Role abandonment among emergency responders has been considered a significant issue in disaster response (Barnett et al., 2010;

PurposeThe purpose of this case study is to develop a lean six sigma (LSS) define–measure–analyze–improve–control (DMAIC) procedure to optimize the willingness to respond (WTR) of Louisiana-based law enforcement officials (LEO) to disasters.Design/methodology/approachVarious LSS tools were used to implement DMAIC to clearly define the problem of WTR, measure the self-reported WTR through a survey, perform statistical analysis on the measured data to identify significant variables to WTR, brainstorm issues and improvements with stakeholders, develop mitigation strategies, implement a pilot solution survey and develop control measures.FindingsLouisiana LEO showed an average of 73.9% of WTR to all disasters. Seven significant variables influenced WTR, which are prior experience, transportation, duty to organization, risk to self, conflicting roles, training and incentive pay. The results from pilot solutions showed that utilizing incentive pay, adequate training and personal protective equipment (PPE) increased WTR from 0.5% up to 16%.Originality/valueThis study developed and validated a unique procedure to improve LEO WTR to disasters, providing a set of DMAIC tools and concepts that can be used by other emergency response agencies. This research was performed during the COVID-19 pandemic and after Hurricane Laura impacted Louisiana.

The purpose of this study was to measure the self-reported willingness to respond (WTR) to 12 disaster scenarios for Louisiana based Law Enforcement Officials (LEO) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. The study analyzed the demographic traits, facilitators, barriers, and potential incentives to determine which variables had a significant influence on WTR. The overall WTR of Louisiana EMS and LEO personnel was 69.9%. The WTR decreased as perceived threat increased. Traits found in those responders who were more willing to respond were males, under 44 years old, no children, military veterans, with prior disaster experience, with less than 5 years experience, and those whose significant other does not have a disaster response role. The statistically significant influences on WTR were fear of working an unfamiliar role, concern for family, self-safety, feeling well-prepared to respond, duty to colleagues, and increasing the frequency of training. Findings from this study provide insights into interventions for improving EMS and LEO workers' willingness to respond to duty.