ABSTRACT
The use of wireless technology is growing globally at an exponential rate. In regard to emergency management, wireless technology provides many advantages such as portability and resilience, which can play a pivotal role in improving information exchange. The official implementation and optimized use of wireless technology during emergencies is crucial in emergency management planning for the United States, as well as internationally. Developing island and Caribbean nations, such as The Bahamas, which face unique geographical, infrastructural, political, and cultural hurdles, should be especially focused on the communication needs during high consequence emergencies. This research focused on developing a human-centered methodology for the assessment of hand-held communication devices for use in emergency management. Interviews with Subject Matter Experts and surveys of both Emergency Management Officials and civilians were conducted. This model considered the usability factors associated with hand-held 487communication devices, and considered the weighted priority of each selection factor based on input provided by a team of subject matter experts through the use of AHP analysis. The most commonly used hand-held communication devices in The Bahamas were identified by the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and then tested against the model to prove its effectiveness. In addition, data was collected at the 2011 Florida Governors Hurricane Conference and a comparable model was developed. The most commonly used hand-held communication devices identified by the emergency management officials at the Governors’ Conference were then tested against the model to prove its effectiveness.
