Supporting Inter-Agency Collaboration in Emergency Management: Recurring Challenges Relevant for CSCW

Abstract

Emergency management requires effective collaboration between different agencies. This work implies several challenges due to a heterogeneous mix of actors with different procedures, practices, and support tools. Despite being focused in various research streams, emergency responders still report challenges with sharing information and establishing shared situational awareness in responding to complex events. The paper presents results from a large-scale digital tabletop exercise that illustrate recurring challenges related to support for collaborative procedures, a communication network structure combining several media, use of geocollaborative tools, and configuration of collaborative environments in co-located operations centers. CSCW researchers are well positioned to further address these challenges and thus make an impact in a domain of high societal importance.