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Digitalized Co-production of Emergency Response

Dispatch and On-Site Work by Volunteer First Responders

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Information Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction (ITDRR 2023 2023)

Part of the book series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology ((IFIPAICT,volume 706))

  • 14 Accesses

Abstract

Using volunteers as first responders in frequent emergencies has during the recent decade received increased attention from research and practice. In this study, we focus on the ICT dispatch of volunteer first responders, and their on-site work and collaboration, e.g., as to ICT dispatch, response rates, response times, time-on-site, and tasks performed. We use incident reports filled in by the volunteers and the theoretical lens of digitalized co-production. The results point at a positive effect of using volunteers as first responders, e.g., shortened response times and concrete contributions in most cases, indicating cost-effectiveness. The ICT for dispatch, however, is a challenging part of the co-production, lacking above all, in geofencing, but also in functionality for dynamic resource allocation. Most of the volunteers are willing to contribute to large-scale crisis management, making them a future useful resource in this context. Implications for digitalized co-production are discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Emergency refers to smaller incidents like house fires or traffic accidents.

  2. 2.

    Crisis indicates larger scope like earthquakes, wildfires, and wars.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financed by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Linkö** University, 581 83, Linkö**, Sweden

    Wael Alkusaibati & Sofie Pilemalm

  2. University of Agder, 4630, Kristiansand, Norway

    Sofie Pilemalm

Authors
  1. Wael Alkusaibati
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  2. Sofie Pilemalm
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wael Alkusaibati .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Grenoble Alps, Saint-Martin-d’Hères, France

    Julie Dugdale

  2. University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway

    Terje Gjøsæter

  3. Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan

    Osamu Uchida

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Disclosure of Interests

There are no competing interests to declare.

Appendix: Incident Report - Operational Questions

Appendix: Incident Report - Operational Questions

  1. 1.

    When did you receive the alert? (Multiple choices – one answer is allowed).

  2. 2.

    On which app did you receive the alert? (Multiple answers allowed).

  3. 3.

    Did you respond to the alert this time? (yes/no).

    1. 3.1.

      Why didn’t you respond to the alert? (If no).

  4. 4.

    Approximately how many minutes did it take to arrive at the incident site? (form field – number).

  5. 5.

    Did you arrive at the incident before or after emergency services personnel? (Multiple choices – one answer is allowed).

    1. 5.1.

      How many minutes before? (If applicable - form field - number).

    2. 5.2.

      Did you gain control of the incident before rescue personnel arrived? (Multiple choices – one answer is allowed).

  6. 6.

    What type of incident was it? (Multiple choices – one answer is allowed).

  7. 7.

    What did you do at the incident site? (Multiple answers allowed + free text).

  8. 8.

    Did you leave the scene before or after emergency services personnel? (Multiple choices – one answer is allowed).

    1. 8.1.

      How many minutes did you stay after rescue personnel? (If applicable - form field - number)

    2. 8.2.

      What did you do after the rescue personnel left? (Multiple answers allowed)

  9. 9.

    Where was the incident located? (Multiple choices – one answer is allowed).

  10. 10.

    What challenges did you encounter during the operation? (Multiple answers)

  11. 11.

    What factors have helped you the most during the response? (Multiple answers)

  12. 12.

    Would you like to share something else? [Please do not provide personal data] (Free text).

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Alkusaibati, W., Pilemalm, S. (2024). Digitalized Co-production of Emergency Response. In: Dugdale, J., Gjøsæter, T., Uchida, O. (eds) Information Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction. ITDRR 2023 2023. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 706. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64037-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64037-7_2

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-64037-7

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