Exitus

Abstract

Emergency evacuation of critical infrastructure assets such as sports arenas is an important consideration given the continuing threat of terrorist attacks which inordinately affect them. In this paper, the authors present an agent-based evacuation model which may be used to support private sector organizations with capabilities-based planning efforts surrounding likely terrorist attack scenarios. The model is distinguished by its explicit consideration of individuals with disabilities in respect to the characteristics influencing their ability to negotiate surroundings. The results of an experiment simulating the truck bombing of an intermountain west sports arena reveal special areas of concern for arena managers and identify those who are most at risk or individuals with lower stamina. Ultimately, the model can be used to inform policymakers of more effective, evidence-based evacuation planning methods based on a better understanding of the behavior of heterogeneous populations during emergency situations.