“Share Your Tools”—A Utility Study of a Norwegian Wildland-Fire Collaboration Exercise

Jarle Løwe Sørensen,Jens Petter W Aas,Eric Carlström,Carina Halvorsen

doi:10.3390/su12166512

Jarle Løwe Sørensen, Jens Petter W Aas + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166512

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Abstract

Based on the assumption that crisis collaboration exercises lead to better team-integration and more efficient problem solving, the aim of this study is to test whether there is a relationship between exercise participation and perceived levels of learning and utility. Online survey data was collected from participants in a 2018 two-day, full-scale, wildland-fire collaboration exercise in southeastern Norway. The instrument of choice was the collaboration, learning, and utility (CLU) scale. Findings indicate a strong covariation between participation in Norwegian wildland-fire collaboration exercises and the perceived level of learning, with a medium to small covariation between perceived learning and utility. The results indicate the importance of giving clear instructions, focus on collaboration, and sufficient forms of discussion during and after the exercise in order to gain learning. However, learning had a limited impact on utility. The study indicates joint evaluations, improvising, and testing of new and alternative strategies across sectors are important when exercises are constructed. The data was retrieved from a questionnaire, observations and interviews can add more and comprehensive insight into the studied phenomenon.

Highlights

In 1996, Karl Weick [1] published his allegory of organizational studies “Drop your Tools.” In his paper, Weick points to 10 possible reasons why 27 wildland firefighters lost their lives when they failed to follow orders to drop their tools and run when overrun by exploding fires
Based on the assumption that crisis collaboration exercises lead to better team-integration and more efficient problem solving, the aim of this study is to test whether there is a relationship between exercise participation and perceived levels of learning and utility
The results from this study indicate a strong covariation between participation in Norwegian wildland-fire collaboration exercises and perceived level of learning, and a medium to small covariation between perceived learning and utility

Summary

Introduction

In 1996, Karl Weick [1] published his allegory of organizational studies “Drop your Tools.” In his paper, Weick points to 10 possible reasons why 27 wildland firefighters lost their lives when they failed to follow orders to drop their tools and run when overrun by exploding fires. In 1996, Karl Weick [1] published his allegory of organizational studies “Drop your Tools.”. Weick points to 10 possible reasons why 27 wildland firefighters lost their lives when they failed to follow orders to drop their tools and run when overrun by exploding fires. Weick shows that the willingness of endangered firefighters to leave equipment behind and run was overdetermined due to deeply rooted routines and identity. An important conclusion was that fighting wildland-fires requires skills in cross-sectional collaboration to break familiar and iterative routines during extra-ordinary situations. Though few in number, all relevant international studies indicate that the perceived effects of exercises by participants are rather limited [3,4,5,6,7]

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