Security Debrief

Emergency Response, Warfare and the Coming Revolution in Decisionmaking – Crisis Comm

There are many ways emergency response management is like warfare: winning is about having the necessary resources and deploying them most effectively. Clear chain of command and unity of command are essential. As important as top level leadership is, the ground is won by those in the field making intelligent, responsive decisions consistent with the overall strategy.

One very important way response management is like warfare is the extreme importance of intelligence–information about the actual situation on the ground. The classic work on the topic of the role of intelligence in warfare is still Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” written in the sixth century BC.