Henrik Tehler

Towards a System-Oriented Framework for Analysing and Evaluating Emergency Response

Information can be provided by studying and evaluating past emergencies and the response in connection to them. This information would then be useful in efforts directed at preventing, mitigating and/or preparing for future emergencies. However, the analysis and evaluation of emergency response operations is not an easy task, especially when the operation involves several cooperating actors (e.g. the fire and rescue services, the police, the emergency medical services, etc.). Here, we identify and discuss four aspects of this challenge: (1) issues related to the values governing the evaluation, (2) issues related to the complexity of the systems involved, (3) issues related to the validity of the information on which the analysis and evaluation is based and (4) issues related to the limiting conditions under which the emergency response system operated. An outline of a framework for such an analysis and evaluation, influenced by systems theory, accident investigation theories and programme evaluation theories dealing with the above aspects, is introduced, discussed and exemplified using empirical results from a case study. We conclude that the proposed framework may provide a better understanding of how an emergency response system functioned during a specific operation, and help to identify the potential events and/or circumstances that could significantly affect the performance of the emergency response system, either negatively or positively. The insights gained from using the framework may allow the actors involved in the response operation to gain a better understanding of how the emergency response system functioned as a whole, as well as how the actors performed as individual components of the system. Furthermore, the information can also be useful for actors preparing for future emergencies.

Identifying critical components in technical infrastructure networks

A new method for identifying and ranking critical components and sets of components in technical infrastructures is presented. The criticality of a component or a set of components is defined as the vulnerability of the system to failure in a specific component, or set of components. The identification of critical components is increasingly difficult when considering multiple simultaneous failures. This is especially difficult when dealing with failures of multiple components with synergistic consequences, i.e. consequences that cannot be calculated by adding the consequences of the individual failures. The proposed method addresses this problem. In exemplifying the method, an analysis of an electric power distribution system in a Swedish municipality is presented. It is concluded that the proposed method facilitates the identification of critical sets of components for large-scale technical infrastructures.

Evaluating risk and vulnerability assessments: a study of the regional level in Sweden

Risk and Vulnerability Assessments (RVA) are performed on many levels of society by many different organisations. In the present paper we discuss how one can investigate if a system for RVA used in a country or a region fulfils its intended purpose. We show how the purpose of the Swedish system can be related to the actual form of the individual RVA documents. This is followed by a content analysis of all RVAs performed by the 21 County administrative boards (regional level) in Sweden in 2008 and 2010. Several of the documents do not display the necessary properties that would allow other agencies to use them as a basis for the national overview of risks and vulnerabilities. This means that the system for RVA cannot be said to achieve one of its purposes. Implications of this are discussed and suggestions on how to address this issue are given.

The capability concept – On how to define and describe capability in relation to risk, vulnerability and resilience

Capabilities-based planning and capability assessment are high on the agendas of several countries and organisations as part of their risk management and emergency preparedness. Despite this, few definitions of capability exist, and they are not easily related to concepts such as risk, vulnerability and resilience. The aim of the present study was thus to broaden the scientific basis of the risk field to also include the concept of capability. The proposed definition is based on a recently developed risk framework, and we define capability as the uncertainty about and the severity of the consequences of an activity given the occurrence of the initiating event and the performed task. We provide examples of how the response capability for a fictive scenario can be described using this definition, and illustrate how our definition can be used to analyse capability assessments prepared according to the Swedish crisis management system. We have analysed the content of 25 capability assessments produced in 2011 by stakeholders on local, regional and national level. It was concluded that none addressed uncertainty to any appreciable extent, and only a third described capability in terms of consequences and task, making it difficult to relate these capability assessments to risk assessments.

Risk preferences regarding multiple fatalities and some implications for societal risk decision making-an empirical study

Risk preferences related to accidents or other situations involving the possibility of multiple fatalities were studied in 87 persons in Sweden belonging to two separate groups with professional or educational knowledge of risk‐ and crisis‐management issues. Use was made of a tradeoff method, the results obtained consisting of von Neuman–Morgenstern utility functions over the range of 0–1000 fatalities. Most of the utility curves for the number of fatalities were found to be convex, implying the majority of subjects to display risk‐seeking behaviour. Implications of the findings for societal risk decision making are discussed, along with prospective areas of application and the possibilities of considering other dimensions than the number of fatalities.

On the perceived usefulness of risk descriptions for decision-making in disaster risk management

Managing risk using an “all-hazards” and “whole of society”-approach involves extensive communication of risk descriptions among many stakeholders. In the present study we investigate how professionals working with disaster risk management in such contexts perceive the usefulness of different descriptions of risk. Empirical data from the Swedish disaster risk management system were used in an attempt to investigate the aspects of a risk description that affect its usefulness (as perceived by professionals). Thirty-three local municipal risk and vulnerability assessments (RVA documents) produced in the region of Scania in 2012 were analyzed in terms of six variables. The documents were then ranked by professionals based on their perceived usefulness for decision-making. Statistical analysis was conducted to identify any possible correlations between the overall ranking of the usefulness of the municipal RVA:s and each of the variables. We conclude that the way the likelihood and consequences of scenarios are described influence the perceived usefulness of a risk description. Furthermore, whether descriptions of scenarios are included in a risk description or not, and whether background information concerning the likelihood of scenarios are included also influence perceived usefulness of risk descriptions. (Less)

Organizational Adaptation in Multi‐Stakeholder Crisis Response: An Experimental Study

Modern day crises demand organizations to collaborate and adapt to new roles, functions and structures. In such situations, lack of collaborative behaviour and openness between organizations can result in reduced adaptive ability. Therefore, it is important to facilitate collaboration between organizations. We have studied the extent to which crisis managers are prepared to work with personnel and resources from organizations other than their own when responding to crises. An experiment was designed with four different organizations in Sweden, which involved decision making concerning whether the participants systematically favoured their own organization over others. Findings indicate that increasing familiarity and expectation of future cooperation with other organizations increased the likelihood that decision makers would be prepared to work with other organizations in joint crisis management.

Application of supersoft decision theory in fire risk assessment

The application of Supersoft Decision theory (SSD) to fire safety problems, and of decision analysis in general to decisions involving a high degree of epistemic uncertainty, are discussed. SSD and two traditional decision analytic methods employed earlier within the context of fire engineering are compared, particularly regarding how uncertainties are dealt with and the robustness of decisions – robustness concerning the likelihood that the alternative adjudged to be best will change when a reasonable degree of change in assessments of either the probabilities or the utilities involved occurs. Substantial differences between the three methods in decision robustness were noted. It was found that, since traditional decision analysis involving precise probability and utility values gives no indication of robustness, it can lead to incorrect conclusions, making it unsuitable in the present context. It is argued that methods not providing the decision maker with information on decision robustness are unsuitable in situations involving a high degree of epistemic uncertainty. A procedure is suggested involving use of Supersoft Decision theory and extended decision analysis to facilitate the choice between different fire protection alternatives for the case of a specific building. (Less)

Communicating risk in disaster risk management systems – experimental evidence of the perceived usefulness of risk descriptions

Disaster risk management (DRM) requires the collaboration of a variety of stakeholders working in different sectors. They depend on each other to share risk information, and effective collaboration requires efficient communication. Clearly, the communication of risk descriptions is a key issue for the success of DRM activities. This study investigated the communication of risk-related information between DRM actors, and how to present such information in order to improve its usefulness as a basis for decision-making. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the issue. The first related to the type of hazard, while the second examined the presentation of likelihood and consequences. We addressed two research questions: Does the presentation of a risk description influence its perceived usefulness for decision-making in a DRM system? If so, which format is perceived as most useful? Our findings indicated that the type of hazard did not affect perceived usefulness to any significant extent. However, the presentation of likelihood and consequences did have a significant effect. These results indicate that the presentation of risk information greatly influences stakeholders’ ability to make well-informed decisions. Specifically, quantitative scale and semi-quantitative ranking scale formats are perceived as most useful.

Aggregated risk : an experimental study on combining different ways of presenting risk information

Abstract Contemporary disaster risk management requires the exchange and integration of risk information across societal sectors and administrative borders. However, differences in how risk is described can be an obstacle to making sense of the material. This paper focuses on the challenge of aggregating risk assessments from multiple stakeholders and aims to establish the characteristics of risk descriptions that are most conducive for attaining a comprehensive understanding of risk. In an empirical study, risk management students from two different scholarly traditions (engineering and social sciences) rated how useful different combinations of risk descriptions from two fictive municipalities were for (i) comparing their levels of risk and (ii) making decisions on risk-reducing measures in the area covered by both municipalities. Adopting a within-subjects design, the participants were faced with six different combinations of risk descriptions, which varied with respect to how specific assessments of consequences and likelihood were expressed, and whether a supporting narrative was provided. The study also explored the effects of combining risk descriptions of the same type (e.g. where both expressed consequences and probabilities with qualitative ordinal scales) with two of dissimilar types (e.g. one qualitative ordinal and one quantitative). Overall, the results indicate that disaster risk management systems would benefit from greater consistency in the way interdependent stakeholders describe risks, and from greater use of quantitative assessments. Furthermore, a supporting narrative can provide useful contextual information that may facilitate the comparison of incongruent risk descriptions. Challenges related to these findings are discussed.