Civil security: preparedness and resilience in a changing environment

Our environment and the security situation have changed significantly in recent years. The consequences of climate change and armed conflicts as well as the associated migration movements are increasingly challenging society and security authorities. In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic added an unprecedented disaster situation. This made the global dimensions of the pandemic very tangible for all citizens and even the smallest regional emergency response units. The damage and challenges caused by disasters are increasing worldwide (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) & UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), 2020). Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 raises fears of further global crises and a renewed bloc policy with far-reaching consequences, while at the same time there is a risk that climate change, one of the most pressing problems of our time, will lose focus. These developments require reactions in various areas of life and at all levels, from citizens, local organisations and companies to higher-level authorities with security tasks, politics and society. We are convinced that the human factor is crucial at each of these levels and are focussing our research accordingly.

Innovative technical-operational solutions are required for the direct protection of the population, intangible and material assets. At a higher level, the coronavirus pandemic was a striking example of how a global crisis can challenge entire organisations, companies, authorities and even the highest political units and society as a whole, beyond the individual. Here, we have conducted research into the work of crisis teams as central decision-making bodies (Thielsch et al., 2021 & 2023), as well as experimentally investigating crisis communication by local leaders and public authorities on the basis of Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT; for a review see Coombs, 2007) (Hämke, Röseler & Thielsch 2022; Hirschfeld & Thielsch, 2022). In this way, we were able to identify critical stresses, but also relevant resources, effective behaviours and practical recommendations for action, particularly for crisis team work.

Selected publications:

Thielsch, M. T., Röseler, S., Kirsch, J., Lamers, C. & Hertel, G. (2021). Managing pandemics - demands, resources, and effective behaviours within crisis management teams. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 70 (1), 150-187. https://doi.org/10.1111/APPS.12303 [open access]

Thielsch, M. T., Röseler, S., Lamers, C. & Hertel, G. (2023). The COVID-19 marathon: demands and resources of crises managers in continuous operation. Journal of Psychology, 231 (2), 115-125. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000522 [open access]

Thielsch, M. T., Kirsch, J., Thölking, H., Tangelder, L., & Lamers, C. (2021). Fight or flight? Behaviour and experiences of laypersons in the face of an incipient fire. Ergonomics, 64(2), 149-170. doi. org/10.1080/00140139.2020.1825824

Von der Linde, M. & Thielsch, M. T. (2024). Laypersons in Fire Protection: Their Motivation, Their Emotions, Their Value. Fire Safety Journal, 142, 104047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2023.104047