Cordon operations and decision-making following earthquakes: a model for understanding cordons in practice

The increasing use of cordons after major seismic events necessitates an improved understanding of how post-earthquake cordons work in practice. The use of cordons in 3 case study countries (New Zealand, Italy and Nepal) were examined following damaging earthquakes to understand decision-making by emergency management authorities related to cordon implementation and management during the response and recovery. A qualitative research approach included 44 interviews with expert knowledge holders. This paper provides a synthesis of the results of these case studies and proposes a new working definition for cordons that addresses their dynamic temporal and spatial nature. The paper presents a model that captures the practical implications and recommendations of this research, Cordon Operations and management and Decision-making following Earthquakes (CODE), to support emergency managers and relevant authorities to be better prepared, make informed decisions and aid in operational activities in future seismic events.