Simulating the impact of first responder communication strategies on citizen adherence in emergencies

Accurate preparedness and response are essential to saving lives in emergencies. Key components of enhancing safe response are understanding how and why the public respond to emergency instructions and embedding this knowledge into training for first responders and computer simulations used to plan response strategies. In Phase 1 of the Future Leaders Fellowship, we established that the phrasing first responders use when giving the public instructions can be used as a tool to improve safety because it impacts how the public view the responders and subsequent willingness to follow their instructions. Specifically, we found that the phrasing predicts how much the public feel part of a group with the responders, which is then associated with how fairly the public feel treated and their trust in the responders to safely manage the emergency. Crucially, this impacts how willing the public are to follow instructions from first responders in evacuation contexts. We established links with prominent stakeholders in first responder training, policy and guidance to identify routes for impactful change to first responder communication practices, as well as the pressing issues for responders and evidence needed over the coming years. Moreover, we implemented the effects of the phrasing used in first responder instructions on group dynamics into an agent-based model to improve the accuracy of evacuation simulations. This state-of-the art open-source model is firmly embedded in evidence from our psychology experiments and places the effects of first responder communication strategies on social processes into evacuation simulations for the first time. We are now working with international crowd modelling developers to implement this model into their software used globally for emergency planning. We are now poised to accelerate and expand the research agenda to maximise our impact. The renewal phase of the fellowship will focus on three key objectives: Adapting the phrasing of first responder instructions. We will identify how the phrasing used by first responders when giving instructions to the public impacts public response. We will focus on emergency scenarios that are classed as significant and most likely for the UK. We will ensure that the phrasing is accessible for the most vulnerable populations in emergencies, thereby increasing the generalisability and applicability of the findings. Continuous development, validation, and spread of the agent-based model. We will establish structures to continually update our model as new evidence is obtained and ensure the model can be integrated into existing software to maximise uptake. Updating first responder guidance, training and policy. We will work closely with leading first responder organisations to translate our research findings into tangible changes to first responder training, policy and guidance regarding communicating with the public, to improve safety in emergencies.