Exploring the dynamics of local emergency management collaboration in the United States: What we learned from Florida county and city emergency managers’ Viewpoints

Abstract

本研究藉由文獻檢閱，從組織內部因素、組織外部因素，以及地方政府災防能量三個面向發展研究架構，探討促成美國地方政府從事垂直與水平災防協力的驅動因素；透過訪談美國佛羅里達州郡市地方災防辦公室主管，蒐集資料分析與釐清地方政府實務上，從事不同災防協力活動現況與其背後的理性動機，進行理論與實務的對話。研究發現，在美國的系絡下，尋求資源與訓練機會解釋了大部分地方政府從事垂直協力的動機；而地方政府從事水平協力不僅是為了尋求資源，亦提供了其他政府機關與非政府組織夥伴資源與協助。整體而言，相較於垂直型跨政府層級的災防協力，水平型的跨地方政府、跨部門災防協力更已被廣泛運用。

This study uses a framework developed using the perspectives of internal and external organizational factors, and emergency management capacity to study the drivers of emergency management collaboration (i.e., vertical, horizontal-interlocal, and horizontal-intersectoral collaborations) at the local level. Qualitative data were collected by interviewing county and city emergency managers in Florida to understand practical collaborative activities in both vertical and horizontal contexts, explore county and city managers` rationales behind each type of collaboration, and examine the influences of selected drivers in the theoretical framework. The findings show that for local governments, seeking resources and training opportunities can explain a large proportion of why they seek vertical collaboration. However, in horizontal collaboration, local governments go beyond resource- seeking to also providing assistance to their governmental and non-governmental partners. Horizontal collaboration is more common and more popular than vertical collaboration. In sum, this study helps us gain a theoretical and practical understanding of local emergency management in the United States.