When a crisis occurs many organizations must work with each other in order to provide an effective response. But these organizations may have only limited familiarity and experience with one another. This makes coordination difficult, resulting in delays and duplication in the critical hours after an event. The research project will examine how responders coordinate with one another amidst crisis. To do so, the research will examine examples of crisis response in the United States, including response to terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and animal disease outbreaks.
This project will help us to understand how different levels of government, non-profits and private actors can prepare to respond to crises. In 2004, the Department of Homeland Security mandated that all levels of government had to use the Incident Command System, which centralizes authority over multiple response organizations into the hands of a single commander. This research project will help us to understand how well the Incident Command System has worked in practice, what challenges it faces, and how it can work more effectively. More broadly, the research will provide knowledge about how traditional hierarchical organizations find ways to quickly form a network.
