A Conceptual Design for the Telecommunications Emergency Decision Support System (TEDSS)

The Telecommunications Emergency Decision Support System (TEDSS) was developed by the National Communications System (NCS) to assist in the management of national communication assets during times of emergency. TEDSS is currently approaching the end of its system life, and is only marginally capable of meeting existing and future requirements. The personal computer-based system uses a structured menu-oriented interface developed within an INGRES database management system application environment. This system provides predefined queries and menus which minimize the amount of decision support provided for emergency management. This thesis reviews the current operational capabilities of TEDSS and the emergency decision making environment in which it operates. It proposes a conceptual shift of TEDSS from its current textually-oriented information system to a graphically-oriented Tactical Decision Aid (TDA). The proposed system would employ a Graphical User Interface (GUI) providing a standard interface to a Geographical Information System (GIS). The GIS would provide a map-based environment in which the user manipulates data and models. Software and hardware issues relating to the development of a TDA-based TEDSS are discussed.