Training for decision making during emergencies

Abstract

As crises or emergencies occur unexpectedly and without warning, the non-technical skills of the emergency response personnel are as crucial as their technical skills. This is particularly true in complex, large-scale organisations. This paper outlines a novel, low-fidelity, training method, Tactical Decision Games (TDGs), that is designed to enhance the non-technical skills required for effective emergency management. These skills include decision making, communication, situation awareness, teamwork and stress management. It is anticipated that emergency response personnel will be better prepared, more equipped, and more able to deal with the demands endemic in any incident response situation as a result of repeated exposure to TDGs, which encourage learning through experience and directed practice.

Keywords

• human factors
• training
• emergency management
• non-technical skills
• decision making