Generic functionality in user interfaces for emergency response

Abstract

In this report we use findings from a number of empirical studies involving different emergency response actors to identify shared or overlapping needs for user interfaces functionality.  By analyzing the findings from these studies, we have identified 11 categories of functionality supporting shared needs, including functionality for handling incident information, logging facilities, and functionality for managing human resources and equipment. After presenting our research method, we give an overview of the identified categories of shared functionality. We have validated the conclusions of our findings through observations and interviews in a training exercise. The validation supported our prediction that the exercise would not reveal major additional categories of functionality. The validation also supplemented the earlier findings regarding which actors that need which categories of functionality. We conclude by discussing pros and cons of using generic solutions supporting shared functionality across emergency response actors. In a number of appendices we present more details about each of the empirical studies, more comprehensive descriptions of the 11 categories of functionality, as well as transcriptions of the interviews that are not available from other sources.

Oppdragsgiver: The EMERGENCY project supported by the Research Council of Norway p.nr.187799/S10