Preparedness and Response of Lifeline Organizations in Community Disasters

灾害研究中心（DRC）正在研究社区灾害中生命线组织的准备和反应模式。在“生命线”一项下，刚果民主共和国关注的是通常被称为公用事业（如电力、天然气、水、电话公司）、公共工程（如街道和道路、卫生和垃圾处理、污水处理）和公共交通组织（如公共汽车、地铁、铁路、出租车公司）的团体。他们对灾害人员造成的全社区危机的规划和紧急行动正在现场实地研究中进行审查。正在收集关于生命线组织的特征（结构和功能）、它们与其他与灾害有关的团体的组织间关系、造成这些特征的社会因素或条件的大量开放式访谈、参与者观察和文件收集所得的数据；以及对群体和社区准备和灾害管理的影响。除了填补与灾害有关的群体的空白外，这项研究还将分析生命线组织的活动如何影响其他面向当地紧急情况的群体的规划和反应，并为正在进行的生命线系统工程和技术方面的工作提供补充的社会科学方面。将特别注意地震，特别是因为生命线系统通常在这类灾害中受到严重影响。

The Disaster Research Center (DRC) is undertaking a study of the preparedness and response patterns of lifeline organizations in community disasters. Under "lifeline" DRC is looking at groups usually known as public utilities (e.g., electric, gas, water, telephone companies), public works (e.g., streets and roads, sanitation and garbage, sewerage) and public transportation organizations (e.g., bus, subway, railway, taxicab companies). Their planning for and their emergency time actions in community wide crises emanating from disaster agents is being examined in on-site field studies. Data from intensive open ended interviewing, participant observing and document collecting are being gathered on the characteristics (structure and function) of lifeline organizations, their interorganizational relationships with other disaster relevant groups, the social factors or conditions which result in these features, and the consequences for both group and community preparedness and disaster management. Besides filling in a lacuna about disaster relevant groups, the research will allow an analysis of how the activities of lifeline organizations affect the planning and response of other local emergency oriented groups, and provide the complementary social science side to the work being done on the engineering and technical aspects of lifeline systems. Special attention will be given to earthquakes especially since lifeline systems are usually heavily impacted in such disasters.