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. 2025 Apr 14;25(1):60.
doi: 10.1186/s12873-025-01217-9.

First responders' experiences with major earthquakes in Türkiye: a qualitative study of innovation needs and challenges

Zeynep Sofuoglu  1 , Aysel Başer  2 , Turhan Sofuoglu  3 , Ömer Faruk Sönmez  4
Affiliations

First responders' experiences with major earthquakes in Türkiye: a qualitative study of innovation needs and challenges

Zeynep Sofuoglu et al. BMC Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Background: The response phase is a phase of disaster management that begins when a disaster occurs. The experience of the First Responders who responded in the first days to the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, which killed more than fifty thousand people, is expected to inform and add value to the preparations for subsequent disasters.

Methods: A qualitative approach was used; focus group interviews were conducted with 15 first responders (8 fire fighters and 7 medical personnel) that responded in the first moments of the devastating Kahramanmaraş and Hatay earthquakes. The interviews conducted in June 2023. A qualitative approach with the thematic analysis method was employed.

Results: Based on the analyses the research six main themes and 13 subthemes were identified. The identified themes were resources, needs, collaboration, innovation, disaster management and challenges. The participants emphasized the need for better communication tools, protective equipment, and technologies such as drones and advanced sensors to enhance disaster response efforts. The findings also highlight the critical role of collaboration between different organizations and the necessity for integrated disaster management practices and applications. The findings obtained from the views of experienced first responders will inspire national and international disaster crisis managers, policy makers and technology providers to develop more effective disaster response methods. Through technological solutions and better training, the safety and effectiveness of first responders can be significantly improved in future disaster scenarios.

Conclusions: This study fills an important gap in the literature by investigating the innovation needs and challenges faced by first responders during the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye. In this study, the gap analysis was determined through interviews conducted with teams that responded to the 2023 major Turkey earthquake in the initial hours following the disaster. These findings are of significant value in guiding the improvement of the approaches and development of technological products in the field of disaster management.

Keywords: Collaboration; Communication; Disaster management; First responders; Innovative technologies; Teamwork.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: This study was conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines and principles for research involving human subjects. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Commission of Izmir Demokrasi University, Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Education and Research Hospital, under Decree No. 146 dated May 2023. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Consent to participate: All participants provided informed consent, were assured of their anonymity, and were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any point without consequence. Limitations: The study’s findings were derived from first responder teams responding on the first day of the 2023 Türkiye earthquake; however, the qualitative nature of the study restricts limits the transferability of these findings. While the study is based on Turkish experts, its results may be applicable to other similar cultural contexts. It is important to note that generalization in qualitative research, as emphasized by Smith [58] relies on analytical and inferential reasoning rather than statistical-probabilistic generalizability. In consideration of the correlation between the codes and subthemes identified in this study, which pertain to disaster management, it is evident that they exhibit interconnection in specific domains. However, the researchers’ reaching a consensus during the collaborative meetings served to mitigate this. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

References

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