Implicit in crises of varying scopes and proportions are information and communication needs that can be addressed by today’s information and communication technologies. However, what is required is organizing the premises and concepts that can be mapped into a set of generic design principles, in turn providing a framework for the sensible development of flexible and dynamic Emergency Response Information Systems. We present a set of general and supporting design principles and specifications for such systems by identifying design premises resulting from experiences in the field and design concepts resulting from a comprehensive literature review. A framework is presented for the system design and development that addresses the information and communication needs of first responders as well as the decision making needs of command and control personnel. The framework also incorporates thinking about the value of insights and information from communities of geographically dispersed experts and suggests how that expertise can be brought to bear on crisis decision-making.