title: Multi-agency operations: cooperation during flooding.
abstract: This paper presents an investigation of command and control during Multi-Agency Operations; the purpose of this study was to elaborate on known themes associated with multi-agency emergency response, through a study of the successful combined military and civilian defence of Walham electricity substation from rising flood water in July 2007. This case study demonstrates that effective coordination during major emergencies requires the development of a deeper, shared understanding of the incident and a high level of trust between responding organisations, both of which are effortful to achieve and difficult to support with current communications systems. Adoption of a sociotechnical systems approach during the development process may enable future communications systems to support these important social processes.
authors.affiliation: School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. r.mcmaster@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McMaster
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baber
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004630:Emergencies; D055868:Floods; D006801:Humans; D019451:Information Management; D035502:Trust; D006113:United Kingdom