Abstract
Aim: The purpose of this article is develop the concept of safe evacuation of people from sea faring vessels, berthed at the passenger port of Szczecin during mass events, in circumstances occasioned by terrorist threats.
Introduction: Every year, the port of Szczecin hosts some 100 passenger vessels, which ferry thousands of people. Peak activity is achieved during mass events such as Szczecin Sea Days or Tall Ship Races. The task of providing passenger comfort and high level of security on vessels docked at the port is a priority. It is not always possible to completely eliminate risks, hence, the article concentrates on the development of safe evacuation procedures for people found on moored vessels or located on the quayside.
Methodology: In order to identify the best evacuation option for people found in specific areas of the quayside, a procedure algorithm was developed, based on graph theory and genetic algorithms. Calculations were performed with the use of MATLAB software utilising an Optimization Toolbox package with a Genetic Algorithm and Direct Search Toolbox (GAtoolbox) module. An original method was developed for encoding problems under investigation into a format, which could be processed by genetic algorithms (adaptive function, chromosomes, selection of the primary generation).
Results: Safe locations were identified from plans of the quayside and surrounding areas, where people could be evacuated, taking into account capacity and need for adequate hygiene as well as sanitary facilities. Quaysides were divided into sectors and from each an evacuation route was identified, which led to a safe location. The developed method, utilising genetic algorithms, facilitates the determination of the most suitable evacuation route permutation and identified the volume of people which should follow a given route so as to minimise the overall evacuation time.
Conclusions: The location of quayside and wharfs, at the port of Szczecin, allows for the running of mass events. Such circumstances lead to the presence of several thousands of people at any given time and presents a challenge to services responsible for ensuring the safety of spectators and people taking part in events. The application of methods used, in the search for optimal evacuation permutations and calculated results, may allow for the enhancement of safety levels by development of appropriate evacuation guidelines for organised events.
Keywords: security, terrorism, evacuation, genetic algorithms, sea-river port
Type of article: original scientific article