Question Authorities: Why it's smart to disobey officials in emergencies

Wired Story

For nearly four years... civil engineers have been studying the destruction of the World Trade Center towers... And it turns out that one of the lessons is: Disobey authority. In a connected world, ordinary people often have access to better information than officials do.

A brief but interestingly anarchistic position from Wired magazine on listening to authorities in this "age of terrorism".

As an official that deals with emergencies on a regular basis, I find that using this one example as a blanket OK to ignore all emergency workers is a bad idea.

This is akin to saying "don't use seatbelts because my cousin's mother's whatever was in a crash, and the cop said the seatbelt would have killer him/her!"

There are situations where it is in your best interest to listen very carefully to emergency professionals.

I can recall arguing with a car crash victim who told me he was OK to walk to our cot. I insisted he didn't. His injury? Broken C5 and C6 vertebrae. He was a hair away from spending his life in a wheelchair with a helper monkey.

Sure, you may get lucky. And, I realize that I have used "just one example" to make a point. However my career has been filled with many more.

Keeping the above in mind, I can also say that there are certain response elements to terrorism that are not so good, and they truly represent a "government operation".

But that is all I'm prepared to say in an open forum such as this.

Those "downstairs" have a better idea as to the mess.

You're right, it wouldn't always make sense, and I don't think that most people actually have the information/perspective required to handle dangerous situations appropriately, unlike the relatively educated people in that building with their blackberries and whatnot. I just found it an amusing interpretation, particularly in reference to terrorism.

PWG,

Context is everything.

In an unusual or highly charged situation, one must choose a course of action carefully and lay the ego aside. Not always easy.

This is why it is a good idea to occasionally watch cop and emergency shows, to provide examples and to think about what to do. Then one has formulated at least some general rules.

For emergencies:
Medics and firefighters -- I will follow their instructions. They are in the thick of it, and they are highly trained. Their focus is frequently on individuals.

I keep away from police officers if at all possible. They must deal with perps, and I am not going to get in their way. We are not talking about traffic jams here.

I will take my own counsel when bureaucrats try to manage a disaster situation. I learned this first hand when I was stranded in very heavy ashfall from Mt St Helens in 1980.

To repeat -- Context is everything. When your life is on the line there is no place for ego posturing, like the guy with the cervical injury. If you have insufficient information or skills, admit it, get over it, and get help. If a bureaucrat tells you you must have an emergency vaccination, have your decision already made.

Isabel-

Your breakdown of who to listen to/ who to avoid is spot on.

I agree completely.

I have observed the skills of the medics and firefighters close-up. I have an enormous amount of respect for what they do.

I have a good friend who is also a police officer. I don't know why I am still astounded at the stupidity he encounters regularly.

Though these same people could be your local bureaucrat...

With some notable exceptions, I really have no use for bureaucrats....

And...thank you for the work that you do, PWG. I know you have made a difference.

I do what I can to follow the rules when it comes to the Police. I believe that there is only one group that is worse to piss off and that is the IRS.

The failure to listen to those trained and trying to deal with a situation only makes said situation worse which is not needed by those trying to deal with said situation.

To comply with the ones trying to do whats right, is the only way to go I think.

I have had a very limited role in playing leader in an emergency, being on the response team for the facility I work at... that small role presented enough difficulties to over-come without having to deal with those intent on fighting you 100% of the way.