NATIONAL and homeland SECURITY S&T

When a natural 

disaster or terrorist 

attack occurs, the 

time it takes to mobilize, deploy and coordinate response 

and recovery efforts by first 

responders can mean the 

difference between life and 

death. In today’s environment, catastrophic natural 

events including hurricanes, 

tornados and wildfires hinder 

public safety and economic 

stability by damaging or 

destroying critical infrastructures necessary for a 

healthy, functioning society.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, research 

performed by both federal 

agencies and private companies has demonstrated 

that returning communities 

to a normal state hinges on 

several key elements. Those 

elements include ensuring 

responders are adequately 

prepared prior to an incident, 

are capable of responding 

quickly during an incident, 

and have the knowledge 

necessary to make accurate 

decisions throughout 

the crisis.

In cooperation with the 

Department of Defense, 

scientists and engineers at 

Idaho National Laboratory 

have developed an advanced 

simulation technology – 

called CIPR/sim – that 

allows emergency planners 

to visualize the real-time 

cascading effects of multiple 

infrastructure failures before 

an actual emergency occurs. 

By using CIPR/sim, responders are better prepared, 

and more responsive and 

accurate when analyzing 

critical incident data.

What is CIPR/sim? 

In 2007, a team of INL 

critical infrastructure protection engineers, geospatial 

technology experts and 

software developers began 

designing CIPR/sim to help 

first responders plan, prepare 

and predict the cascading 

effects that natural disasters 

or terrorist attacks have on 

infrastructure resources such 

as the electric power grid and 

telecommunication networks.

In just nine months, CIPR/sim 

has become the first critical 

infrastructure simulation tool 

to be designed with a common operating framework that 

adheres to national Institute 

of Electrical and Electronics 

Engineers (IEEE) standards. 

This advancement allows 

the tool to import real-time 

data from numerous existing 

CIPR/sim

A comprehensive, real-time critical infrastructure modeling technology

Continued next page

The INL developed CIPR/

sim technology provides 

first responders with 

real-time consequence 

analysis information.

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NATIONAL and homeland SECURITY S&T

Continued from previous page

Curtis Papke

Program Manager 

(208) 526-4329

Curtis.Papke@inl.gov

Stuart Walsh

Technical Lead

(208) 526-4246

Stuart.Walsh@inl.gov

analysis modules, including 

RTDS (Real Time Digital 

Simulator) for electric grid 

analysis, QualNet for telecommunications analysis and 

PC Tides for wind speed and 

flood surge analysis.

By incorporating independent 

module analysis into a 

single simulation, emergency 

planners are provided with 

an integrated checks-andbalances system where each 

infrastructure module builds 

on the information provided 

by the other. The result is a 

highly accurate situational 

awareness portrait of how a 

disaster scenario will play out 

and what infrastructures will 

be affected throughout the 

course of the incident. For instance, if CIPR/sim indicates 

an emerging storm system 

will affect the functionality 

of a particular substation, 

emergency planners also have 

access to information about 

how severely cell towers, 

pumping stations or hospitals 

in the region will be impacted 

by the damaged substation. 

This information is displayed 

for emergency planners in two 

distinct formats.

The first method uses a 

two-dimensional design that 

provides users with a spatial 

context of the tool’s results. 

The user interface has a 

GoogleEarth© look and feel 

for intuitive operator commands that include a series of 

data-rich charts and graphs for 

in-depth analysis. The second 

method is a three-dimensional 

design that provides users 

with additional insight not 

usually witnessed at the height 

of a disaster or attack. This 

immersive display is created 

in a photo-realistic format 

commonly seen in industryleading gaming environments. 

The users have the ability to 

move freely within the created 

environment and can view and 

replay a disaster’s impact from 

multiple angles and perspectives. Both designs vividly 

display infrastructure damage 

or destruction in a color-coded 

real-time format.

In addition to providing a 

method and standard for 

linking modules, CIPR/sim 

allows emergency planners to 

create and run virtually any 

kind of natural or man-made 

incident. During demonstrations at INL, scenarios 

have shown the impact of 

earthquakes, hurricanes and 

deliberate physical attacks on 

infrastructures within major 

U.S. cities. Data for these 

demonstrations was displayed 

in real time by CIPR/sim 

through links established to 

existing RTDS, QualNet and 

PC Tides modules.

07-50718

A U.S. Department of Energy

National Laboratory

For more information

These combined benefits 

provide emergency planners 

with access to a wide variety 

of complex data streams in 

an easy-to-understand format. 

The format requires little or 

no interpretation, allowing 

users to make competent, 

time-sensitive decisions like 

the placement and quantity of 

support resources.

Crisis Response 

To improve response and 

restoration efforts, the integration of advanced simulation 

technology into first-responder 

practices is an important step 

forward. The development of 

technology such as CIPR/sim 

enables first responders to run 

multiple scenarios of various 

disasters in their infrastructure 

sectors of interest. This 

exercise builds understanding 

and experience. Consequently, 

crisis action plans are more accurate and complete, logistics 

support plans are refined, and 

the communities are better 

prepared for emergencies. 

CIPR/sim becomes a valuable 

tool for training community 

leaders, emergency response 

personnel and emergency 

management leaders.

In today’s world, it is a 

well-established fact that both 

natural and man-made disasters 

will affect infrastructure 

resources and likely cause 

them to temporarily fail during 

an emergency. When disasters 

strike, the real-time nature of 

CIPR/sim enables emergency 

response personnel to build 

situational awareness of the 

evolving crisis and allows them 

to predict the resulting impacts. 

This knowledge sharpens the 

decision process, enabling 

faster and better command decisions that ultimately enhance 

the efficiency of the emergency 

personnel, allowing them to 

save more lives and restore the 

community back to health.

INL infrastructure protection 

experts analyze the effects of 

a earthquake on the electric 

power grid using CIPR/sim.

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