Assessment of Urban Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacity Using Entropy Weight Method and Multilayer Fuzzy Comprehensive Model

Abstract

: Public emergencies are occurring with increasing frequency worldwide, leading to what is often referred to as a high-risk society. Amid various public emergencies, urban communities take on a more prominent role. However, studies on assessing the emergency preparedness and response capacity of urban communities are currently limited. To evaluate the essential factors, both inherent and external, that affect the emergency management capacities of urban communities, an index system for assessing community emergency preparedness and response capacity was developed by using the theory of the emergency management cycle. Acknowledging the complexity and ambiguity of emergency preparedness and response capacity within urban communities, a multilayer fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model was established using the entropy weight method. This model was then applied to assess the emergency preparedness and response capacity of communities against the backdrop of the COVID-19 public emergency. Results show that the assessment outcomes generated by the multilayer fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model, employing the entropy weight method, align with the real-world situation, signifying the soundness and effectiveness of the selected methods and index system. The conclusion offers a novel basis and methodology for evaluating the emergency preparedness and response capacity of urban communities, holding considerable practical value.