Tasks
Units are allocated tasks and execute one or more measures.
It is the units that directly affect the course of events at the
incident site, on the basis of the assistance need. When a
certain resource (part of a unit, a unit or a combination of units)
executes one or more measures this is done on the basis of one
or more allocated tasks. From a command perspective, a task is
simply the activity that a resource carries out to achieve a goal.
The allocation of these is decided upon and they are distributed
to the units.
For a task to be carried out it must defined:
- What is the purpose of the task?
- What shall be done?
- Where shall it be done?
- How much time is available?
- What resources shall be used?
- How shall it be done, depending on the form of control (manage-
ment by objectives or management by detail)?
The contents of a task exist at different levels of detail, depending
on, for example, from where in the organisation they are being
perceived. It is not always the case that all the parts need to be
specified. In many cases it is essential that the person allocated
the task is aware of its purpose, but not always. In cases where
a commander possesses special knowledge on the execution of a
task, this knowledge should be included in the distributed task
information.
The effective use of resources
There is of course a great need for the effective use of resources
in connection with emergency response operations. On the basis
of the characteristics of the damage, the type of object and the
resource capacity, it is necessary to meet the assistance need that
has arisen in the best possible way. This is where tactics enters
the picture – to make the best possible moves with respect to the
prevailing conditions.
Most of us have in some connection needed to consider tactics.
If we say that something was tactically done, it is usually taken
as a compliment, meaning that something was well or cleverly
carried out in a certain situation. On the other hand it can have