The International Emergency Management Society
2014 Annual Conference, October 20-23, 2014, Niigata, Japan

DEVELOPMENT OF WEB-BASED TABLETOP EARTHQUAKEEMERGENCY EXERCISE SYSTEM*
1

5

ZHOU Bojia , SUN Gang2, ZHANG Xiaoyong3, XU Jianhua4, LAI Junyan4, DU Xiaoxia ,HOSOKAWA Masafumi6, HAYASHI Haruo7, KIMURA Reo8, SAKURADA Yukihisa91Senior Engineer, Dept. of Training, National Earthquake Response Support Service, Beijing, China
2Engineer, Dept. of Emergency, National Earthquake Response Support Service, Beijing, China
3
Senior Engineer, Dept. of Information, National Earthquake Response Support Service, Beijing, China
4
Engineer, Dept. of Technology, National Earthquake Response Support Service, Beijing, China
5
Senior Engineer, Dept. of Technology, National Earthquake Response Support Service, Beijing, China
6Group leader and Senior Researcher, Earthquake and Natural Disaster Laboratory, National ResearchInstitute of Fire and Disaster, Tokyo, Japan
7
Professor, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
8
Associate Professor, School of Human Science and Environment, Hyogo University, Himeji, Japan
9
Researcher, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Email: zhoubojia@126.com
ABSTRACT:
When the earthquake is there the emergency management personals must be ready for their job. They have to doseveral jobs during the response to earthquake. If they want to do the right job they must be trained. Training
can be done by several techniques and methods. Emergency management personnel develop their capability tomake the right decisions to future earthquake，emergency exercises often play a central role. In traditional
emergency management exercises participants carry out analysis and discussion on the basis of paper medium
information than computer scenario circumstances. This exercise cannot offer the relative truth emergency
background. The exercise process cannot be recorded in computer database for after action review. One strategy
to enhance the immersive exercise experience is to make use of virtual reality simulation technology to build
web-based tabletop earthquake emergency exercise management system. In this paper we present empirical
study of how the earthquake emergency exercise system was used in designing and conducting several
emergency exercises in JICA earthquake emergency and rescue exchange program between China and Japan.
We describe how the exercises was designed and performed, highlighting immersive relevant aspects. In every
exercise, analyses were performed on computer recordings of the exercise, statements from the participants andobservations made during the exercise. The results indicate that the participants can immerse themselves in
exercise character and imagine what it might be like to be that person. The exercise system is an effective
instrument to develop participants’ abilities in disaster management and suitable for application in theearthquake emergency response exercise at all levels of government in China.

KEYWORDS:
Earthquake emergency exercises, Web-based tabletop system, Virtual reality simulator

INTRODUCTION
Earthquake is a devastating sudden natural disaster. When the destructive earthquake occurs, governments at alllevels must promptly respond to such unexpected events. If the emergency management personals want to do
the right job they must be trained, especially exercise often play a central role. Emergency exercises can be doneby several techniques and methods, ranging from tabletop exercise to full-scale exercises (Perry and Lindell,2007). The tabletop exercise is an effective form of scientific decision making ability. In China traditional
emergency management exercises participants carry out analysis and discussion on the basis of paper medium
information than computer scenario circumstances. This exercise cannot offer the relative truth emergency
background. The exercise process cannot be recorded in computer database for after action review. One strategy* Supported by Strategic Japanese-Chinese Cooperative Program on “Earthquake Disaster Mitigation” No.2012DFG20510.

[1] Supported by Strategic Japanese-Chinese Cooperative Program on “Earthquake Disaster Mitigation”
No.2012DFG20510.

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 Annual Conference, October 20-23, 2014, Niigata, Japanto enhance the immersive exercise experience is to make use of virtual reality simulation technology to build
web-based tabletop earthquake emergency exercise management system.
Researchers at home and abroad conduct research in the field of emergency management exercise simulation.
Application of computer hardware and software technology has been used in the emergency exercises conductedin developed country, such as emergency exercises management software，exercises record database，scenario
simulation. Advanced Disaster Management Simulation created by ETC offers challenging, true-to-life virtualenvironments for training incident command and disaster management teams at all levels. Trainees gain theconfidence, practical experience and decision-making skills needed to successfully resolve real-life incidents(ETC, 2008).The multi-level ADMS-Command training suite includes an On-Scene Incident Command Roomwith a 180-degree immersion theater screen, four field unit positions and an Emergency Operations Center room.
VSTEP Company developed RescueSim that is a virtual trainings platform (with a realistic 3D-Replica of over
20 different environments) with which different emergency services and other instances can be trained（VSTEP,
2010）. Earthquake on-site rescue simulation used in China National training base for urban search and rescue
can meet with the needs of earthquake rescue exercise for teams. There are many different resolution virtual
training scenarios such as macro-seismic disaster scenario, on-site rescue scenario, the concrete ruins ofindividual operation(Cui Zhonghui and Xu Yongzhi, 2006). These studies are primarily on-site emergency
commanding, decision-making and rescue strategy exercises mainly for the front emergency management
personals instead of rear command post.
Using the experience of other countries for reference especially the method of Japan tabletop exercise andcombined with the actual situation of earthquake disaster emergency exercises in China, we developed
web-based tabletop earthquake emergency exercise system during the cooperation and exchanges in
China-Japan JICA project. In this paper we present empirical study of how the earthquake emergency exercise
system was used in designing and conducting several emergency exercises in JICA earthquake emergency andrescue exchange program between China and Japan.
METHODWe developed the first vision of web-based tabletop earthquake emergency exercise system in December 12th，
2011, made three system vision adjustments from 2011 to 2013. The exercise system provides the relatively
realistic earthquake disaster scenes and vivid emergency background. The use of exercise system as a tool for
structuring the planning and conducting of emergency management exercises was studied through three
exercises during JICA project. The web-based tabletop emergency exercise system consists of four modules
include Virtual Scenario Editor of earthquake disaster, Exercise Director Module, Exercise Conduct Module,
Evaluation Module(see figure1).
Virtual Scenario Editor
Designing
Disaster
Scenario
Exporting
Disaster
Scenario

Director Module
MakingDecision
Injecting
Events

Implement Module

Observation
Providing
Information

Evaluation Module

Figure 1 The consists of emergency exercise system[1] Supported by Strategic Japanese-Chinese Cooperative Program on “Earthquake Disaster Mitigation”
No.2012DFG20510.

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 Annual Conference, October 20-23, 2014, Niigata, Japan

Virtual Scenario Editor of earthquake disaster is used for emergency management personnel or exercise
controllers to design urban 3D scenes, earthquake disaster and secondary disasters events. The editor provides avisual way to design virtual 3D cities and emergency events including the scale of earthquake disasters, thelocation and extent of secondary disasters, the number of victims, rescue missions and emergency management
objectives(Jia Qunlin, Zhou bojia,2009). Exercise Controller Prepares the Scenario. The exercise system
consists of three-dimensional virtual environments include Chemical plant, Residential Section, Central
Business District where dynamic safety and security incidents are created. Exercise Controller Selects andCustomizes Scenario from library. Exercise Director Module is used for controlling and running the exercise by
the Training Staff or Controller. The controller injects the information of disaster events. The exercise
participants analyze the events information through the virtual environment and put forward solution or makedecisions by Exercise Implement Module. Evaluators oversee exercise and score participants’ performance by
evaluation Module.
The empirical study is mainly based on three web-based tabletop emergency management exercises with nearly
hundred participants from several provinces of China include Jiangsu, Yunnan and Hebei. The participants were
all middle-managers in provincial governments working in different administrations. They had responsibilities
for different areas in the provincial governments mainly from the emergency offices, the seismological Bureaus
and the civil bureaus. The exercise participants are divided into several groups according to their function. The
web-based tabletop emergency exercises system injects the information automatically during an hour and a half
exercise. The exercise participants collect information, analyze situation, estimate casualty, deal with the
emergency events, make decision, and put forward solution. Analyses of the exercise participants’ use of
emergency management techniques during the exercise were performed on computer recordings of the exercise,
written opinions from the participants and observation made during the exercise.
CONDUCTING THE EXERCISE
Integrated in tabletop emergency management exercises experience of China and Japan, We conductedearthquake disaster emergency management exercises relies on JICA earthquake emergency and rescue capacity
strengthen project using web-based tabletop emergency management system in order to deepen theunderstanding of emergency process, promote capacity of disaster response and coordination, advance theapplication of tabletop exercise in emergency management preparedness and training. We conducted three
exercises during the JICA project. Each exercise comprises three steps; preparing the exercise, conducting theexercise, and evaluation of the exercise including disseminating the results.

Figure 2 The process of Web-based emergency exercise[1] Supported by Strategic Japanese-Chinese Cooperative Program on “Earthquake Disaster Mitigation”
No.2012DFG20510.

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 Annual Conference, October 20-23, 2014, Niigata, Japan

Step1: Preparing the exercise
According to the actual needs of earthquake emergency response and work arrangements, the aims and goals of
the exercise need to be defined firstly, that is to say, who will participant in exercise, what problem should be
solved and what desired effect should be achieve through the exercise. In defining aims and goals the mostcentral criteria are the presumed roles and tasks that the participants in the exercise might have in future
emergencies（Borell and Eriksson, 2010）. The main aims and goals must be clear and specific, in other worlds,
the problem of "what, where, who, what, why, and how to do" are definitive, which is the starting point of
exercise planning and preparations.
With the defined aims and goals as a basic the next step is to develop 3D city and the surrounding areas of
exercise, edit disaster scenarios to be used during the exercise. The disaster scenarios are presumed according to
the geographical location of the area, topography, population, buildings, lifeline engineering, potential risk,
hospitals, school supplies, historical earthquake, emergency plan and resources of the simulated earthquake
region. The presumed disaster scenarios include scale of disasters, casualties, house collapses, lifeline
engineering damage, secondary disaster, evacuation demand, isolated area, affected people, goods distribution,
prediction and subsequent development of disasters etc. Meanwhile the 2D map of exercise that reflect thegeographical features and transportation of disaster area with the surrounding areas should be designed. The
map of exercise also reflects the location and relationship of command post, hospitals, shelters and otherimportant facilities. The assumption of the disaster also should learn from the historical earthquake response.
For example, blank information areas, traffic disruption areas, undefined information, very important situation,
emergency events should be set in order to examine the trainees to analyze Information Island and isolated areas,
comminute with each other, emergency response.
The script-injects for each of the exercise phases and reference evaluation forms are the most important material
for tabletop exercise preparedness. The script-injects should be designed according to emergency timetable,
response process, trainees’ knowledge background and experience learned from practical disaster response. Thatshould include Time, Content, Source of Information, Target, and Types of the Inject. Inject Time refers to when
the information be injected. Inject Type refers to how the information be injected, such as paper injects,
web-based injects, telephone injects, and fax injects. The exercise controller import Developed script-injects to
Virtual Scenario Editor of earthquake disaster, attach to disaster scenario and set trigger condition.
Step 2: Conducting the exercise
Three tabletop exercises were conducted during JICA earthquake emergency exchange program between China
and Japan; the information of exercises is in table1.
Table1 Exercise Practice and Improvements
Date
Feb.
12th,
2012

Participants
Hebei
Provincial
Governments

Numbers
24

Exercise
Case2

Jul.
18th,
2012
.

Jiangsu
Provincial
Governments

32

Exercise
Case3

Mar.
22th,
2013

Hebei,
Jiangsu,Yunnan
Provincial
Governments

32

Exercise
Case1

Sites
China National
Training Base
for
Urban
SearchandRescueJiangsu
Provincial
Emergency
Command hall
China National
Training Base
for
Urban
SearchandRescueDisaster Scenaros
Ms6.8 Earthquake;
Xingtai city;
20km;
IX Epicenter Intensity.
Ms6.5 Earthquake;
Liyang city;
10km;
Ⅷ Epicenter Intensity.

Improvements
Web-based
Information
Injects

VirtualEmergency
CommandHall;
Map potting
Ms7.6
Earthquake Digital City;
Zhaotong city;
Virtual10km;
Reality
Ⅷ Epicenter Intensity. Scenarios;
Improved
Map Potting[1] Supported by Strategic Japanese-Chinese Cooperative Program on “Earthquake Disaster Mitigation”
No.2012DFG20510.

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 Annual Conference, October 20-23, 2014, Niigata, Japan

Each exercise was a one-day event, arranged with the instructors of China National Earthquake Response
Support Services. That includes three phases. The first phase was background information introduction ofsimulated earthquake city and the presumed roles of trainees, the second part was the tabletop exercise and thefinal phase was an evaluation of the exercise. As the simulated earthquake happened, the scenarios of disasterwere injected according to the time of inject automatically by web-based tabletop earthquake emergency
exercise system.
The exercise participants analyze the injected events of the virtual environment from big screen in the front oftabletop exercise room and web-based software in computer terminals; put forward solution or make decisions
to emergency events and take notes into exercise implement Module. The participants also present the dynamic
decisions process through map plotting system. Evaluators oversee exercise and take notes into evaluator
module. The observers watch the exercise progress scenes displayed in big screen through the presentation of
exercise system.
The first exercise was conducted in the tabletop exercise room of China National Training Base for Urban
Search and Rescue on February 12th, 2012. There were 24 emergency managers of Hebei province governmentsfrom the emergency offices, the seismological Bureaus and the civil bureaus joined in the first exercise. They
were divided into three groups, comprehensive coordination group, relief resettlement and professional
disposition group. Simulated Ms6.8 magnitude earthquake happened in Xingtai city of Hebei province; thedepth of the earthquake is 20km; the epicenter intensity is IX. More than 50 items information each groupindicated events within 24 hour after earthquake were injected in. Three groups received not only the same
information such as the seismic parameters, main disaster scene and rescue phases, also the different
information according to different areas in the provincial governments that participants had responsibilities for.
The second exercise was conducted in the Jiangsu provincial emergency command hall on July 18th, 2012.
About 32 emergency managers of Jiangsu provincial governments took part in that exercise. The magnitude ofsimulated earthquake is Ms6.5; the location is Liyang city of Jiangsu Province; the epicenter intensity is Ⅷ.
The exercise phases include within 2 hours after simulated earthquake, from 2 hours to 12 hours after
earthquake, 12 hours after earthquake to within 24 hours. The exercise lasted 90 minutes but represent after
within 24 hours after earthquake. The presumed events are injected in above phases. The third exercise wasconducted in the tabletop exercise room of China National Training Base for Urban Search and Rescue on
March 22th, 2013. 32 emergency managers from Jiangsu province, Yunnan province and Hebei province
participanted in the third exercise. They were divided into four exercise role groups; Yunnan Provincial
Earthquake Relief Headquarters, Guizhou Provincial Earthquake Relief Headquarters, Jiangsu Provincial
Earthquake Relief Headquarters, the central Earthquake Relief Headquarters. Simulated Ms7.6 earthquake
happened on the border between Zhaotong city of Yunnan province and BiJie city of Guizhou province. The
epicenter intensity of simulated earthquake is Ⅷ. Every group received emergency events, discussed theresource scheduling, events controlling, investigation, formulate measures, comprehensive coordination, social
mobilization and media response and recorded the decisions into database of exercise system.

Figure 3

3D City of Hebei Province Exercise[1] Supported by Strategic Japanese-Chinese Cooperative Program on “Earthquake Disaster Mitigation”
No.2012DFG20510.

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 Annual Conference, October 20-23, 2014, Niigata, Japan

Figure 3

3D City of Jiangsu Province Exercise

Figure 3

3D City of Yunnan Province Exercise

Step 3: Evaluating
Evaluators oversee exercise; the evaluation process can be recorded in real-time, high efficiency. After exercise
the evaluation record and emergency decisions of disaster events from participants can export Table files. We
also sent reference evaluation forms with expected action to participants. Immediately after the each exercise a
discussion seminar for evaluation followed, which was chaired by the authors. During two hours the participants,
evaluators and observers talked about how they had experienced the web-based exercise, and what they thought
about effects and results. They were also asked to fill in a form, answering some questions. Based oncomprehensive analysis of exercise record and relevant data, comparison of participants’ performance and aimsof exercise, combined with the emergency schedule, resulted in a report.
RESULTS
After each exercises, questionnaires were sent to participants, observers and evaluators. The observation during
the simulated Xingtai earthquake exercise as well as the questionnaire survey in evaluating phase indicate using
the web-based earthquake emergency exercise system had the following effects:
 The participants can immerse themselves in exercise character and imagine what it might be like to be that
person through the videos and pictures of disaster situation on large screen in the front of tabletop exercise
room.
 The participants can better understood the exercise scenarios and make decision though received thedisaster information based on computer injects as same to actual emergency response.
 Through electronic map plotting, the participants present the dynamic decisions process, zoom in and zoomout electronic map in details, recorded the content of plotting into database, and also export the pictures for
future discussion.
In the simulated Xingtai earthquake exercise, some observers suggested exercise controller should improve the[1] Supported by Strategic Japanese-Chinese Cooperative Program on “Earthquake Disaster Mitigation”
No.2012DFG20510.

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 Annual Conference, October 20-23, 2014, Niigata, Japanutilization rate of large screen and inject more information in types of pictures, video and text. Someparticipants thought that map potting system should be added more layers and the operation of exercise conduct
system should be simplified. The web-based earthquake emergency exercise system was amended to the second
vision according to exercise feedback. Improved functions of exercise system included system's user interface,emergency procedures, map level, and virtual emergency command hall.
After the second exercise, the feedback of evaluating indicated that virtual emergency command hall and thevirtual 3d disaster scenarios made the participants have a feeling of practical earthquake emergency response inrear command post. The results indicate that the participants can immerse themselves quickly in exercise
character. Some observers referred that the marks of map potting system should be added according to military
potting and the sound environments of disaster scenes should be improved. The exercise system was amended tothe third vision according above suggestion. After the third exercise, the feedback of observers and participants
indicated that using the web-based earthquake emergency exercise system had salient effects and theparticipants develop their abilities to response to emergency situations in limited exercise time. Especially, theparticipants can learn the disaster situation from 3d virtual city. The mode of web-based exercise is valuable tospread to other provincial exercises.
Conclusion

The results show that the web-based exercise was successful. This suggests that the approach withutilizing earthquake emergency exercise system as a basic for planning and conducting the exercise
was successful. It also made evaluation and organization of exercise easy and convenient. Using the
web-based exercise had salient effects on operation mode, diverse information and scene presentation.
In the conducting of emergency exercise, the exercise was successful in helping participants improvedisaster response and coordination capacity, also enhance participant understand the process ofearthquake emergency according to comprehensive, three-dimensional disaster information provided
by exercise system. Using electronic technology, virtual reality technology, three-dimensionalmodeling technology in web-based system to build a more realistic disaster environment, not only candirectly visualize the disaster scene, also can let the participants feel tension, enthusiasm in exercise
and develop their abilities to handle the future emergency. Moreover, the processes of exercise wererecorded in electronic database for after review and evaluation easily.
However some three-dimensional events occurred in exercise process according to the preset anddidn’t be changed with the participants’ emergency response. In terms of the exercise evaluation, theresults of assessment should be rapidly statistics and intuitive charts reflect the exercise effects
according to aims and goals. The future exercise system should be non-scripted, which means that
there are on pre-determined outcomes, and what happens in the system is based only on theparticipants’ decisions .The three-dimensional emergency disaster scenes have physics-based
simulation (Zhao Qinping, 2005), where fire, smoke, gas clouds, leaks, etc., spread as they would in thereal world and react to things like wind direction and speed as in real life. All features of disaster are
based on real-world timing, such as how a person’s injuries progress if they are not treated (Broll
W.1998). The exercise should produce a high-level of immerse, where trainees feel like they are in theactual situation, and feel the stress that they would feel at an actual emergency. The exercise systemshould automatically score the trainees on defined objectives, as well as letting the instructors
completely replay an exercise and view from any perspective. And also present a detailed,
time-stamped action list, describing the scenario events and the actions that the trainees took.
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[1] Supported by Strategic Japanese-Chinese Cooperative Program on “Earthquake Disaster Mitigation”
No.2012DFG20510.

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 Annual Conference, October 20-23, 2014, Niigata, Japan

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