Resum

Emergency data management : a case study of fire management in the Catalan region of Alt Empordà

Objectives: To analyse emergency data management in processes where data is being communicated, either internally between the agents managing an emergency or externally, between agents and the civilian community. -- Methodology: The researchers conducted a qualitative study of fire management in the Catalan region of Alt Empordà. The retrieval and analysis of data consisted in: a) detailed interviews with emergency managers, b) the analysis of the official documentation outlining action plans, procedures and communication policies and c) the analysis of the data generated during an emergency: internal communication, reports on following official plans, public announcement equipment and communication with the civilian community using the Twitter profile @emergenciescat of the Catalan civil defence service the Direcció General de Protecció Civil de la Generalitat de Catalunya.

Results: The agents needed to manage a wide range of emergency responders and data from many sources in order to discharge their responsibilities. The study shows that during an emergency, two aspects of management are critical: the action plan, which in this case was Pla INFOCAT, and communication with the civilian community, which in this case was directed using the Twitter profile @emergenciescat. In spite of the success of our case study, the results indicate that further research could help improve data management in emergency situations.