How can we improve initial public response during emergencies? Recommendations from a systematic review of pre-incident information
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Boyce, Niki
Symons, Charles
Carter, Holly
Majumdar, Arnab
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This systematic review examines the effect of pre-incident information on public preparedness prior to an emergency or disaster. Preparing members of the public for adverse events can improve self-sufficiency and improve health outcomes, particularly during periods when emergency responders are not immediately available. Twenty-three studies were identified, addressing both natural and human-influenced events. All the studies investigated pre-incident training targeting members of the public rather than specialist responders. The synthesis considered training content, delivery approaches and evaluation methods. The studies included preparation, personal safety, triage, first aid and evacuation in scenarios involving terrorism, fire, earthquake, flood and CBRN events. Pre-incident education generally improves knowledge and intention to act, with higher-intensity and interactive training yielding greater engagement and response. Due to the difficulty of simulating emergencies and disasters, several studies used self-reporting and hypothetical testing, while others attempted to create real-life scenarios. The immediate effects of pre-incident education were generally positive, although many studies tested outcomes theoretically or within a classroom environment. It was also noted that few studies considered retention over the medium to long term; this is a concern as temporal decay may reduce preparedness. This review provides a basis for continued development of public-facing pre-incident education to increase resilience to both terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
Date Issued
2026-04-20
Date Acceptance
2026-04-07
Citation
Urban Science, 2026, 10 (4)
ISSN
2413-8851
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal / Book Title
Urban Science
Volume
10
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2026-04-20