Understanding emergency response (Image: University of Greenwich)
The media’s portrayal of our response to emergencies is harmful, says Ed Galea, a mathematical modeller who specialises in disasters
Everyone thinks they know how they will act in an emergency, but what happens in reality?
People don’t respond how they think they will. One problem is that they don’t respond quickly enough. In a familiar place, they think they will be able to find their way out so become complacent. Also, people are no longer afraid of fire because we no longer come across it in our everyday lives. People don’t realise how quickly fire and toxic gas…
