In a chemical incident, as is the case regarding many other types of emergencies, delayed decisions lead to more casualties and consume more resources. The reasons for delayed – and poor – decision-making are often attributable to incomplete, inadequate, or incorrect information, or to the inability to understand available information. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a chemical incident response, communities need to understand how time-sensitive decisions are made in chaotic, ambiguous situations and form partnerships with experts that can make chemical incident-related information understandable.
Decision-making will need to balance political/social priorities and public health protection against time and cost constraints.