Application of Communication Technologies in Mass Evacuation and Analysis of Information Reliability

Problem Description
During mass emergency evacuations (e.g., stadium fires, subway station fires), communication technologies are critical tools for disseminating evacuation instructions, route information, and calming the crowd. However, in real-world environments, communication systems may face challenges such as uneven signal coverage, information overload, equipment failure, or malicious interference, leading to information delays, distortions, or loss. This can subsequently trigger panic or erroneous behavior among evacuees. This problem requires an analysis of the application scenarios of communication technologies in evacuations, potential failure modes, and the design of strategies to enhance information reliability.

Problem-Solving Process

1. Clarifying the Core Role of Communication Technologies

   • Communication systems perform three main tasks during evacuation:
     • Instruction Dissemination: E.g., fire alarms, instructions from staff using handheld terminals.
     • Dynamic Route Updates: Pushing optimal evacuation routes via electronic displays or mobile apps.
     • Feedback Collection: Monitoring congestion points via surveillance cameras or mobile phone signals from the crowd.
   • Reliability goals: Information must meet timeliness (low latency), accuracy (no distortion), and coverage (reach all personnel).

2. Analyzing Common Causes of Communication Failures

   • Physical Layer Issues:
     • Signal dead zones (basements, metal structure blockages), device battery depletion, base station overload.
     • Example: During stadium evacuation, 4G/5G base stations crash due to instantaneous high concurrent requests.
   • Information Layer Issues:
     • Contradictory information (e.g., conflicting instructions from different sources), rumor spread (social media amplifying panic).
     • Example: False "Exit Closed" messages lead crowds to bottleneck at other exits.
   • Human Factors:
     • Some individuals without mobile phones, language barriers preventing comprehension of broadcasts, information gaps for special groups (e.g., the hearing impaired).

3. Designing Strategies to Enhance Reliability

   • Redundant Communication Channels:
     • Primary system (broadcast) + backup system (electronic displays) + mobile endpoints (apps/SMS) + manual guidance (staff signals).
     • Key: Independent power and signal sources for multiple systems to avoid single points of failure.
   • Dynamic Information Verification Mechanism:
     • Establish a central control center to cross-verify data from cameras, sensor feedback, and manual reports, quickly identifying rumors.
     • Example: When detecting abnormal crowd flow towards an exit, immediately review surveillance to confirm congestion or rumor.
   • Layered Information Push:
     • Prioritize coverage of critical instructions (e.g., "Do Not Use Elevators") using multilingual broadcasts + icon displays.
     • For dynamic route information, push in batches by region to avoid network congestion.

4. Simulation Testing and Optimization

   • Simulate different communication failure scenarios using computer simulations (e.g., AnyLogic, Pathfinder):
     • Case 1: When only broadcast works and electronic displays fail, how much does evacuation time increase?
     • Case 2: Deliberately introduce rumors and observe behavioral changes from reception to correction of information.
   • Optimization directions:
     • Pre-establish contingency plans (e.g., automatic switch to SMS broadcast mode during base station overload).
     • Regularly drill and test communication dead zones, supplementing with temporary signal equipment (e.g., portable base stations).

Summary
Communication reliability is the "central nervous system" of evacuation safety, requiring comprehensive design from three aspects: technical redundancy, information management, and human adaptation. In practical applications, solutions should also be customized based on specific scenarios (e.g., dedicated leaky cable communications for subway tunnels) and continuously optimized through drills.