Tactics, command, leadership

part of the members’ own views and perceptions, which the mem-
bers subsequently assert in the presence of others, both within
and without the group. There are also unwritten rules in formal
groups, which in addition to the formally adopted rules of play,
influence the group’s work to the highest degree.
In a group there is also a control need (Mann, 1973); a need to
control the group members’ behaviour, attitudes and relations-
hips in order to safeguard the group’s continued existence. The
control need often has, along with the group’s sanction system,
a restraining influence on the group members. Various forms of
pressure can convince the members to follow the norms and feel
aversion to breaching them.
In rescue services, there are both locally supported norms
and norms that are applicable on a wider perspective. There is
a certain culture in rescues service that is more or less generally
applicable and even applies on a national perspective. Work met-
hods, attitudes, problems and discussions that are conducted at
the workplaces are often similar. This can sometimes depend on,
among other things, that there is a nationwide system for training
and recruiting, and that instructors have similar backgrounds.
Knowledge concerning how various types of emergencies are dealt
with is similar, and the available equipment is also similar, which is
perhaps primarily due to the market being fairly small and the rate
of development thus being slow. It is worth noting that there are
also a number of similarities from the international perspective.
The rules that are accepted as legitimate by the group’s mem-
bers are those that are considered as appropriate, and naturally
practical as well, for the group’s operations. The group norms are
thus important and in fact the foundation for the professionalism
of rescue services. Such group norms can also be developed and
formalised into so­called standard routines, especially if the group
norms significantly concern the actual manner of carrying out
tasks or work methods.
A conclusion of the line of reasoning above is that informal
rules control the group’s way of functioning, not the least in con-
junction with emergency response operations. What is important
to remember is that these informal rules can be much stronger
than the organisation’s formal rules, and that they can affect re-
sponse operations in various ways. Rules or group norms that are
not in agreement with an organisation’s objectives and purposes
should be modified by those in management positions. A supervi-