Network-centric emergency response: The challenges of training for a new command and control paradigm

Lt. Col. Mark Stanovich, USMCR

doi:10.5055/jem.2006.0023

Authors

Lt. Col. Mark Stanovich, USMCR

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2006.0023

Keywords:

network-centric, technological innovations, emergency response, emergency operations centers, incident command centers

Abstract

The last two decades have seen technological innovations that have revolutionized the collection and transfer of information, permitting access to and dissemination of massive amounts of data with unprecedented speed and efficiency. These innovations have been incorporated into virtually every aspect of modern society, from personal communications, to commercial and business processes, to governmental function and military operations. The concept of network-centric warfare (NCW) grew out of these new capabilities and has been a prominent topic in strategic and operational discussions in the US military since the late 1990s.
In recent years, the concepts behind NCW have been increasingly applied to emergency response, particularly as responders prepare for an increasingly complex threat spectrum in a post-9/11 world. As emergency responders adopt the technological innovations and organizational concepts that enable network-centric operations, attention should be paid to the lessons learned by the US armed forces in the application of the network-centric approach to war-fighting. Emergency operations centers (EOCs), incident command centers (ICCs), and field personnel will require extensive training and experimentation to sort out the impact of this new technology. They must develop protocols and procedures to leverage maximum advantage, while avoiding the undesirable and damaging effects of that technology improperly applied. Because most emergency response organizations lack the vast training resources of the US military, they must be innovative and adaptable in taking advantage of every opportunity to train their personnel in the assimilation of this new technology.

Author Biography

Lt. Col. Mark Stanovich, USMCR

Emergency Readiness and Response Research Center, Institute for Security Technology Studies, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.

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