F ire department emergency ambulance services struggle with EMS staffing, ambulance workload, and response time. I revisit two cities where I did a deep dive long ago and consider why their wicked problems have returned.
The term “Wicked Problem” was introduced in 1973 by Horst Ritter and Melvin Webber in describing the challenge of addressing planning and social policy problems. Wicked problems of planning lack clarity in both their aims and solutions. Unlike the “clean sheet of paper” approach, wicked problems are subject to real-world constraints that prevent multiple risk-free attempts at solving them.
Rittel, H. W., & Webber, M. M. (1973). “Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning.” Policy Sciences , 4(2), 155-169.