Getting acquainted at the IMT level

My research investigates decision making in Incident
Management Teams, the teams that coordinate the response to large
bushfires and other emergencies.

I am exploring the differences in the decision making
quality between pre-formed teams and those teams pulled together at
short notice, that is, ad hoc teams.

Although it is thought that pre-formed teams are superior to
ad hoc teams, there has been no detailed study on this. Several
fire agencies have implemented pre-formed teams – this study
will provide important information on the possible differences
between these teams and ad hoc teams.

Given the logistical challenges of organising IMT personnel
to respond to fires in parts of Australia, it may not be feasible
to use a pre-formed team. This study will investigate ways of
transferring some of the possible advantages of pre-formed teams to
ad hoc teams. For example, a procedure that helps rapidly acquaint
members with each other and their abilities in the early phases of
establishing an IMT for a particular incident.