Research Finding on Community and Organizational Preparations for and Responses to Acute Chemical Emergencies

By almost any criteria the threat of sudden chemical disasters is on the increase. However, while the technical aspects of such incidents have been much studied, the social aspects of such situations have been largely ignored. To study this problem the Disaster Research Center recently concluded a four year study of community and organizational preparedness for and responses to actual and potential sudden disasters resulting from chemical agents. Field studies were conducted on preparedness planning in 19 communities around the United States; and additional 20 field studies were undertaken of responses in the emergency time period of incidents involving chemical explosions, fires, and spills. Using a sociological framework which is indicated relevant variables and factors, intensive interviews were obtained from over 400 respondents. In addition, considerable data were gathered from participant observing and document collecting. The data were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed, and a general theoretical model of preparedness and response was derived. In this paper the major findings about the sociobehavioral aspects of disaster preparedness for and of the organizational and community responses to chemical disasters are briefly summarized