Attacks on first responders: Peace- and war-time dynamics, risk and crisis preparedness

First responders’ prompt and effective action forms an essential cog in maintaining societal security and for managing crises in peace- and war-time alike. Emergency services constitute a public good that populations expect the state to deliver yet growing numbers of attacks on rescue services place frontline workers at risk and hinder effective responses. Risk factors associated with attacks on first responders remain inadequately understood, as do the types of responses and preparedness efforts necessary to prevent and de-escalate such violence.

This project asks: Under what conditions do first responders become the deliberate targets of attacks and why? How do these conditions change during war- as opposed to peace-time?

Evidence-based knowledge around where, how and why attacks on first responders occur can help us gain crucial insights into a societal phenomenon that is growing in importance and severity, and in so doing provide a stronger foundation for devising effective crisis responses.

The project will develop a theoretical framework to systematize understanding around peace- and war-time conditions placing first responders at risk and evaluate the framework using novel large- and small-N data on attacks on first responders in the Swedish case. In addition, the project will learn from two wartime cases—Ukraine and Syria—to inform strategies for designing emergency response activities for situations of threat and crises, to advance Swedish preparedness efforts.