The need for a verification and validation protocol for evacuation models

To date, there is no standard Verification and Validation (V&V) protocol for the evaluation of evacuation model predictions. This paper is intended to open a discussion on the main issues associated with the definition of a standard procedure for the V&V of building fire evacuation models. Examples of such issues are discussed, namely 1) the definition of tests able to investigate the capability of evacuation models of representing emergent behaviours, 2) a discussion on the methods employed to study the uncertainty caused by the use of distributions or stochastic variables in evacuation modelling, 3) the definition of the acceptance criteria of a standard V&V protocol.