Of all natural hazards, earthquakes are considered to bring the greatest number of victims and economic losses. This is true both in Italy and in the rest of Europe. Between 2006 and 2015 there were as many as 21 significant earthquakes in Europe with 1,049 deaths and 284,000 people affected. Therefore, it is clear we need to improve our ability to prevent and respond to better address the seismic risk.
It is this need that prompted Beta 80 Group and other members of the Consortium to give life to the Turnkey Project, funded by the Horizion 2020 Research and Innovation Program with contract No. 821046.
Turnkey project: what it is and why it is important for seismic risk management
The FWCR (Forecasting - Early Warning - Consequence Prediction - Response) platform is designed for an Control Rooms facing an earthquake.
It can be used, for example, by the local Civil Protection, but it also adapts to a critical infrastructure. The functionalities of the Turnkey platform are:
- Identify an estimate of the damage map and the acceleration map within the first 2 minutes of the earthquake.
- Within the first 5 minutes of the earthquake, identify the damage to the buildings surveyed, the impacted population, the potential victims, the level of functionality of the infrastructures, thus making it possible to better organize rescue activities.
- Define and activate procedures (automatic actions, communications, checklists) according to the presumed effects of the earthquake and which may involve people in the Operations Room or those in the area.
- Send communications to the population using social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Telegram) and send messages (SMS, E-mail) to institutional subjects.
- Allow those who receive messages to communicate their engagement without having to access the platform.
Additional simulation features are added. It is possible to analyze the vulnerability of one's own territory, calculating the potential damage and effects of an earthquake both based on historical seismicity and assuming an earthquake. These simulations are used to identify risk mitigation actions and to facilitate exercise programs.
Seismic risk: management via App
Operators involved in earthquake prevention, forecasting or management activities can also take advantage of an App connected to the Turnkey platform, which can:
- Include summary information on the event in progress (magnitude, impacted area)
- Provide observations on the real extent of the damage to the impacted infrastructures
- Share the user position with the control room
- Receive early warning on aftershocks via push notifications
- Carry out the safety check connected to the early warning
Turnkey project: Beta 80 Group's contribution
In taking part in the Turnkey Project, Beta 80 Group leveraged its skills and knowledge of Disaster Management and Civil Protection processes, which led to the development of the Safety 1st platform.
The project was an opportunity to enrich the platform and add a specialization on seismic risk. Safety 1st, Beta 80 Group’s solution for Civil Protection operations, has therefore been strengthened and improved and is now able to respond in a targeted manner to adverse seismic events.
Details on the project, which will end in June 2022, are available here https://earthquake-turnkey.eu/