Dynamics
Emergency response operations are executed, naturally, in
time and space. They start at a particular point in time and end
at another. Between these two points various things happen,
some as a consequence of the measures applied by the rescue ser-
vice, some as a consequence of measures not applied by the rescue
service. Some things occur due to the physical laws that control
and affect such courses of events whether the rescue service is
involved or not. This collective effect we call the dynamics (i.e. time
related) of the course of events. This can vary. Situations can be less
or more dynamic.
In addition response operations are executed within a certain
geographic area, sometimes a relatively large area. Consequently it
is important that the responding rescue service has a good under-
standing of the time and space aspects, not least in order to gain
and maintain control.
The two concepts must be considered together, and they influ-
ence the response operation in many different ways. In conside-
ring a commander’s role as the decision maker we can, in simple
terms, relate to several steps with a connection to both time and
space:
- The first step is to gain information. This happens continu
ally, but this step is often treated, with both positive and nega
tive consequences, as a single begun and finished activity.
Here it concerns, among other things, creating a picture
of the situation. The gaining of information or creation of a
picture of the situation takes time, whether considered as a
continuous or an intermittent process. The time required is
directly related to the geographic space involved. The greater
the geographic space, the longer it takes to gain the necessary
information, even when using technical aids. - The next step is to process the information into a basis for de-
cision making. This can happen very quickly or can take consi-
derable time. If a longer period is required it can be necessary
to form a partial basis for decision making which is then suc-
cessively built upon and refined to create the complete picture
of the situation and the basis for decision making. We should
always bear in mind, since the situation is dynamic, that in-
formation being processed can be updated before processing
is complete. In other words the situation or an individual’s