Modular multi-dimensional tool for emergency evacuation including location-based social network data

ABSTRACT This paper presents the concept of a modular multi-dimensional tool (MMDT) for evacuation planning models. The goal of MMDT is to propose alternative route and destination locations that can be evaluated and compared to one another. The proposed tool can represent a very large number of scenarios and its strength is in its modularity and efficiency. The MMDT can be applied using both conventional evacuation models and decentralised personalised evacuation models based on Location-Based Social Networks (LBSN) to reduce overall evacuation times. Large-scale test cases using anonymous LBSN data illustrate the MMDT on several scenarios. Results indicate a significant reduction in evacuation times when using decentralised personal evacuation.