A polycentric control analysis of emergency responses: An application to a wildfire case

This article has attempted to streamline many of theoretical tenets of accident theory and integrate them within a polycentric control context for the particular domain of emergency response. The proposed framework has built on existing techniques of sociotechnical analysis and other cybernetic and control-theoretic approaches. In particular, a command and control approach has been developed to cover many aspects of organizational and inter-agency decision making. In this framework, the emphasis has been on aspects of polycentric control such as, organizational structures, span of control, transfer of control, management of common resources, and adaptation to changes. To apply the polycentric control approach in practice, a case study was selected regarding a wildfire in Attica. The article provides a unique framework of sociotechnical analysis with a taxonomy and a template of analysis for performance tradeoffs in coping with emergency response events. The case study also provides an opportunity to discuss limitations of the proposed framework of analysis.