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A collaborative research initiative funded by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) exploring the integration of artificial intelligence in emergency response operations.
Bringing together academic researchers, operational fire services, and technology partners to study how AI can enhance human decision-making in crisis situations.
AI-ERADS is a multi-year, multi-institutional research program funded by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) through the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program.
The program investigates how artificial intelligence can be responsibly integrated into emergency response operations — from pre-incident planning and risk assessment through active incident management and post-incident review.
Central to the research is a human-centered design philosophy: AI systems must augment human expertise, maintain transparency in their reasoning, and preserve the authority of experienced incident commanders and emergency managers in all decision-making.
A consortium of academic institutions, operational agencies, and technology partners advancing the science of AI-assisted emergency response.
Defence Research and Development Canada
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Management, Digital Transformation
Faculty of Business Analytics
Faculty of Computer Science
Operational Partner
Canadian Emergency Services Collaborative Innovation Lab
Technology Partner
Four interconnected research streams driving the responsible integration of AI in emergency services.
Understanding how emergency responders interact with AI-generated recommendations under stress, fatigue, and time pressure. Measuring trust calibration, cognitive load, and decision quality.
Realistic trials with active emergency responders. Evaluating AI-generated plans, recommendations, and risk assessments against expert benchmarks in real operational contexts.
Exploring opportunities for AI decision-support tools to integrate operational teams within incident management systems. Developing methods for cross-agency data exchange and mutual aid coordination.
Designing AI systems where human judgment remains central. Researching optimal handoff points between automated analysis and human decision-making in emergency response workflows.
Research team members can access the AI-ERADS platform for development testing, study participation, data collection, and proof of concept demonstration.
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