Command Staff Logistics: Digital Incident Logistics for Public Authorities and Organizations with Security Responsibilities

Command staff logistics determines the speed and precision of incident response. The SIMPEL² research project investigates how incident command teams can manage information and material flows, including reporting processes, more efficiently during crises. Every request remains transparently traceable.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, the Institute for Firefighting and Rescue Technology (IFR) of Dortmund Fire Department and Eurocommand GmbH developed a holistic logistics concept and transferred it to a software demonstrator. Command and operational personnel tested it in several incident command exercises.

A major emergency arises when the need for assistance exceeds the resources immediately available. The regular personnel of public authorities and organizations with security responsibilities at the scene are insufficient in quantity or capability to manage the situation using the routine resources available in day-to-day operations. 

Within the incident command team, section S4 organizes supply and logistics. Requests frequently still reach this section by radio, telephone or email, while inventory information is often recorded on situation maps and in custom-built spreadsheets. “Logistics-related requests in particular are therefore often distributed across several communication channels,” explains Steffen Bölling of Fraunhofer IML. To date, there has been little research on logistics in major emergencies. SIMPEL² reduces the number of communication channels, provides greater transparency regarding available information and supports faster, more comprehensible logistics decisions. This applies both to planned incidents, such as large-scale events, and to chaotic incidents, such as natural disasters or major fires.

Fraunhofer IML supports public authorities and organizations with security responsibilities in areas including:

• identifying user needs and requirements,
• conducting detailed analyses of current processes,
• developing specific concepts,
• optimizing logistics flows,
• conducting independent market studies and potential analyses.

Request a Logistics Concept

“When developing the holistic command staff logistics concept, we used workshops and expert interviews to identify specific user needs, analyzed them in detail and then translated them into a comprehensive requirements profile. The user needs and requirements identified were so diverse and numerous that we had to prioritize them for the duration of the SIMPEL² project.”
Holger Schulz, research associate at Fraunhofer IML

The logistics concept systematically records logistics processes, needs and user requirements, assigns them clearly and prioritizes them. Four core areas support the solution:
•    material availability,
•    information sharing,
•    traceability,
•    reporting processes.
Eurocommand GmbH transferred the concept to the SIMPEL² software demonstrator. After the project ends, the company intends to develop the demonstrator into a product and integrate it into its existing command support system.
The solution does not change the work of incident command teams. It provides digital support for existing structures and processes and brings information flows, material flows and reporting processes together on one platform. This simplifies decision-making and communication processes and makes incident logistics easier to manage. A straightforward operating concept promotes user acceptance. Faster response times for material supply, fewer errors and lower administrative effort are some of the potential benefits of the SIMPEL² software demonstrator.

Request Project Results

Dynamic incidents arise without warning. Incident command teams only begin their work while the incident is already underway and must first assess the situation. The project team tested this scenario in two exercises. The first simulated a forest fire that rapidly spread into a wildfire and, across several escalation stages, threatened an animal shelter and a nursing home. 

The second exercise simulated severe weather involving rising water levels, flooded basements and a landslide. Required resources may include sandbags, specialized equipment, medical supplies or additional personnel. Incident section command reports the need, and the incident command team consolidates, assesses and submits the request. Digital incident logistics keeps this process traceable on one platform. The project team collected suggestions for improvement and incorporated them back into the development process.

Planned incidents allow for preparation. The third exercise simulated a large-scale event on a very hot day. The escalation stages included heat combined with large visitor numbers, many affected people and injured people requiring care. The incident command team established a care center and organized shuttle transportation to the site. Materials, personnel and catering had to be scheduled in parallel.

Needs can be entered in advance, inventory levels remain visible and reporting channels are defined. The concept covers both planned and chaotic incidents within the same structures. Personnel from incident command teams, warehousing supported this work as an expert panel, together with operational leaders who communicate with the incident command team at the scene. Their assessments and comments during the incident command exercises shaped both the concept and the demonstrator. 

To date, there has been little research on logistics in major emergencies. Fraunhofer IML therefore began by analyzing fire department processes and needs in such situations. The approach comprised several stages:

• Conduct workshops and interviews with subject-matter experts and operational and command personnel from Dortmund Fire Department.
• Involve associated partners from three additional fire departments and two civil protection and disaster management organizations to obtain a broad needs profile.
• Identify and prioritize needs and requirements.
• Validate the demonstrator with users in three exercise scenarios and incorporate suggestions for improvement.
  The exercises began early. The first took place while the concept was still being developed. Each round produced findings that were incorporated directly into the concept or software. This iterative interaction among research, the user perspective and development ensured practical applicability.
  

Responsibility for crisis and disaster management is distributed across different levels. The federal states regulate disaster management, while municipalities, cities and districts implement it locally. This results in different approaches and, during major emergencies, requires cooperation across organizations, administrative boundaries and areas of responsibility, together with extensive use of materials and resources.

The composition of an incident command team depends on the situation, ranging from a small team to several dozen people. In addition to experienced fire department command personnel, technical advisers, administrative representatives and external stakeholders may be involved, including representatives of critical infrastructure, aid organizations or municipal offices. Software for incident command teams must accommodate this diversity without replacing established structures. SIMPEL² follows this principle. The solution digitally supports existing incident command team operations and consolidates reporting channels instead of prescribing new procedures.

The consortium is seeking follow-up funding to expand SIMPEL² to additional public authorities and organizations with security responsibilities and increase its broader impact. Examples include the Federal Agency for Technical Relief, emergency medical services, disaster management organizations, critical infrastructure operators and private security companies. After the project ends, Eurocommand GmbH will further develop the SIMPEL² software demonstrator into a logistics module for its command support system.

Fraunhofer IML combines logistics and technological expertise with many years of experience in civil security research.