چكيده لاتين :
This paper addresses the nature and functions of command systems in major sudden
impact disasters such as earthquakes. It discusses the bases of emergency command,
including the lead agency concept and the support function principle. It reviews
various models of co-ordination and control, including the Incident Command
System (ICS) and the strategic-tactical-operational approach. With regard to the
impact of modern information and communications technology, the paper discusses
emergency command processes in relation to how emergency situations are
perceived. It goes on to examine popular support for disaster management with
respect to how the response to disasters can be democratised, especially with regard
to the general transition from military to civilian forms of command. This debate
is further developed with respect to overseas humanitarian operations and the
transfer of know-how to countries that are in the early stages of developing their
civil protection systems. The paper ends by restating the objectives of emergency
command and considering possible future trends in this critically important field.
