A Decision Analysis Framework for Emergency Notification

Notification is one of the major tasks for emergency responses. Quick and appropriate notification can save lives and significantly reduce damages. It is, however, challenging to make a right decision on notification. In this paper, we propose a decision analysis framework for emergency notification with what we term as "6 Wh-word Dimensions" (6WDs), namely, "when, where, who, why, what and how." Within each dimension, we present tasks, pose problems and establish criteria for arriving at decisions that are responsive, responsible and respectful. We also propose a decision support system (DSS) that can help sustain one's notification decision making within the 6WDs.