Diagnosing co-ordination problems in the emergency management response to disasters

In the United Kingdom, there is a system for the co-ordination of the emergency services in response to disasters – The Emergency Management Combined Response System (EMCRS). This is a general management framework with a complex three tier command and control system, set-up by the UK government in response to a need for better co-ordination between agencies, when they respond to disasters.This research has developed models of the implementation of the EMCRS for specified disaster scenarios, that support diagnosis of co-ordination problems between agencies. Data for the modelling were acquired by means of training exercises. The co-ordination problems were identified through behaviour conflicts between the agencies. For example: the Fire Service behaviours of setting up a cordon around the disaster site conflict with the Ambulance Service behaviours of accessing the site for treatment of casualties. Model development was achieved through application of an existing framework.The EMCRS models constitute substantive Human Computer Interaction design knowledge, that is, knowledge that is both explicit and supports design. One view of HCI (Long, 1996) is that of an engineering design discipline, whose research validates design knowledge, both substantive and methodological. Design knowledge supports design practice directly, as the diagnosis of design problems and indirectly, as the prescription of design solutions. An initial method for co-ordination design problem diagnosis by means of EMCRS models has been developed. This paper will describe the development of the EMCRS models and will apply the method and show the diagnosis from this application, of one co-ordination design problem.