Communication, information-transfer and role-shift in a challenging public safety & security field operation
Turunen, Tuomas (2010)
Turunen, Tuomas
Laurea-ammattikorkeakoulu
2010
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2010061412128
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2010061412128
Tiivistelmä
Challenging criminal incidents like high-jacking of a ship in international waters or a multiple homicide in a school (e.g. a school-shooting) require effective action from all safety and security organizations involved. Many rescue and law enforcement operations require a transfer of information during a change of personnel from morning shift staff to evening shift staff, for example. This exchange is referred to as role shifting. In the case of a high-jacked ship, role shifting may become complicated as the operational area and context may change from one country to another or to international waters as the ship continues its journey. The issues of transferring information and role-shifting during a multi-actor operation is then in question. In this thesis a model for managing a complicated operational entity is constructed that addresses the issues of acquiring and disseminating facts, role-shifting, effective decision-making, and managing related risks.
In this thesis the acquisition and dissemination of facts, role-shifting and managing the related risks are studied from the perspective of different operations in the public safety field as well as from the perspective of a field actor with the writer’s personal experience and experience from interviewed professionals within this context. The context of all the above mentioned is an operational entity, which in the best cases consists of planning, action and after-action phases. The operations may be in response to natural or manmade disasters that may be long-term or short-term and require decision-making delegations and role-shifts due to the dynamic nature and rapidly changing conditions and environment. The government officials working in such operations usually follow a predefined command and control model in which the decision-making is the duty of high-ranking officials. One needs information to effectively make a decision. Even in modern society an inability sometimes exists, either technical or human, that prevents the expeditious transfer of necessary information. In many time-critical, life-threatening and rapidly changing situations (an operational entity) decisions must be made in a split-second and often on the frontline. Therefore, time constraints do not allow for decision-making to follow the chain of command; decisions must be made in an ad hoc way depending on the situation.
In this thesis a model for managing a complicated operational entity is constructed that addresses the issues of acquiring and disseminating facts, role-shifting, effective decision-making, and managing related risks in a demanding safety and security field operation.
In this thesis the acquisition and dissemination of facts, role-shifting and managing the related risks are studied from the perspective of different operations in the public safety field as well as from the perspective of a field actor with the writer’s personal experience and experience from interviewed professionals within this context. The context of all the above mentioned is an operational entity, which in the best cases consists of planning, action and after-action phases. The operations may be in response to natural or manmade disasters that may be long-term or short-term and require decision-making delegations and role-shifts due to the dynamic nature and rapidly changing conditions and environment. The government officials working in such operations usually follow a predefined command and control model in which the decision-making is the duty of high-ranking officials. One needs information to effectively make a decision. Even in modern society an inability sometimes exists, either technical or human, that prevents the expeditious transfer of necessary information. In many time-critical, life-threatening and rapidly changing situations (an operational entity) decisions must be made in a split-second and often on the frontline. Therefore, time constraints do not allow for decision-making to follow the chain of command; decisions must be made in an ad hoc way depending on the situation.
In this thesis a model for managing a complicated operational entity is constructed that addresses the issues of acquiring and disseminating facts, role-shifting, effective decision-making, and managing related risks in a demanding safety and security field operation.