Challenges to remote emergency decision-making for disasters or homeland security

Mackenzie, Colin F.; Hu, Peter; Fausboll, Carsten; Nerlich, Michael; Benner, Thomas; Gagliano, David; Whitlock, Warren L.; Lam, David; Yan, Xin

doi:10.1037/e577392012-069

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Empirical examination has helped inform the selection of technologies for decision makers. Mackenzie et al (2005) examined the features of imaging technologies in the context of evaluating an emergency response exercise. They found that color images and video images, as compared with black-and-white and still images, respectively, were more useful for expert decision making in emergency response situations.…”

Section: Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Human Factors of Homeland Security

Cooke¹,

Winner²

2007

Reviews of Human Factors and Ergonomics

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Humans play a role in all aspects of homeland security, including the functions of deterrence, detection, and response and in the capacities of both administrators and recipients of security procedures. The field of human factors has contributed to homeland security functions through design of user-centered technology and training programs, through metrics for assessing human performance, through environmental design, and through organizational changes targeting the larger sociotechnical system. In this chapter, we review these and other contributions and propose an agenda for future research and development on human factors of homeland security. We conclude that the field of human factors provides many lowcost, high-impact solutions that reach beyond the bounds of the human-single machine interface. On September 11, 2001, an attack on U.S. soil of previously unimagined magnitude drew increased attention to homeland security. Humans, and thus human factors, pervade nearly every aspect of homeland security. Most obvious and visible to the public are the human factors issues surrounding security screening, which occurs primarily at airports. These issues include human-technology interaction (i.e., with passenger metal detectors and checked baggage x-ray systems) and the selection and training of the operators. Also of interest are the interactions among the technology, the environment in which it is embedded, the screeners, and the traveling public, who may inadvertently exert pressure on the screeners to move quickly through the process. Perhaps less obvious are the human factors issues surrounding other, less visible aspects of homeland security, such as those integral to the analysis of intelligence information and, specifically, the presentation, understanding, and sharing of that information. Questions of how humans process large amounts of information and coordinate as part of a larger information system are of critical importance. There are also human factors issues associated with the response to threatening events. Flight crew procedures for dealing with hijackings are relevant, as is the adaptive behavior of crews under unanticipated circumstances. Communications, interorganizational dissemination of information, group situation assessment, teamwork, interagency coordination, and adaptation are necessary for effective emergency response to such events. Humans indeed have an important role to play in homeland security functions, and a consideration of the human factors of homeland security is needed to maximize human effectiveness in this complex system. In this chapter, we explore the topic of human factors of homeland security by identifying the scope of the problem, reviewing the relevant human factors literature, and proposing an agenda for future work in the area.

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Section: Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Human Factors of Homeland Security

Cooke¹,

Winner²

2007

Reviews of Human Factors and Ergonomics

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“…Many of the existing information coordination architectures in public safety networks are based on the hierarchical (a.k.a. command and control) coordination approach (see for instance Bigley and Roberts 2001;Hale 1997;Mackenzie et al 2007). This reflects the belief that the most effective repression operations are carried out under rigid control, exercised convergent with intra-agency authority structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A research agenda for information quality assurance in public safety networks: information orchestration as the middle ground between hierarchical and netcentric approaches

2011

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One of the key challenges in public safety networks is to ensure a high level of information quality (IQ) during disaster response. Since many evaluation reports on disaster response efforts have revealed instances of poor IQ, both academics and practitioners are in search of information architectures that assure IQ. This article focuses on the hurdles and opportunities for IQ assurance via information architectures. Drawing on two opposing coordination approaches, hierarchical versus netcentric, we suggest adopting a hybrid, information orchestration-based approach for assuring IQ. While hierarchical coordination approaches result in architectures dictating predefined information flows dependent on structures and procedures, netcentric information coordination emphasizes the need for individual self-synchronization driven by events. Even though both architectures have their strengths and weaknesses depending on several contingencies, both include characteristics that hamper IQ assurance for relief workers. Information orchestration offers the middle ground between hierarchical and netcentric approaches and defined as a heterarchical form of information coordination consisting of a specific set of roles and capabilities related to the collection, enrichment, and dissemination of highquality information. Capabilities that need to be developed according to the information orchestration approach constitute a research agenda.

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Challenges to remote emergency decision-making for disasters or homeland security

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Human Factors of Homeland Security

Human Factors of Homeland Security

A research agenda for information quality assurance in public safety networks: information orchestration as the middle ground between hierarchical and netcentric approaches

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