are handled from a tactical perspective. But one must also diff
erentiate between what one is to achieve, i.e. measures, and how
this is to be achieved, i.e. with the help of the unit.
What one intends to achieve in conjunction with emergency
response operations is based on a specific damage or a specific
destructive sequence relating to a specific object. The resources
(units) shall thus be managed in an optimal manner based on the
needs of the situation, with the damage to the object providing im-
portant input values. Persons in management roles must therefore
have knowledge of the resources’ capacity, of the object and how
different types of damage evolve or can evolve in various types
of objects, and depending on which measures one elects to take
against a specific damage to a specific object. One and the same
measure can have different effects on the destructive sequence ba-
sed on, for example, what the object is. This entails that standard
routines, templates and checklists must be used with caution.
Perceiving situations
It is impossible to plan for all conceivable situations. It is especially
impossible to plan for inconceivable situations. Many of the tasks
in conjunction with emergency response operations must thus
be based on continually receiving and taking consideration to in-
formation from the world around; information about everything
that can be of importance to operations. This can concern weather
conditions, resources’ capacity, buildings’ fire science technology,
properties, chemical substances, affected persons’ needs or one’s
own organisation’s needs. One can say that the entire system that
deals with emergencies and risks should have a fairly similar per-
ception of the situation.
The ability to deal with the situation is never better than the
perception that one has of the situation. To be able to correctly
make decisions, one must be able to establish a perception of
the situation that is as accurate as possible. A faulty perception
leads to faulty actions. As a rule, a faulty perception of the si-
tuation cannot be compensated by other measures. Establishing a
perception of the situation entails much more than just creating
instantaneous images. Instead of instantaneous images, it is usu-
ally more important and more relevant to create a model of the
situation and how it can evolve, which is also an important part
in gaining and maintaining control. Without the opportunity to
determine the state, i.e. to perceive the situation, control cannot