FP7 project ACRIMAS - aftermath crisis management system-of-systems demonstration

Large-scale incidents (man made and natural) inside and outside the EU require a coordinated response from crisis managers and first responders from different agencies across Europe and with resources from all levels of government. Among others, a common operational picture, well trained and equipped teams, secure communications, and mission flexibility are core assets for successful crisis management. Currently, crisis management in the EU can be regarded as a highly diversified and heterogeneous "system-of-systems" integrating diverse organisations and components with different cultures, policies and assets, and various stakeholders and procurement schemes. This "system-of-systems" incorporates technology, procedures, organisational concepts, and human factors. It is the aim of the ACRIMAS project to prepare a large scale European demonstration and experimentation programme within the FP7 Security Theme, facilitating European wide collaboration, cooperation and communication in crisis management and improving cross-fertilisation between Member State organisations. ACRIMAS, a 15 months project with 15 partners from 10 European countries, started in February 2011, and addresses organisational and legislative frameworks, situational awareness, decision support, logistics, communications, training and exercises, restoration of services and media involvement, by following a user-centric and scenario-based approach. It will lead to the validation of shared user needs and the definition of a demonstration and assessment method with associated metrics to define a continuous process of capability improvements. The outcomes of ACRIMAS will be the definition and preparation of this method, documented in a roadmap (Phase I) that will prepare the actual demonstrations and experiments (Phase II). This paper describes the scope, approach, and envisioned results of the ACRIMAS project.