Computer assistance to communication and co-ordination during emergencies

The authors have been involved in crisis management for many years, in the armed forces, in industry and as consultants in crisis and media management, and have been part of a. large number of exercises and live incidents. Experience has shown that the elements of response to an incident that are often fatally weak are communication and co-ordination, without which no individual or team can be truly. effective. This results in delays, misunderstanding and incorrect actions that adversely affect the response and invariably impact the organisations and individuals involved.. To address this situation, the authors have developed a computer-based incident communication system, CICERO, which is designed to support response organisations by providing all approved users with an accurate and up-to-date picture of events and actions, along with other appropriate functions, via network and/or the Internet.