Configuring emergency response networks

Abstract

In the fog and chaos of an emergency it seems difficult to determine which organisations to involve in the response in order to ensure that the organisational network is fit for purpose. In this paper we study three emergencies in the Netherlands in order to find out what patterns are detectable in the network of the responding organisations. Based on qualitative analysis we develop insights about how the composition of the response networks relates to the nature of the emergencies, and the impact they have on the community. We find the community to be an intertwined constellation of networks. A failure in this constellation may result in an emergency situation. The failure itself and any collateral effects from responsive actions ripple through the constellation of networks. We found that the emergency situation and the emergency response network mutually shape each other and are a reflection of each other.