Tactics, command, leadership

ally strives to coordinate the work of the organisational elements.
This also includes ensuring that they do not work against each
other, but rather, either together or independently, work towards
accomplishing the common goal of the operation. The tasks must
also, obviously, be configured to meet the actual assistance need
on the basis of the course of events.
It is essential that operational command processes inform ation
on the situation and plans for the continuing operation in terms
of time and space. It must therefore be aware of what is happe-
ning in the close surroundings, continually analyse the strengths
and shortcomings of resources and be ever aware of the situation
with regard to opportunities and threats. The various changes in
the course of events, occurring naturally or as a result of the me-
asures taken, affect in one way or another the subsequent work
at the incident site. The work that is carried out in the event of
emergency response operations must therefore be continually
adapted to suit the changing situation, and operational command
must continually follow up the results of work carried out by the
various units.
It is also possible, naturally, for operational command to com-
bine efforts with other organisations that may be involved in the
work in different ways or that can contribute to helping victims in
some way. As society’s various organisations that normally work
in these areas are answerable to different legislation, advantage
may be gained for each other’s organisations through coordina-
tion or contribution with different expertise to overcome the vari-
ous problems that may arise.
Emergency response operation work must of course be
oriented towards maximum effectiveness in relation to the
assistance need for the individual response operation. Activity is
based on an active approach to the problems that may arise. Con-
sequently it is not sufficient to respond to events that have occur-
red; the work in the decision domains must be oriented towards
dealing with various problems and issues before they arise. Opera-
tional command must, then, work with a time horizon that stret-
ches ahead of immediate needs.
The decision domain operational command primarily decides
on the goal of the operation, and decides upon and allocates tasks
to the organisational elements that are involved in the response
operation. This includes coordinating the work that these orga-
nisational elements carry out. As well as, as necessary, issuing