be gained and maintained to any significant degree or with any
greater reliability.
To conduct effective emergency response operations and to act
instead of parry, the capacity is needed to quickly be able to identify
the variables and parameters that affect the situation.
Factors relating to time and time dependency that should be
considered include:
- The speed at which the emergency evolves with time
- The speed at which the risk profile changes with time
- The time interval during which all or parts of the system can
be selfsufficient without requiring any form of input signal or
stimuli from other parts - Requisite time for activating or readying the management
system - Different levels’ varying needs in time and space, such as vary-
ing needs concerning wealth of detail in the information flow
Subsequently, when dimensioning a management system, for ex-
ample, it is not just the system’s capability to initiate responses
should be considered. The capacity to exercise management over
time, i.e. to initiate, conduct and conclude the response and to
maintain preparedness in relation to the risk profile must also be
considered. The management system must be given sustainability
corresponding to the duration of the emergency’s chain of events
that form the basis for dimensioning.
One should also keep in mind that time and space are related.
The longer the period of time that must be dealt with, the larger
the space normally becomes, i.e. geographic dispersion. And in
the end, it is all about making decisions that have certain validity
in time and space.
Making decisions
The decisions made in conjunction with emergency response
operations are normally made in a dynamic environment. The
decisions are made in a certain context. They are influenced by
what has occurred previously and events at the time of decision
making. The subsequent decisions and measures that they result
in influence events on both the short and long term.
As initial values for making correct and good decisions, con-
sideration must be taken to – besides the situation’s demands
and needs – ethical and moral values, and internal and external