Incident Management Structure Modernization for Disaster Response Phase Management

Abstract

The article analyses the process of designing the incident management structure, which is useful for practicing the coordination of disaster-responsive measures, developed during the response phase of disaster management. While delving into the given response phase of the disaster management cycle on the basis of the theoretical and methodological construct the authors of the article state that the “Command-and-Control” (which is close to the traditional hierarchical public administration model) and “Problem-Solving” (close to the new public management model) models offered by the researchers of disaster management processes for the response phase of disaster management can be merged into a single unit on the basis of implementation of Neo-Weberian principles. The application of the Neo-Weberian State (NWS) model enables the combination of both the centralised hierarchical management and public administration principles which are based on the new public management. The general hierarchical incident management structure (IMS) presented in the article can be applied for the management of disasters. Nevertheless, as regards the areas of responsibility or competence of the incident management departments analysed by disaster management researchers, the authors of the article draw attention to the failure to assess the importance of (and thus propose to introduce) the involvement of citizens and their groups in incident liquidation and to find the concord (synergy) between the hierarchical IMS and the participation of citizen groups (communities) in disaster management.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.16.1.18020