Control measure

Share situational awareness: Major incidents

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Shared situational awareness is a common understanding of the circumstances, immediate consequences and the longer-term implications of the emergency, along with an appreciation of the available capabilities and priorities of the emergency services and responding agencies.

Shared situational awareness is not always easy to achieve and all the inherent uncertainties and obstacles that limit individual situational awareness are operating in the background. Interaction of individuals, a team or multiple teams also increases the level of difficulty. Some common barriers to achieving effective shared situational awareness are:

Concepts not commonly understood
Terminology not commonly understood
Unawareness of the use of differing metrics and measurements being used by different teams
Graphical representations (e.g. signs and symbols) not commonly understood
Natural team assumptions made about other teams going unchallenged or unacknowledged
Operating procedures and objectives of one team not understood by others
Information not shared amongst teams
Expertise held by one team not made available to the collective effort
Challenge and critique suppressed by dominance of one person/team (group think)

It is important to emphasise that shared situational awareness does not imply that everything that is known by involved parties should be shared. This would be grossly inefficient and not everybody needs to know everything.

Information management during major incidents is extremely challenging and can be problematic. It is then further complicated by the collective nature of multi-agency working and the sharing of information across internal and external boundaries. It should be recognised that it is at these boundaries that friction, miscommunication, misunderstanding, frustration and breakdowns can occur.

Different organisations and professions use terminology differently in this field. For example, the term ‘evidence’ has a very specific meaning in a policing context but has a more general meaning across much of the rest of the public sector. Similarly, the term ‘intelligence’ in a military and policing context refers to information that has been through an agreed process of analysis and has subsequently been graded to a standard agreed by all as to its validity and authenticity. Clarifying what is meant by specific terms when working across boundaries is essential.

To enhance the effectiveness, interoperability and situational awareness of those involved in managing major incidents, the common methodology of creating a common operating picture (COP), should be adopted. A COP that is appropriate to the operating context is a powerful point of reference for the attainment of shared situational awareness.

A COP is a product, an output or a structured display of information where shared situational awareness can be achieved across multi-agency partners to provide and agree a common end to a joint response. This kind of shared knowledge and insight is built not just by the provision of information but also interacting through asking questions, clarifying uncertainties and challenging assumptions.

During major incidents it should be recognised that the actual form of a COP will vary between organisations and contexts. Some will be graphical or map-based, others more textual. Some will be interactive, others static. Some will emphasise real time data and others will include only validated data, thereby imposing a time lag on inclusion. What, and how much, is shared depends upon the common objectives which an SCG/TCG are working towards and the level of interaction and interdependence between them in doing so.

Achieving shared situational awareness is essential for effective interoperability. Further information can be found in National Operational Guidance: Incident command – Situational awareness.

Strategic actions

Fire and rescue services should:

Develop procedures, training , awareness initiatives and exercising for all levels of response staff to enhance situational awareness

Tactical actions

Strategic and tactical incident commanders should:

Develop shared situational awareness with other responding agencies and control rooms using the common operating picture methodology
Communicate outcomes of the common operating picture to the relevant internal and external agencies using the M/ETHANE message structure
Use concepts that are commonly understood by all agencies
Use terminology that is commonly understood by all agencies
Confirm the use of commonly understood metrics and measurements used by different teams
Ensure graphical representations (e.g. signs and symbols) are commonly understood
Challenge and/or acknowledge natural team assumptions both internally and externally to clarify understanding
Confirm operating procedures and objectives to ensure they are understood by all teams
Engender information sharing amongst teams
Encourage the sharing of relevant expertise of all available teams

TRAINING SPECIFICATION

Knowledge and understanding

Control measure element	Learning outcome
Shared situational awareness of all responding agencies	The purpose and benefits of multi-agency shared situational awareness The process and systems used to ensure multi-agency shared situational awareness

NOS knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:
You need to know and understand: 2026
K Principles of Integrated Emergency Management (IEM) K Roles and responsibilities of partner organisations involved in response and recovery K How partner organisations are organised; their broad structures, methods of communication and decision making processes K The culture, priorities and constraints of partner organisations K Relevant emergency plans and arrangements including pre-determined procedures for involvement of other organisations K How to review the effectiveness of strategies and update or vary them in response to changing situations or information K Factors relevant to setting and reviewing strategies including assessments of risk, community impact and the longer term recovery process
Respond to emergencies as a part of a multi-agency response at the strategic (gold) level
K 2 Principles of Integrated Emergency Management (IEM) K 5 Roles and responsibilities of partner organisations involved in response and recovery K 6 How partner organisations are organised; their broad structures, methods of communication and decision making processes K 7 The culture, priorities and constraints of partner organisations K 8 Relevant emergency plans and arrangements including pre-determined procedures for involvement of other organisations K 11 How to review the effectiveness of strategies and update or vary them in response to changing situations or information K 12 Factors relevant to setting and reviewing strategies including assessments of risk, community impact and the longer term recovery process
You need to know and understand: 2069
K The principles of Integrated Emergency Management (IEM) K How to monitor and review the implementation of tactical options K Others who should be involved in reviewing tactical options K Roles and responsibilities of partner organisations involved in response and recovery at local, regional and national level K Culture, priorities and constraints of partner organisations K How partner organisations are organised; their broad structures, methods of communication and decision making processes K Information needs of organisations involved in responses
Respond to emergencies at the tactical (silver) level
K 4 The principles of Integrated Emergency Management (IEM) K 9 How to monitor and review the implementation of tactical options K 10 Others who should be involved in reviewing tactical options K 13 Roles and responsibilities of partner organisations involved in response and recovery at local, regional and national level K 14 Culture, priorities and constraints of partner organisations K 15 How partner organisations are organised; their broad structures, methods of communication and decision making processes K 19 Information needs of organisations involved in responses
You need to know and understand: 2102
K Principles of effective response and recovery K Principles of command, control and co-ordination and potential flexibility between levels of response K Roles, responsibilities and information needs of organisations involved in response K How to conduct briefings and de-briefings
Respond to emergencies at the operational (bronze) level
K 4 Principles of effective response and recovery K 5 Principles of command, control and co-ordination and potential flexibility between levels of response K 8 Roles, responsibilities and information needs of organisations involved in response K 14 How to conduct briefings and de-briefings

Practical application

Control measure element	Learning outcome
Share situational awareness with all responding agencies	The ability to ascertain the priorities of all responding agencies and collate this information into strategic plans The effective use of the M/ETHANE message structure

NOS performance criteria

You must be able to:
You must be able to: 2002
P Work effectively in co-operation with partner organisations at a strategic level in accordance with organisational requirements P Confirm strategic decisions agreed with responders and how these will be implemented in accordance with organisational requirements P Obtain and provide technical and professional advice from suitable sources to inform decision making in accordance with organisational requirements P Delegate to the tactical level in accordance with organisational requirements
Respond to emergencies as a part of a multi-agency response at the strategic (gold) level
P 5 Work effectively in co-operation with partner organisations at a strategic level in accordance with organisational requirements P 6 Confirm strategic decisions agreed with responders and how these will be implemented in accordance with organisational requirements P 8 Obtain and provide technical and professional advice from suitable sources to inform decision making in accordance with organisational requirements P 17 Delegate to the tactical level in accordance with organisational requirements
You must be able to: 2046
P Review tactics with key personnel involved in command, control and co-ordination in accordance with organisational requirements P Confirm actions to implement tactics are carried out, taking into account impacts on individuals, communities and the environment in accordance with organisational requirements P Anticipate future resource needs, taking account of possible escalations of emergencies in accordance with organisational requirements P Work in co-operation and communicate with other responders in accordance with organisational requirements P Liaise with relevant organisations to address long term priorities of restoring essential services and helping to facilitate the recovery of affected communities in accordance with organisational requirements P Obtain and provide technical and professional advice from suitable sources to inform decision making in accordance with organisational requirements P Brief and debrief individuals under your area of authority fully and in accordance with organisational requirements
Respond to emergencies at the tactical (silver) level
P 5 Review tactics with key personnel involved in command, control and co-ordination in accordance with organisational requirements P 6 Confirm actions to implement tactics are carried out, taking into account impacts on individuals, communities and the environment in accordance with organisational requirements P 8 Anticipate future resource needs, taking account of possible escalations of emergencies in accordance with organisational requirements P 9 Work in co-operation and communicate with other responders in accordance with organisational requirements P 10 Liaise with relevant organisations to address long term priorities of restoring essential services and helping to facilitate the recovery of affected communities in accordance with organisational requirements P 11 Obtain and provide technical and professional advice from suitable sources to inform decision making in accordance with organisational requirements P 16 Brief and debrief individuals under your area of authority fully and in accordance with organisational requirements
You must be able to: 2086
P Make initial assessments of situations and report to other responders in accordance with established procedures P Work in co-operation and communicate effectively with other responders in accordance with organisational requirements P Liaise with relevant organisations as required for effective responses in accordance with organisational requirements P Confirm that individuals under your area of authority are fully briefed and de-briefed in accordance with organisational requirements
Respond to emergencies at the operational (bronze) level
P 1 Make initial assessments of situations and report to other responders in accordance with established procedures P 5 Work in co-operation and communicate effectively with other responders in accordance with organisational requirements P 11 Liaise with relevant organisations as required for effective responses in accordance with organisational requirements P 14 Confirm that individuals under your area of authority are fully briefed and de-briefed in accordance with organisational requirements

Control measure
Joint understanding of risk
Hazard
Ineffective strategic response arrangements to support major incidents

Major incidents

Control measure

Share situational awareness: Major incidents

Control measure

– Shared situational awareness

Control measure knowledge

Strategic actions

Tactical actions

TRAINING SPECIFICATION

Knowledge and understanding

NOS knowledge and understanding

Practical application

NOS performance criteria