Case studies

In the framework of West MOPoCo project, the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) has launched the new version of Maritime Integrated Support Information System on Transport of Chemical Substances (MIDSIS-TROCS 4.0).  The decision tool is interlinked to the Marine HNS Response Manual - Multi-regional Bonn Agreement, HELCOM, REMPEC developed within the West MOPoCo.

MIDSIS TROCS is a free and publicly available tool that aims to facilitate decision making processes in case of chemical spill. It provides a tool to first responders primarily for their safety and to take well informed decision, using MIDSIS-TROCS decisions trees features with concise information and action sheets, as well as updated information on chemical characteristics and reactivity, GESAMP Profiles, shoreline and at sea response guides, accident reports, and more.

MIDSIS-TROCS 4.0 targets mainly HNS spill responders from Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, but also other users of the decision support tool in inter-governmental and non-governmental regional and international organisations, as well as research institutions. 

We were involved in the upgrade of the tool and restyle of the web interface to use a layout harmonious to their institutional website.

The MIDSIS-TROCS 3.0 tool was an application developed on Tomcat web server and data was saved on an Apache Derby database.

The version 4.0 of the tool has been redesigned and developed with the CMS Plone 5. For each kind of information within the old version of the tool a Plone Content Type has been created and then migration scripts have been developed to migrate the data from the Apache Derby database.

Furthermore, to satisfy the needs of REMPEC to integrate the data of HNS Database, some procedures have been created to merge the data of the two databases.

In addition to this in the version 4.0 a new behaviour has been created to generate decision trees with Plone Content Types. These decision trees are easily customizable by the editors allowing them to create new blocks and links between them, to link in a simple way the Risks sheets.

Another client need was the possibility of using the tool in offline mode, both in desktop and mobile devices.

To satisfy this requirement the following actions have been tracked:

• for the desktop a Plone instance was prepared with installation and data upgrade procedures when the device is online. This instance is downloadable from the web page of the tool.
• for the mobile an hybrid application has been developed using the Sencha ExtJS and Cordova frameworks. The application is available for Android and Apple devices and is downloadable from the standard stores. Also in this case there are available behaviors to synchronize data when the device is online.

MIDSIS TROCS 4.0, both in desktop and mobile applications, is available in English and French languages.