scope:

This DIN Specification defines the requirements for the structure and content of data exchanged between information and support systems in civil hazard prevention.

This specification applies to the transfer of data between information and support systems in civil hazard prevention. It might be used, for example by fire services, rescue services, hospitals, police forces, technical emergency relief services, national investigative police agencies, national civil protection and disaster assistance agencies, other civil protection services, the armed forces, infrastructure operators, company fire brigades, veterinary offices, ministries and similar organizations.

This DIN Specification applies to the development of an interface for communication between information systems (technically known as machine-machine communication). It is aimed at software architects and developers who specify and implement interfaces to information and support systems outside their organizations.

Knowledge of the basic concepts of software development and data communication is only needed for implementing in software, not for understanding this DIN Specification.

The data structure defined in this DIN Specification facilitates the exchange of information between organizations for the purposes of notification, and of reporting and acknowledging information. It is explicitly not intended to be used for time-critical alerting of emergency services. Information of a binding nature, such as issued orders, shall be transferred using the usual, established communication channels (for example by telephone).

The specified data format can be used on all intervention levels of the organization in civil hazard prevention.

This DIN Specification does not standardize the exchange of information on resources. For this, please refer to the work done by the "XKatastrophenhilfe" project [1]. Neither does the specification include the transfer of documents, images, videos or other digital data. This is planned in a subsequent version.

In its differentiation from other formats such as EDXL or TSO, this specification takes particular account of the requirements of state or civil organizations in Germany that are active in every field of civil hazard prevention.

This DIN Specification is not intended as an implementation guideline, but defines the structure of the data to be transferred. The communication media, protocols and processes used for data transfer are not taken into account in this specification.