Knowledge Management in Practice

Chapter 7

“Sound the Alarm!”: Knowledge Management in Emergency and Disaster Preparedness

Introduction

During a time of crisis (such as national disasters, pandemics, and acts of terrorism), relevant information is usually not received by the individuals or group of individuals that need it the most. For instance, many times first responders are not able to respond quickly and effectively without the right information during a crisis situation. The lack of timely and correct information increases level of confusion, resulting in their ineffectiveness that may cause a loss of life.

Our current emergency broadcast systems are ineffective. This ineffectiveness is due to the lack of timely accurate and meaningful information delivered to the correct ...