Table of Contents
Role of communication in disaster
Information-sharing in out-of-hospital disaster response: the future role of information technology 2004
Abstract
Numerous examples exist of the benefits of the timely access to information in emergencies and disasters. Information technology (IT) is playing an increasingly important role in information-sharing during emergencies and disasters.
The effective use of IT in out-of-hospital (OOH) disaster response is accompanied by numerous challenges at the human, applications, communication, and security levels.Most reports of IT applications to emergencies or disasters to date, concern applications that are hospital-based or occur during non-response phases of events (i.e., mitigation, planning and preparedness, or recovery phases). Few reports address the application of IT to OOH disaster response.
Wireless peer networks that involve ad hoc wireless routing networks and peer-to-peer application architectures offer a promising solution to the many challenges of information-sharing in OOH disaster response. These networks offer several services that are likely to improve information-sharing in OOH emergency response, including needs and capacity assessment databases, victim tracking, event logging, information retrieval, and overall incident management system support.
Interagency Communication Networks During Emergencies Boundary Spanners in Multiagency Coordination
Abstract
This article examines the problem of effective interagency communication among organizations and the role of information technologies to achieve effective communication and decision-making goals in emergencies. It explores what factors contribute to effective interorganizational communication and decision making and what factors inhibit their development. The theoretical framework draws on the literature of emergency communication and social capital, with a particular focus on communication and decision making under conditions of uncertainty. The study applies this framework to study the relationships that emerged among public, private, and non-profit organizations following the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001, in New York City. The article indicates the importance of developing a strong communication system with other organizations before a disaster occurs to establish appropriate communication in which effective interagency coordination will take place at the time of a disaster.
Responder Communication Networks in the World Trade Center Disaster: Implications for Modeling of Communication Within Emergency Settings
Abstract
Using archival materials obtained from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, we analyze networks of communication and interaction among responders to the World Trade Center disaster. Our findings indicate substantial variability in individual radio communication system usage, with both communication volume and number of partners exhibiting distributions with long upper tails. Responder communication patterns are well-described by a fairly simple four-role structure and exhibit substantial similarity across responder groups (both specialist and non-specialist). Occupancy of coordinating roles is influenced by formal institutional status, but the vast majority of hub role occupancy appears to be emergent in character. Examination of both radio transcripts and police reports suggests that much of the communication among WTC responders is centered on problems of spatial reasoning and peer location, possibly providing an explanation for the importance of improvised coordination at the event site. Although these problems appear to have posed substantial challenges for responders at Ground Zero, we find the global communication/interaction network among Port Authority officers to be fairly well-connected, with little evidence of large-scale fragmentation (despite perceptions to the contrary). Implications of these findings for the modeling of communication networks in emergency settings are discussed.
