response operation. Activities at higher levels should generally be
based somewhere providing good conditions in the form of, for
example, a practical premises, good communication means and
technical aids. Irrespective of the level, command work should
always be carried out from the location providing the best condi-
tions for just that. Note the comment above on the need, in some
cases, to vary the location of the command post. When locating
a high level commander one should also cater for command. The
general purpose of these should among others be for the comman-
der to familiarise him or herself with the situation so as to faci-
litate decision making with respect to the continued direction of
the total response operation in relation to the current assistance
needs. The purpose should also be a followup to ensure that the
current assistance needs are being provided by the response and if
necessary to adjust the framework of the response.
Situation perception
In order to make the correct decisions, it is necessary to obtain
as accurate a picture of the situation as possible. In addition it is
quite often necessary to create this picture quickly. In this con-
text we can apply the term situation perception. The capability to
handle a situation can never be better than the understanding or
picture of the situation the handling is based on. An inadequate
picture results in inadequate handling. It is also normally the case
that shortcomings in the understanding of a situation cannot be
compensated for by other means. If, for example, in the event of
a forest fire one has no concrete evidence as to where the fire is,
it makes no difference what resources are available or the control
the commander has over them. If it is not known where the re-
sources should be applied, the situation cannot be handled and
it is not then possible to obtain and maintain control. In order to
overcome this and create as accurate a picture as possible, certain
criteria are referred to, such as orientation, information gathe-
ring, provision of intelligence, visualisation, observation and for-
ward planning.
Gaining an understanding of the situation involves more than
simply looking around. Instead of visual impressions, in the majo-
rity of cases, it is more important or more relevant to create a mo-
del of the situation and how it may develop. For example, during