Suchergebnisse

Purpose
There has been a lack of meaningful information systems architecture, which comprehensively conceptualise the essential components and functionality of an information system for fire emergency response addressing needs of different job roles. The purpose of this paper is to propose a comprehensive information systems architecture which would best support four of the key firefighter job roles.


Design/methodology/approach
The study has built on the outcomes of two previous preliminary studies on information and human-computer interaction needs of core firefighter job roles. Scenario-based action research was conducted with firefighters in a range of roles, to evaluate human-computer interaction needs while using various technology platforms.


Findings
Several key themes were identified and led us to propose several layers of an integrated architecture, their composition and interactions.


Research limitations/implications
The selected fire scenarios may not represent every type of fire expected in high-risk built environments.


Practical implications
The current paper represents a shared discussion between end users, system architects and designers, to understand and improve essential components. It therefore provides a reference point for the development of information system architecture for fire emergency response.


Originality/value
The proposed information system architecture is novel because it outlines specific architectural elements required to meet the specific situation awareness needs of different firefighters job roles.

Purpose
– Emergency management groups aiming to address community resilience work with complex systems which consist of multiple interacting dynamics. The purpose of this paper is to help ensure that information is displayed in a way which supports strategic performance, to address longer term challenges faced by these groups.


Design/methodology/approach
– Ten professional emergency managers completed an online simulation of complex, community resilience related tasks faced in their normal working lives. They responded to either table-or diagram-based information about a relevant emergency management strategy. Responses were rated by academic and practitioner experts using 0-5 point Likert scales.


Findings
– Analyses of the expert ratings found that certain components of macrocognitive performance reached large degrees of inter-rater reliability (ρ=0.76, p=0.003; ρ=0.58, p=0.03; ρ=0.53, p=0.05). Current situation awareness increased by an average of 29 per cent in the diagram condition. Prospective amendment quality also increased, by an average of 38 per cent. A small sample size meant that these increases are difficult to generalise.


Research limitations/implications
– Extensions of this pilot research could use larger samples and more generic simulation conditions, to increase confidence in the claim that certain displays help improve strategic emergency management planning.


Practical implications
– It is recommended that further research continues to focus on current and prospective situational awareness, as measures of strategic emergency management performance which can be reliably expert rated.


Originality/value
– This research provides novel methodological considerations for supporting a more strategic approach to emergency management, with a focus on longer term implications.

This research analysed strong opinions, held by emergency management practitioners and researchers, about developing a regional framework of community resilience indicators. A group of practitioners and another group, of researchers, were planning an International Centre of Excellence, focused on community disaster resilience in Wellington, New Zealand. Five participants from each of the researcher and practitioner groups volunteered to better identify opinion factors among these groups, using Q‐methodology. One perspective supporting complicated analysis to inform strategic decisions was particular to the researcher group. Practitioners shared an opposition to insular, top‐down decision making. Both groups perceived a need to evaluate opportunities for improving post‐disaster outcomes. These perspectives helped develop the International Centre of Excellence and inform comparable approaches to community disaster resilience.