State of Knowledge Management among German firefighters

Abstract

This paper introduces the results of a survey that was conducted among German firefighters in 2023 to investigate the current situation of knowledge management. We want to examine which systems and techniques are in use, what the end users' expectations towards knowledge management are, and which requirements a system should fulfill. We focus on all stages of the crisis management circle, from prevention and preparation to the response to an incident as well as recovery.

The goal of this survey is to evaluate firefighters' needs in order to be able to define requirements for a knowledge management system that will be accepted by the users. The exchange of information items between entities (emergency units, authorities, and enterprises) and other IT systems is one important aspect. We identify existing information and knowledge management systems, and means to improve user satisfaction by leveraging users to maintain a system with relevant and up-to-date information and knowledge.