1) This document describes a study on the impact of information distribution and enrichment on crisis management coordination. 2) An experiment was conducted with 100 crisis management professionals across 4 groups responding to simulated crises under different information conditions. 3) The results showed that enriching information for coordinators had a strong impact on their situation awareness and decision making, but also increased risks of coordination neglect and role neglect, especially with more centralized information management.

1. Information management
Impact of the distribution and enrichment of information on the
management and coordination of a human-made fast-burning crisis
Bert Brugghemans – Koen Milis – Bartel Van de Walle

2.  Cdt. Bert Brugghemans: Antwerp Fire Service
 Dr. Koen Milis: Campus Vesta
 Prof. Dr. Bartel Van de Walle: Tilburg University

3. In which conditions do we work?

5. Experimental design
1 2
30
Not enriched Enriched
Decentral
Central

6.  Practical organisation
 4 participants X 2 exercises (1h) x 10 sessions
 Coordinator (DIR CP-OPS)
 CO Fire (DIR BW)
 CO Medical (DIR MED)
 CO Police (DIR POL)
 4 observers
In total about 100 professionals involved

7.  All participants + observers = professionals
 Limited to
 Have knowledge of Belgian ICS & crisis management
 Are not fulltime crisis managers or didn’t have more than one
real disaster last two years
 Are involved in a public emergency agency
 Typical? Fire officer of a smaller region, EM in a regional hospital,
…
 All on voluntary basis (test sessions, preps, …)

8.  Practical organisation
 Command post simulation
 Simulation of the terrain activities
 No strategic level

9.  Each group = 2 cases
 Train accident + HAZMAT + Residential area
 Fire in rave + MCI
 Start = 30 min after start incident

12. http://www.pm.be/?lang=en

14.  Measuring?
 SART / every 10 minutes / group + observers
 3 dimensions
 Demand (of attentional resources)
 Supply (of attentional resources)
 Comprehension of the situation (understanding)
 Observation reports
 Group processes
 Decision making
 In-depth interview (coordinator)
 Decision making (based on literature – impact of information on
decision making)
 Coordination neglect
 Information shortage / overload
 Perceived complexity

15. Results

16. Situation awareness
P<0,01

17. Decision making

18. Group processes

19. Further results
 Enriching information of commanding officers has strong
impact on multidisciplinary coordinator

20. Further results
 Important risk on coordination neglect and role neglect,
mainly with centralisation

21.  “Demand of attention” = change inhibitor

22. Limitations & further research?
 Measuring decision making in action research
 Measuring situation awareness objectively
 Tactical level vs strategic level (situation awareness ->
sensemaking)
 Methodology for IM in crisis management

23. Recommendations for practice
 Information management has to be implemented in crisis
management (legislation + practice)
 First invest in crisis management of the different services
(rol of the “adjunct”)
 Central information management as coordination of
multidisciplinary information management
 Implementing course on IM in education
 Further research on methods

24. Questions?