Communication Spheres
As previously suggested, there are three kinds of actors
in the system with regard to their degree of mobility:
•=Stationary actors: Police, fire, etc. HQs, government
authorities, and even foreign authorities or organizations (in case of disasters affecting several countries)
•=Semi-mobile actors: mobile command posts.
•=Mobile actors: frontline personnel, e.g. firefighters.
The communication can be seen as structured in a
“network in network” hierarchy as well. The mobile
actors may have several sensors communicating with a
handheld device. In essence, together the gadgets form a
small wearable network, or body area network. The communication to the nearest mobile actors can occur in a
personal area network.
As discussed in section 5, the disaster site is covered by
a WLAN, operated by semi-mobile actors. These, in
turn, communicate with stationary actors through a WAN.