Information Systems In Crisis

Book chapter, 2011

The role of technology in crisis and emergency response organizations has drastically changed in the last ten years. Many of the challenges faced today are the results of organizational changes involving a move to more sophisticated technological platforms intended to improve existing work practices. Crisis and emergency response is also an area where lack of information has for a long time been a key ingredient. This notion still resides, even though much more information is available today. However, we believe the current information practice has much more potential. This chapter is an attempt to present and discuss possibilities for current and future information environments, and how these could be designed to better support ongoing work activities, organization, and situation awareness. The chapter presents insights into how key information sources such as verbal and visual information can be captured, stored, and used. It also discusses key components of an information environment.