Today’s disasters, many of them man-made or at least triggered by human
activity, endanger an increasing number of humans in large geographic areas in
numerous different ways, calling for more attention concerning appropriate reactions.
We discuss what constitutes a “disaster” and analyze different response types (including
Flight/Run Away, Fight/Intervene, Freeze, Submit/Sustain/Endure, and Ignore/Deny).
Concentrating on the classical Fight/Intervene response, we investigate several
alternative ways to view interventions: systemic (bringing a system, i.e. the object under
danger, back to its domain of viability), process-oriented (characterizing an intervention
as a set of interlinked process steps), organizational (identifying systemic strategies and
tactics), and human (considering Social Responsibility, psychological problems, mental
health, and multicultural aspects). We will also identify the role that modern Information
and Communication Technology can play in supporting First Responders by making their
job easier and at the same time more effective.
Keywords: Catastrophes, communication, computer support, disasters, fire
brigades, first responders, human aspects, human reactions, information
