks. These options canbe selected or deselected. By default, “Highway,” “Major Arterial,” and “Minor Arterial,” are preselected.“Smaller”, referring to non major roadways included in the evaucation area, can be added asneeded. In order to use filter check boxes, selections must be checked before defining roads. Filtering ofspecific roadways in the list view may be done using the button or by using the magnifying glassto select specific roadways for editing (Figure 25). To clear the filter click on the clear button.Figure 25 -- Road Filtering Options16

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersThe Selected Roads screen provides the following information:Name: name of the roadwayFree flow Speed: the average speed of traffic in a freeflow pattern in miles per hourFunctional Class: corresponds to the filters described aboveLanes: how many lanes each directionSpeed Limit: posted speed limits on the roadway per direction.A user may desire to remove a road from the evacuation network. This is accomplished by choosing the“Remove” tool on the “Selected Roads” sub tab and then selecting the desired roadway(s) to beeliminated from the simulation (Figure 26). The area removed will no longer be shaded. Similar to the“Add” button, roads may be deleted via the Freehand Polygon, Bounding Box or Point selection.Figure 26 -- Remove Road ToolsAll road data can be removed by selecting thebutton.Evacuation End PointsEvacuation End Points can be selected and weightings for their use may be defined to attempt toaccurately reflect the way people leave the area selected. Evacuation End Points use the sameiconography as Evacuation Area and Selected Roads for adding and removing data from the scenario.Evacuation End Points also applies the same filters as Selected Roads. Active endpoints are displayed onthe map as yellow circles (Figure 27). Inactive endpoints are greyed out. To activate them, click the boxnext to the roadway of choice.End Points are made “Active” by clicking the box next to its name. Active endpoints are included in thescenario and those with blank check boxes are not. Of the active endpoints, a user may assign weights tothem to make those endpoints more desireable than another. This allows a user to emphasize the impactsof some routes. By default all end points are weighted equally and may be changed by double clickingthe weight with the left mouse button and entering the new value.Note: To avoid conflicts when defining a road networks, End Point Assignment “Percentages” under theEvacuation Area tab should not be used in conjunction with Evacuation End Points “Weights” under theRoads tab.17

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersModified RoadsFigure 27 -- Evacuation End PointsUnder the “Modified Roads” tab, users can designate roads for contraflow, shoulder use, or as closed.Selecting roads for modification is done by clicking the green plus sign (located in the upper right cornerof window) then clicking edit, Figure 28. Once opened for editing, road segments are selected on themap. After the roadways have been selected, click the “editing” button again. To add contraflow,shoulder use and/or closure options, the user must select the checkbox next to the option and apply thefilters for the road types of interest. Modified roads are highlighted green on the map when selecting.The left side of Figure 28 zooms into the evacuation zone to show an example of a 2 hour road closureduring the evacuation.Additional RoadsFigure 28 -- Modified Roads DisplayAdditional roads can also be specified in RtePM. This is done via the “Additional Roads” tab using thesame process outlined in Modified roads. Select the green plus sign (upper right corner of the figurebelow) to add a section name, then select the “choose” button to define the points on the map. Click mapto identify the beginning of the new roadway then click the map to identify the end of new road segment.New roadways can only be added between intersections. Free flow speeds and lanes are user defined18

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First Respondersfields for Additional Roads. Additional roads are highlighted green on the map when selected (Figure29). When not selected, the new roadways are dotted lines.Figure 29 - Additional RoadTo remove added road sections, select the green highlighted road segment and then click the red“Remove” icon next to the green “Add” icon.SheltersShelters are added to the evacuation area with the “Add” icon (Figure 30). Shelters are displayed on themap using small, circled black tent icons. Use the “New Shelter” button to create locations of newshelters. If shelters are already in the evacuation zone they may be selected using the Polygon orbounding box tools. Shelters of “last resort” are covered under Global Parameters.Figure 30 -- Adding Shelters19

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersAfter adding a new shelter, the user defines the shelter parameters by clicking on the appropriate fields(Figure 31). Fields that may be edited are:Name (the shelters name);Capacity (how many the shelter can hold); NOTE: RtePM users must ensure that the percentageof population going to shelters is less than the shelter capacity. If this principle is violated, thesimulation scenario will not complete successfully and will give an error message.URL (the web address of the shelter’s web page).Figure 31 -- Defining a ShelterTo remove a shelter from the evacuation network, select the shelter to be removed by choosing the“Remove” tool on the “Shelters” tab and select the shelter on the map display with the mouse. Thecheckbox making a shelter active may also be unchecked allowing the configuration of the shelter toremain, but not be considered by the current simulation.Seasonal PopulationsSeasonal populations can impact evacuation times. RtePM allows this to be considered duringevacuations. Seasonal populations are illustrated on the map display by a grid overlay that may be turnedon or off using the “Show Layer” select box (Figure 32). Seasonal populations are defined as surge typepopulations and are not included in census data. Scenarios may be run with seasonal populationsactivated or inactive to aid planners in understanding variations in evacuation events. Click the green“Add” button and enter the following information to define seasonal populations:Name: identifying name for the evacuation areaPopulation: number of seasonal evacuees falling outside of census dataVehicle Occupancy: how much of the population is in each vehicle on average.Shape: the selection tool used to define the area containing the seasonal population.Populations may be selected via a freehand polygon, bounding box, or point selection.20

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersNote: If seasonal population areas overlay multiple population blocks or fall outside the evacuation zone,the seasonal population will be distributed equally across zones including an equal portion for the areaoutside the evacuation zone.Global ParametersFigure 32 -- Seasonal PopulationsGlobal Parameters (Figure 33) allow planners to define key aspects of an evacuation scenario. Eachparameter is further defined below.Figure 3321

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersGlobal ParametersPopulation Data Sources: Where the populations used in the simulation are derived fromooNighttime (Census): Census DataDaytime/Work Week (Land Scan): ORNL Land Scan Data represents an ambientpopulation (average over 24 hours)Refuge of Last Resort Hour: the hour of response during the scenario in at which un-evacuatedcitizens will seek refuge in shelters designated refuges of last resort.Model Type: change the type of simulation calculation algorithmooDeterministic Model: algorithm provides a single set of simulation results using fixedinputsProbabilistic Model: algorithm generates a user-designated number of runs usingprobability distributions for simulation inputsNumber of Probabilistic Runs: set the number of probabilistic runs. A new set of probabilisticinputs will be generated for each run.Traffic Incident ModelingAllows user to disable or enable various rates of traffic incident modeling.Simulation Run OptionsModified Roads: Choose if the modified roads are in useSeasonal Population: Choose if the seasonal Population is in useBackground Traffic: Background traffic simulates vehicles using the roadways but not directlyparticipating in the evacuation. Background traffic can be defined asooooNone: No background traffic is on the roadLow: Minimal background traffic is presentMedium: Average background traffic is presentHigh: Significant background traffic is presentExecuting a ScenarioAfter entering all scenario data, users may execute the scenario. The scenario must first be saved byclicking the “Save” button on the bottom right of the display. Once saved, the scenario can be executedby clicking the “Calculate” button (Figure 33.1). If the save step is skipped, an error message will bedisplayed, prompting the planner to save the scenario.22

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersFigure 33.1 -- Executing the ScenarioA few seconds after the calculate button has been clicked, you will see an alert (Figure 34) that indicatesthe simulation has started. A simulation calculation can be terminated by clicking the “CancelCalculation” button.Figure 34 -- Successful Scenario RunFollowing completion of the simulation event, the Summary tab updates to the current status of theevacuation scenario (Figure 35). Details of the simulation can be viewed by double clicking on thescenario for which you’d like to view results.Figure 35 -- Scenario Simulation Complete23

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersAnimating Simulation ResultsTo animate and view simulation results, double click on the simulation in the “Summary” window asshown in Figure 35.1.Figure 35.1 -- Scenario Simulation CompleteThe animation window will come up as shown in Figure 35.2. Note the change in coloration of theevacuation zone. This evacuation scenario is now ready for animation. To begin the animation, select the“Animate” box at the top of the screen. Doing so will illustrate the evacuation in a loop on the map.Figure 35.2 -- Scenario Simulation CompleteAs the animation progresses towards completion, census blocks become lighter in hue to a greyish whiteindicating all evacuees have exited a given area (Figure 36). Also note the variations in sizes of theendpoint assignments or yellow circles around the perimeter of the evacuation zone. The larger the circle,the higher the traffic count at those locations. As stated earlier, populations can be distributed toparticular endpoints by specifying a percentage of the population being routed to that endpoint. The24

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First Respondersaggregate percentage cannot exceed 100%. If no percentages are assigned, all endpoints are consideredequal (based on road capacity) in the simulation.Figure 36 -- Animating a ScenarioThe animated playback may be viewed in terms of Speed, Density, or Throughput. Speed refers to thespeed with which evacuaees are evacuating the area. Density refers to the link density during theevacuation, and Throughput refers to the number of vehicles that have evacuated.There are a number of subsequent tabs in the animation and results window include:Summary: The summary screen displays the details of the evacuation for one hour blocks of time. Itdisplays both the details of the current hour and a summary of evacuation results.Current Hour details include:Hour: The simulation hour within the evacuationTotal Vehicles Evacuated: The number of vehicles evacuated at the simulation hourTotal Population Evacuated: The number of people evacuatedRemaining Vehicles: The number of vehicles remainingRemaining Population: The number of people remainingPercent Evacuated: Percentage evacuatedEvacuation Summary details include:Total Hours: The duration of the evacuationTotal Vehicles: The total number of vehicles evacuatedTotal Population: The total number of people evacuatedSeasonal Vehicles: The total number of vehicles associated with seasonal evacueesSeasonal Population: The total number of people classified as seasonal evacuees25

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersRoads: A snapshot of the road data during the evacuation including speed, delay, traffic density, andvehicle throughput. Roads are displayed when the “Show Layer” check box is selected on the RoadsTab.Evacuation End Points: A description of how many vehicles, population, and percentage that went toa specified end point. End points are displayed when the “Show Layer” check box is selected on theEvacuation End Points tab.Intersections: Identifies the total delay at specific intersections. Intersections are displayed when the“Show Layer” check box is selected on the Intersections tab. Population Blocks: Describes how many and the percentage of vehicles remaining within anevacuation zone duuring the evacuation. Population blocks are displayed when the “Show Layer”check box is selected on the Population Blocks tab.Graph: A plot of time in hours on the X axis versus % Evacuated on the Y axisCommon ErrorsIf you accidentally close your file without saving, it will show as locked when you try to reopen it.RtePM will automatically release the file in five minutes.RtePM Map FunctionsRtePM also provides a variety of Map functions including the ability to view a map in terms of a streetview (Figure 37), aerial view (Figure 38), or topographic view (Figure 39). You can choose which viewis preferred by selecting one of the buttons at the top right of the screen. (Circled in red below)Figure 37 – Streets View26

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersFigure 38 -- Aerial ViewFigure 39 – Topographic ViewMap views may be panned by placing the cursor on the map and left clicking while dragging. The cursorshould appear as a hand when panning the map.27

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersThe “More” button (Figure 40) offers a drop down of layers allowing you to display Fires, Boundariesand Places, and Median Income Demographics.BookmarksFigure 40 -- More...Bookmarks can be saved and accessed by the users. Users can open the Bookmarks menu by clicking onthe book icon on the top menu (Figure 41). Once selected, Bookmarks will expand a window containing alist of the user saved bookmarks.Figure 41 -- Selecting BookmarksTo add a bookmark the user must click the book with the green circle plus icon and name the currentview. Bookmarks added by the user will have a red “x” next to them in the bookmark list (Figure 42).Clicking this red “x” will delete the bookmark.28

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersPrintFigure 42 -- Managing BookmarksA user may print the current view at any time by selecting Print from the top menu. Once Print isselected, a window inset will open requesting a title and subtitle for your print job (Figure 43).Figure 43 -- PrintingThe user may type a title and subtitle for the print job then select the print button. Once the user hasprinted the desired images, they may click the black and white x to close the print interface.Navigation FunctionsNavigation functions can be accessed through the options on the left of the RtePM screen (Figure 44).Figure 44 -- Navigation Options29

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersThere are four options: Pan, Zoom In/Zoom Out, Full Extent, Next Extent and Previous Extent.PanA user can hold down the left mouse button and pan the screen 360 degrees or perform the sameby clicking the left, right, top or bottom pan arrowsZoom In/Zoom Outat the top of the tool.A user may zoom in on a map or zoom out depending on their needs. This can be accomplishedby using the slider bar (Figure 44) on the left side of the map. When using the slider bar, usersshould note the scale of the map on the bottom left corner changes corresponding to the zoom.Users may also prefer to use their mouse wheel for zooming in or out by placing the cursor wherethey would like the map centered and use the wheel on the mouse to zoom in or out.Full ExtentIf the user clicks on the Full Extent option, they will see the world map view (Figure 45). This isdone by clicking the globe in the center of the compass at the top of the zoom slider /navigation bar (Figure 46).Next Extent and Previous ExtentFigure 45 -- Full Extent ViewNext Extent and Previous Extent allow the user to scroll through views used during the session.These are the arrows below the Full Extent option and just above the zoom slider bar .30

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersToolsThere are several other tools available to users of the RtePM, including: Find an Address Search Draw and MeasureEach of these functions will be discussed in the following sections.Find an AddressA red target icon represents the Find an Address function. Once selected a Find an address windowinset will open allowing a user to enter a specific address then represents that address on the map as atarget. The user must type a full or partial address into the box then press the Locate button to display themap (Figure 46)Figure 46 -- Locate WindowLocations may also be found by using latitudes and longitudes tools. This is done by clicking the ClickPin icon within the Find an Address inset (Figure 47). The user must input the latitude and longitude ofinterest in decimal degrees then click Locate.Figure 47 -- Locate Window31

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersDrawThe “Draw” tool allows the user to annotate on the map and is located on the icon menu. Clicking on the“Draw” icon will open the inset shown in Figure 48. There are seven options for map annotation.Figure 48 -- Draw ToolsThe user may plot as many points using Draw Point on the map as they choose. The user may also definethe color, size and shape of the marker.When selecting the Draw Line tool the user may select points on the map by clicking. When selecting theDraw Freehand Line tool the user may draw by holding down the left mouse button. The user mayidentify line colors, line styles, and measurement units associated with their line.When selecting Draw Rectangle, Draw Circle, or Draw Ellipse the user may hold down the mouse buttonto draw the desired shape. Configurable options include color; fill styles, and measurement units for theshape.When selecting Draw Polygon the user may select points on the map by clicking and dragging. Whenselecting Draw Freehand Polygon the user may select a point on the map by clicking, then draw thepolygon while holding the mouse button down. Like other drawing tools, the user may identify colors,fill styles, and measurement units associated with their polygon.To add text, type it in the Draw Text option then click where you would like the text placed on the map.If the user clicks the Clear Drawings, all previous annotations are removed.undone.This action cannot be32

Real Time Evacuation Planning Model (RtePM)A Decision Support Tool for Emergency Managers and First RespondersAppendix A: AcronymsAPLDHSJHURtePMS&TURLVDEMVUSAVMASCApplied Physics LaboratoryDepartment of Homeland SecurityJohns Hopkins UniversityReal Time Evacuation Planning ModelScience and Technology DirectorateUniform Resource LocatorVirginia Department of Emergency ManagementVirtual USAVirginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center33