Tactics, command, leadership

Creating a picture of the situation, then, involves much more
than simply taking a look. In order to create as comprehensive a
picture as possible several senses must be employed, more cons-
ciously. The visual impression may even be the one that should
be the least regarded since it can often give a false impression.
In cases of response operations in the dark or in fog, perhaps in
unfamiliar terrain, a plane crash, for example, it may be neces-
sary to rely on reports. In major fires, that can give strong visual
impressions, it may not always be the fire itself that is the heart
of the problem. It may perhaps be hot ash that is being quickly
transferred via ventilation ducts or crawl space, which normally
would not be visible. In such cases knowledge of, for example, the
building’s fire protection system would contribute to creating a
comprehensive picture of the situation, which in turn would lead
to certain decisions being taken and tasks allocated.
In the case of dispersion of gaseous, toxic chemicals or fires issu-
ing large quantities of harmful combustion gases, it is perhaps not
the situation in the direct area that is the problem. The problem per-
haps lies further forward in time and further away in space, when
the gas cloud reaches a hospital situated several kilometres from
the incident site. It is then necessary to create a picture of the situ-
ation that encompasses much more than that provided by the sen-
ses. The properties of the chemical or the combustion gas are then
important parameters to take into account. Measures to safeguard
against long term environmental consequences of days, months or
perhaps years can be of considerably more significance than those
of the moment, executed to influence a close foreseeable future of
seconds, minutes or hours.
For a commander who is not present at the incident site, it can
be difficult to create an accurate picture of the situation for a spe-
cific response operation. No visual impression is available and re-
ports can be incomplete and ambiguous or even contradictory if
they come from several sources. A command visit or a visit by a
command staff member can then be justified to the purpose of cre-
ating a personal picture of the situation on the ground, the develop­
ments, applied resources and assistance needs.
The damage caused and the course of events can make it dif-
ficult to gain an accurate picture of the situation. But applying
certain measures can help to create one. Testing, studying and
analysing the effects of these measures should help to provide a
fuller picture, make better decisions and execute more effective
measures.