Understanding levels of compliance with emergency responder instructions for members of the Public involved in emergencies: Evidence from the Grenfell Tower fire

Abstract

Purpose– It is essential to understand how members of the public make decisions during emergencies. Such understanding is crucial in order to understand how emergency services can best influence positive protective behaviours. Previous research in this area has indicated that members of the public will respond both to the threat from an incident such as a fire as well the way the threat is managed by emergency responders and that this management will be crucial in increasing public willingness to comply with emergency services instructions. AimsThe study aimed to identify factors that affected the way in which those involved in the Grenfell Tower Fire behaved and develop the understanding of factors that affect public behaviour during large scale emergencies. Design/methodology/approachThis paper used 72 transcripts from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry to examine how members of the public make decisions during emergencies. The study utilised a Framework Analysis to identify themes relating to how members of the public made decisions regarding protective actions and what factors influenced these decisions. FindingsThe study identifies several key factors which influenced individuals' decision making concerning protective actions:- Uncertainty and Anxiety.- Environmental Factors in Evacuation Decision Making.- Trust.- Helping and Co-Operative Behaviours in Emergencies. Originality/valueData involving real life emergencies is extremely useful in providing support to the development of emergency procedures and training for emergency services.The research identifies several key factors which can inform a better understanding of public behaviour during emergencies.