management coping problem in emergency situations [1]
Background,
problem and aim
Coping with the initial phase seems to be a critical condition in establishing management and how the management continues to deal with the emergency or the disaster.
The main reason for the problem is that necessary anticipation, totality coping and longterm management are established too late in relation to the dynamics of the emergency or disaster. Connected to this there are two specific problems.
The first is that it seems difficult to anticipate drastic, unforeseen developments of an emergency or disaster and that the management steps are established too late.
The second is that decision makers seem
to be absorbed with visible problems in a short term and carry out decision making
minute by minute.
Coping with
different kinds of emergencies
The dynamics of emergencies can be divided into three main categories(Fredholm 1991).
Dynamic states are characterised by rapid changes and mostly by expanding developments. A fire is a typical dynamic state.
Unstable static states are characterised by situations in stillness when the coping process starts. A rash move can start a changing and developing process. The stillness is a kind of an unstable equilibrium. An operation after a landslide is such a situation.
The dynamic phase has usually already occurred
when the emergency management starts.
Stable static states are also characterised by situations in stillness when the coping process starts. There is however a stable equilibrium.
Different
decision making demands
These three main categories of emergencies involve different decision making demands.
The dynamic states comprise the most stressful situations. The decision making is under strong time pressure. An important tactical aim is often to stop the expanding development. Saving lives has to be done rapidly.
The unstable static states demand caution and possibly careful planning during a long time before acting. There is more time to discuss and analyse the problems and the measures. A main tactical aim is to bring the situation from being unstable to being stable. This often has to be done with care.
The stable static states are hardly an emergency management problem. The problems concern recovering.
REFERENCES:
[1]
Lars Fredholm, Emergency management as co-ordinated cognitive modelling on
different time-scales
Department
of Fire Safety Engineering, Lund University, Sweden, Report 3111, Lund 1999
