Responding to tornadoes: A Constructivist Grounded Theory of the post-impact role of police in the United States

Tornado strikes are common disasters throughout many areas of the United States. The police are one of the first organizations to arrive at the scene of these disasters. Despite over fifty years of disaster research, studies examining the role of the police and the specific tasks they perform in the impact area of tornadoes remain limited. This study was conducted to understand the role of the police at the impact location of tornadoes. Utilizing Constructivist Grounded Theory, this study conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with police officers who recently responded to the impact location of a tornado. The study seeks to answer three research questions: 1) What is the role of the police when responding to the post-impact area of a tornado? 2) What specific tasks do police perform at the impact area immediately after a tornado strike? 3) Were the police officers trained and prepared to perform these tasks before the tornado strike? To answer these questions, the researcher chose a severe weather event that affected 11 states over two days. Participants were police officers who responded to tornado strikes in five different states. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using Atlas.ti software designed for qualitative research. Five themes, eighteen categories, and 88 codes were constructed. The five themes that emerged from this abductive study include 1) Impact Operations, 2) Protection, 3) Command and Communication, 4) Collaboration, and 5) Preparedness. Based on this study's findings, the researcher developed a ‘Model Stages of Police Proficiency for Tornado Response’ to identify the areas a police officer must be proficient in to respond effectively to a tornado strike. The model is scalable; as the police officer advances in their career, they should advance in each stage. The researcher also developed ten practical recommendations for police agencies to improve their ability to respond to a tornado strike effectively.