Attributes of effective disaster responders: focus group discussions with key emergency response leaders

• Published in: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness 2010-12, Vol.4 (4), p.332-338
• Main Authors: King, Richard V, North, Carol S, Larkin, Gregory L, Downs, Dana L, Klein, Kelly R, Fowler, Raymond L, Swienton, Raymond E, Pepe, Paul E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitudes; Audio equipment; Aviation; Consensus; Disaster management; Disaster Planning - methods; Disaster Planning - organization & administration; Disasters; Emergency medical care; Emergency medical services; Emergency preparedness; Emergency Service, Hospital - organization & administration; Experts; Focus Groups; Forest & brush fires; Health care; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health services; Humans; Medical schools; Mental health; Nurses; Personality; Problem solving; Professional Competence - standards; Professional Competence - statistics & numerical data; Public health; Qualitative research; Students; Texas; Training; United States; Workers
• ISSN: 1935-7893; 1938-744X
• DOI: 10.1001/dmphp.D-09-00059R1

An effective disaster response requires competent responders and leaders. The purpose of this study was to ask experts to identify attributes that distinguish effective from ineffective responders and leaders in a disaster. In this qualitative study, focus groups were held with jurisdictional medical directors for the 9-1-1 emergency medical services systems of the majority of the nation's largest cities. These sessions were recorded with audio equipment and later transcribed. The researchers identified themes within the transcriptions, created categories, and coded passages into these categories. Overall interrater reliability was excellent (κ = .8). The focus group transcripts yielded 138 codable passages. Ten categories were developed from analysis of the content: Incident Command System/Disaster Training/Experience, General Training/Experience, Teamwork/Interpersonal, Communication, Cognition, Problem Solving/Decision Making, Adaptable/Flexible, Calm/Cool, Character, and Performs Role. The contents of these categories included knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, and personal characteristics. Experts in focus groups identified a variety of competencies for disaster responders and leaders. These competencies will require validation through further research that involves input from the disaster response community at large.