Chapter 2: Traditional Decision-Making Process

Vocabulary flashcards covering the concepts, definitions, and steps of the traditional decision-making process and its limitations in emergency response.

Traditional Decision-Making Process

A regimented series of steps originally derived from laboratory research on college students that evaluates and ranks options through weighted metrics.

Rational Decision-Making Process

An alternative name for the traditional decision-making process, named for its reliance on a regimented, orderly series of steps.

Analytical Decision-Making Process

An alternative name for the traditional decision-making process, characterized by its heavy reliance on the use of metrics to weigh and evaluate options.

Root Problem

The actual underlying cause of an issue that decision makers must define in Step 1, rather than being misled by superficial indicators.

Symptoms

The visible signs or manifestations of an underlying issue (such as chest pain or slurred speech) that emergency personnel often treat in the field in lieu of diagnosing the root cause.

Decision Criteria

The standards or factors established during Step 2 of the traditional decision-making process used to guide and assess potential choices.

Weighting Criteria

Step 3 in the traditional decision-making process, which involves assigning numerical values of relative importance to each established decision criterion.

Alternatives

The distinct choices or potential solutions developed during Step 4 that are subsequently filtered, scored, and ranked to resolve a problem.

Reflection

The seventh and final step of the traditional decision-making process, involving the systematic evaluation of the effectiveness, outcomes, and consequences of the action taken.

Experience

The collection of outcomes from past decisions and the lessons learned from mistakes and successes that informs better judgment.

Wisdom

The collective compilation of a veteran's experiences, successes, failures, and ongoing evaluation of lessons learned along the way.

Confined Hazardous Materials Spill

An incident presenting little immediate danger to life or property where an incident commander may have $20$ to $30\text{ minutes}$ to deliberate using the traditional decision-making process.