The Decentralized Emergency Management Protocol (DEMP) introduces a digitalized, community-driven and decentralized approach to handling emergencies. By empowering individuals and communities to respond immediately, either independently or alongside emergency professionals, DEMP enables faster collaborative decision-making, which can help save lives and resolve crises more effectively. The protocol defines a network of safety information systems, allowing citizens, private and public organizations to trigger alerts, share real-time data and manage incidents through authoritative or multi-party consensus. As an open protocol, DEMP facilitates interoperability while offering flexibility, scalability and security by design.
The following component definitions provide a foundational understanding of how DEMP architecture enables decentralized emergency management, real-time alerting and cooperation. This is a conceptual representation of the protocol, intended for presentation purposes only. For detailed technical information and implementation guidance, please refer to the DEMP Specification (DEMP-SPEC).
A DEMP Network relies on a decentralized client-server model where Safety Information System (SIS) nodes function as servers and Entity devices as clients. SIS nodes can operate independently or federate, enabling server-to-server interactions. SIS owners may optionally add their nodes to a DEMP Network Directory, a publicly accessible registry that facilitates discovery and interaction across communities.
A Safety Information System (SIS) is a server instance within a DEMP Network, functioning as a decentralized node responsible for managing alerts, processing data and facilitating interactions between Entities. SIS nodes are accessible through an entry point called a Hub, available as a public or private web page. The Hub provides administrative details about the SIS, a list of its public Safety Zones and instructions for Entities seeking to join.
The campus community can access the SIS by visiting the Hub's web page. Through this interface, they can opt-in to the available publicly accessible Safety Zones such as the Auditorium or Library to stay informed and receive alerts specific to the zones they are in.
A Safety Zone is a defined physical or virtual area managed by a Safety Information System (SIS). It serves as an operational boundary where alerts, safety information and coordination between Entities take place.
Frank, Olivia and Dan have opted into the private Safety Zone of Classroom #42. As a physical Safety Zone, it is associated with geospatial metadata that defines its location within the building. In case of an emergency, this metadata can be used for indoor geolocation and to perform real-time situational assessments.
Alice’s Friends Group is defined as a virtual Safety Zone. The entities within this zone, Alice, Judy and Bob are individuals who have opted into the zone to receive information and alerts related to each other's safety. As a virtual zone, it is not bound by a physical location but is instead based on a logical grouping of participants.
An Entity represents any participant within a Safety Information System (SIS), including individuals, organizations and autonomous agents. While an Entity itself is an abstraction, it interacts with an SIS through one or more devices, each of which is connected to at least one Safety Zone. A Device is any hardware or software component acting as a client within an SIS node. Devices are categorized as either Active or Passive: Active Devices can share, receive and process data from the SIS whereas Passive Devices can only share data with the SIS.
The Entities include an Individual, an Organization and an Autonomous Agent, each using different types of Devices categorized as either Active or Passive. Active Devices, such as Smartphones and Software Components can send, receive and process data, while Passive Devices, such as Sensors, Surveillance Cameras and Emergency Vehicles, can only transmit data to the SIS for further processing.
A Federation refers to the voluntary interconnection of multiple Safety Information System (SIS) nodes, allowing them to exchange alerts, share safety information and coordinate emergency management while maintaining their autonomy.
The Sun University Federation interconnects the Sun University Campus and Sun University Hospital Safety Information Systems (SIS). These SIS nodes are further connected to the Sun City Federation, which federates additional nodes, including the Sun Shopping Mall, the Sun Street Neighborhood and the Sun Emergency Services SIS. The Sun Emergency Services SIS is also part of the State Public Safety Federation, ensuring broader cooperation in emergency responses across multiple areas and jurisdictions.
An Alert is a structured emergency message managed by a Safety Information System (SIS) to notify, forward or escalate an emergency situation. Alerts may be triggered manually by an Entity or automatically by a Device based on predefined conditions. Depending on its scope and severity, an Alert can be contained within a single Safety Zone (Zone Alert), circulate within all or selected Safety Zones managed by the SIS (System Alert) or propagate across federated SIS nodes (Federated Alert).
An Open Alert is a special type of Alert that attempts to propagate beyond federated SIS nodes in an effort to reach an entire DEMP Network. This mechanism enables emergency messages to spread widely by leveraging decentralized network paths. However, further propagation depends on each reached SIS, which may choose whether or not to process and forward the alert. Inspired by the Six Degrees of Separation theory, the Open Alert mechanism operates on the principle that even distant SIS nodes can potentially reach each other, increasing the likelihood of widespread alert propagation.
A Certified Entity is an Entity that has successfully completed an administrative and technical identity validation process, confirming its authenticity within an SIS.
A Certified Safety Information System (SIS) is an SIS that meets the highest established security, operational and governance requirements.
An Authoritative Entity refers to a Certified Entity with elevated privileges within a DEMP Network. This role can be granted to Entities such as emergency professionals, public authorities or any legally agreed representative. Authoritative Entities have the ability to override a Consensus Decision-Making.
A Consensus Decision-Making refers to the collaborative process used to update an Alert's status when no Authoritative Entity is available to make a decision. In such cases, consensus is reached through voting among Certified Entities.
The Chain of Trust is a cryptographic trust model that ensures Entities within a Safety Information System (SIS) are legitimate and mutually trusted. Entities must establish trust with the SIS and may also establish trust with other participants to improve overall security.
As part of his thesis work at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (Haute école de gestion de Genève), Jean-Pierre Grossglauser designed DEMP to address the limitations of centralized emergency management. By introducing a new paradigm, DEMP aims to improve response efficiency and lay the foundation for the first safety-focused decentralized social network solution.
For questions, suggestions or feedback, you’re welcome to contact the author at contact (at) demp (dot) ch.