Development of a generic activities model of command and control

This paper reports on five different models of command and control. Four different models are reviewed: a process model, a contextual control model, a decision ladder model and a functional model. Further to this, command and control activities are analysed in three distinct domains: armed forces, emergency services and civilian services. From this analysis, taxonomies of command and control activities are developed that give rise to an activities model of command and control. This model will be used to guide further research into technological support of command and control activities

Statistical Analysis of Bus Networks in India

Through the past decade the field of network science has established itself as a common ground for the cross-fertilization of exciting inter-disciplinary studies which has motivated researchers to model almost every physical system as an interacting network consisting of nodes and links. Although public transport networks such as airline and railway networks have been extensively studied, the status of bus networks still remains in obscurity. In developing countries like India, where bus networks play an important role in day-to-day commutation, it is of significant interest to analyze its topological structure and answer some of the basic questions on its evolution, growth, robustness and resiliency. In this paper, we model the bus networks of major Indian cities as graphs in \textit{L}-space, and evaluate their various statistical properties using concepts from network science. Our analysis reveals a wide spectrum of network topology with the common underlying feature of small-world property. We observe that the networks although, robust and resilient to random attacks are particularly degree-sensitive. Unlike real-world networks, like Internet, WWW and airline, which are virtual, bus networks are physically constrained. The presence of various geographical and economic constraints allow these networks to evolve over time. Our findings therefore, throw light on the evolution of such geographically and socio-economically constrained networks which will help us in designing more efficient networks in the future.Comment: Submitted to PLOS ON

Exploratory analysis of high-resolution power interruption data reveals spatial and temporal heterogeneity in electric grid reliability

Modern grid monitoring equipment enables utilities to collect detailed records of power interruptions. These data are aggregated to compute publicly reported metrics describing high-level characteristics of grid performance. The current work explores the depth of insights that can be gained from public data, and the implications of losing visibility into heterogeneity in grid performance through aggregation. We present an exploratory analysis examining three years of high-resolution power interruption data collected by archiving information posted in real-time on the public-facing website of a utility in the Western United States. We report on the size, frequency and duration of individual power interruptions, and on spatio-temporal variability in aggregate reliability metrics. Our results show that metrics of grid performance can vary spatially and temporally by orders of magnitude, revealing heterogeneity that is not evidenced in publicly reported metrics. We show that limited access to granular information presents a substantive barrier to conducting detailed policy analysis, and discuss how more widespread data access could help to answer questions that remain unanswered in the literature to date. Given open questions about whether grid performance is adequate to support societal needs, we recommend establishing pathways to make high-resolution power interruption data available to support policy research.Comment: Journal submission (in review), 22 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

Longing, Belonging and the Politics of Naming: The Case of the Khache

In Tibet, Muslim traders and subsequent settlers from Kashmir were called Khache. Over the years, this term has come to acquire multiple significations. By engaging with the complex history of the group and their eventual return to Kashmir, this paper tries to uncover these very significations and how the idea of Khache represents a coming together of the Himalayan region (Tibet, Nepal, Kashmir, Darjeeling, Kalimpong). In their multi-layered notion of belonging, there is a strong sense of attachment to the imagined Tibet, reflecting a harmoniously lived life, while further complexities emerge from their repatriation to the ancestral land of Kashmir. Referred to as Kashmiri Muslims (loosely, Khache) in Tibet, and now as Tibetan Muslims in Kashmir, the confusion in identity is as much linguistic as political. We should also note that regional prefixes such as ‘Tibetan’ or ‘Kashmiri’ don’t just fixate associations with regions, but also with regimes of power and powerful agents. As such, through this article, I am trying to argue for a geographically and politically neutral or at least less problematic term Khache. Finally, this paper is an ethnographic examination of how different representations and regional influences can be witnessed in everyday life performances for this group, and how these ultimately shape their sense of being. In the same vein, we will locate Islam emerging as a constant and source of justification to life\u27s trials and tribulations – as often portrayed by the analogy to hijrat – the journey to save one\u27s religion

Interwoven Leadership: the Missing Link in Multi-Agency Major Incident Response

This paper reports on research into the effectiveness of strategic commanders and their multi-agency teams in response to major incidents. It is argued that current models of crisis leadership fail to establish a balance between the requirement for task skills,interpersonal skills, stakeholder awareness and personal qualities of commanders and their teams. The paper sets out a theoretical model for interwoven leadership combining these features

Officer-Involved Shootings in Anchorage 1993–2013

This report describes situational, officer, and citizen characteristics of the 45 officer-involved shootings in Anchorage for the period 1 Jan 1993 through 11 May 2013 as recorded in Anchorage Police Department (APD) criminal investigation files. An “officer-involved shooting” is defined as an incident in which a sworn APD employee purposefully discharged a firearm with the intent of stopping a human being while acting under color of law, including firing at vehicles when the intent is to stop the vehicle. A total of 45 officer-involved shootings occurred during the 20-year study period. APD policy with regard to use of force and investigation of officer-involved shootings is also described.Anchorage Police Department.Executive Summary / Introduction / Investigation of officer-involved shootings and current policy / Policy / Data source and limitations / Temporal and spatial characteristics / Situational characteristics / Types of weapons used by police / Number of shots fired by police / Officer characteristics / Citizen characteristics / Summary / Appendix A: Variables Collecte

Mending the Imaginary Wall Between Indonesia and Malaysia the Case of Maritime Delimitation in the Waters Off Tanjung Berakit

Due to its geographical location, Indonesia shares border areas with at least ten neighbouring countries with which maritime boundaries must be settled. As of March 2011, Indonesia is yet to finalize its maritime boundaries with various States including Malaysia with which four maritime boundaries need to be settled: the Malacca Strait, the South China Sea, the Sulawesi Sea, and the Singapore Strait (off Tanjung Berakit). It is evident that pending maritime boundaries can spark problems between Indonesia and Malaysia. The dispute over the Ambalat Block in 2005 and 2009 and an incident in the waters off Tanjung Berakit on 13 August 2010 are two significant examples. This paper discusses the incident in the waters off Tanjung Berakit, but will be preceded by a description of the principles of coastal States' maritime entitlement pursuant to International law of the sea. Following the discussion, this paper provides suggestions for settling maritime boundaries in the area from technical/geospatial and legal perspectives