Coordination during multi-agency emergency response: issues and solutions

Purpose - Coordination between military and civilian agencies has previously been found to be a significant issue that affects the efficiency of multi-agency system responses to large-scale emergencies. The purpose of this article is to present the findings derived from a case study focussing on the problems that abound when the military attempts to work with civilian organisations. Design/methodology/approach - An integrated framework of human factors methods was used to analyse a Military Aid to the Civilian Authorities training exercise, involving the army and seven other responding agencies. Findings - A range of factors that hinder coordination between agencies during multi-agency emergency responses were identified. Potential solutions for removing these barriers and augmenting coordination levels are proposed. Practical implications - This research suggests that much further work is required in training and designing multi-agency response systems and procedures in order to optimise coordination between responding agencies. Originality/value - This article presents the first attempt to apply structured, theoretically underpinned human factors methods, to understand the problems that abound when the military works with civilian agencies during large-scale emergency responses.