Evaluation of an Integrated Disaster Response Support System Utilizing Information and Communication Technology

Abstract

In this study, we developed an integrated disaster response support system to improve the efficiency of disaster response operations and integrate information management in local governments. In response to recent issues, e.g., a shortage of specialized staff and difficulties with knowledge transfer, the proposed system was designed to integrate functions, support disaster operations using the latest technologies, and eliminate the dependency on personal knowledge. The results of an effectiveness evaluation by local government employees demonstrated the system’s potential to eliminate information fragmentation and support decision-making processes. In addition, a usability evaluation using the system usability scale rated it highly, confirming that even inexperienced staff can operate the proposed system intuitively. Furthermore, a chatbot equipped with retrieval-augmented generation functionality demonstrated high accuracy rates and efficiency in several information search tasks. The findings of this study indicate that the proposed system combines ease of use with advanced technology, thereby making it a useful platform that will contribute to improving the disaster response capabilities of local governments.