Emergency Preparedness and Information Systems: A Case Study Using Wiki Technology

This chapter is about the design and implementation of an information system, using wiki technology to improve the emergency preparedness efforts of the Claremont University Consortium. For some organizations, as in this case, responding to a crisis situation is done within a consortia environment. Managing knowledge across the various entities involved in such efforts is critical. This includes having the right set of information that is timely, relevant, and is governed by an effective communication process. It is expected that issues such as training in use of system(s), a knowledge sharing culture between entities involved in emergency preparedness, and a fit between task and technology/system must be there to support emergency preparedness activities given such structures. This study explored the use of wiki technology to support knowledge management in the context of emergency preparedness within organizations. While initially found to be useful for supporting emergency preparedness, continuing experience with the system suggests that wikis might be more useful as a collaborative tool used to train people involved in emergency preparedness, rather than being used to support response activities during an actual emergency.