This short paper is a case study of the RCR Lab located at the campus of Mid Sweden University in Northern Sweden. We argue that experimental design thinking in research and higher education in the fields of crisis and emergency management in social studies can ameliorate the post hoc methodological problem and shed light in the decision processes and information flow among first responders as well as public officials of various levels. The RCR Lab may be used as an enhanced, realistic space for the enrichment of role-playing and simulations, to activate students, as well as a sophisticated tool for the collection not only of quantitative, but also of qualitative data. The audience for this paper may be institutions of higher education that have a lab on campus and are looking for new ways of utilizing it, as well as educators in general who are looking for new ways to integrate experimental thinking in their classes.