Tactics, command, leadership

Let us take, for example, a fire in a warehouse containing chemi-

cals; it is of primary interest to conduct a technical analysis of

some parts of the affected space in order to extinguish the fire

at the same time as limiting the flow, out of the building, of che-

mically contaminated extinguishing water. In other parts of the

affected space it may be a question of focusing more on the long

term effects of the extinguishing water on the environment. It

can under such circumstances be difficult to transfer relevant and

important information between the different parts of the space.

It can also be perceived as being of a relative and abstract mag-

nitude, for example as the x­axis on a graph, a distance measured

in kilometres or perhaps simply in time. The development of a fire

in a (physical) space is for example often described using graphs

explaining the relationship between time and temperature within

that space. Important in the concept of space then is that it is norm­

ally considered in connection with time.

It can also be perceived as being created through interplay with

various societal and institutional processes. A particular organi-

sation has a certain amount of space within which to function,

limited by legislation or other forms of agreement. There are for

example a number of legislative criteria stipulating what can be ta-

ken as a rescue service and when an emergency response operation

can be terminated. Such criteria limit the space that the municipal

structure for providing rescue services has to function within and

concern both time and geometric space.

Space can be thought of
as a map with different
layers, where each layer
represents a certain
amount of information.