in Fjärrby.^20 But we don’t know how serious
it is yet. We have to try to limit the fire to
the department store. It must not be allowed
to spread from there. I would like an aerial
appliance on Drottninggatan, one on
Storgatan and one on Tvärgatan. Initially
they are to extinguish visible flame on the
upper floors, but they should also make sure
that the fire doesn’t spread over the roof.
Then despatch BA firefighters to work their
way up inside the building.’^21
Andersson tries several times to contact a
unit within his sector.
‘102 from sector Drottninggatan, where
are you just now, come?’^22 After several
minutes he gets a reply. ‘Where are you?’
Andersson shouts.
‘We have just come out of the hotel where
we have checked the property dividing walls
in the attic,’ the commander for 102 answers.
‘The whole unit? I said that you should
take one man with you to check the attic,
(^20) It can in some cases be necessary to change
the direction of an operation while it is
underway. It may also be necessary to discard
a plan, due to requirements from higher or
lower levels of command. Even if higher levels
should do everything possible to retain the
conditions necessary for the ongoing opera
tion, the operation must also be able to adapt
to the framework given by the higher level,
even if this involves reducing the aim of the
operation.(^22) Having a clear picture of the situations
operative firefighters are in is paramount
purely for safety reasons. A diffuse picture
can arise through ‘free lancing’, which
may be caused by inability on the part
of the operative personnel (they do not
understand what they should do) or by
poor leadership (personnel do not follow
instructions and do not execute allocated
tasks). A commander must also be able to
deal with these types of situations.
(^21) The commander must always be very
clear when it comes to the goal of the
operation, give clear directions as to what
is to be done, but leave the details to sub-
ordinate commanders. Ensure that there
is a realistic possibility of carrying out the
allocated tasks and that they are feasible in
relation to the situation.