ABSTRACT
Front-line emergency responders occupy a fundamental role in organizations that provide services in response to a disaster or crisis yet are often neglected in scholarly examinations of these events. Research examining responses to these critical incidents has addressed intergovernmental relations during the four phases of disasters (i.e., mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery) (Comfort 1985, 2007; Waugh 1994), leadership and management capabilities necessary for successfully handling these incidents (Boin and ’t Hart 2003; Farazmand 2007; Kapucu and Van Wart 2008; Waugh and Streib 2006), detailed studies of the often complex network of organizations that respond to large incidents (Comfort et al. 2001; Farazmand 2007), and communication and coordination during responses (Comfort and Haase 2006; Kapucu 2006). As expected, many of these studies are presented as case studies (Comfort 2007; Farazmand 2007; Kapucu 2006). This research has often focused on the systems level, including the effects of critical incidents on political, economic, and social systems at the organizational level on issues such as capacity, adaptability, and resiliency, or multilevel studies examining interactions and network responses. While this critically important research is necessary and exceptionally important, a microperspective examining the behavior of front-line responders, both professional and volunteer, is largely missing from the discussion and will serve to enhance knowledge on improving responses to these incidents.
