Crisis Response and Management of Public Administrations: Forgotten Tales

Abstract

Crises and disasters have become omnipresent worldwide in recent years. But thinking of managing those critical situations the focus of the public and scientific research in recent years was primarily on blue light organizations, i.e., classic emergency response organizations. This changed with the refugee situation in 2015/2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic, when public administrations and local authorities in particular took on a central role in crisis management. They became the central players in those situations, played an important role at the interface with the local population and were the first point of contact and information for them. This article sheds light on municipal administrations in Germany which have often be overlooked in various stages of crisis management. Drawing on empirical evidence from a German research project, it delves into the extent to which municipalities may have been overlooked or disregarded in certain aspects.