DECISION TAKING IN THE EMERGENCY SERVICES TREATMENT

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research carried through in 2004 and deals with the human performance when exposed to high mental workload, that is, when subject to unbalance between the degree of work requirements and the available resources to manage it; when a decision taking process must be very fast, in wich the evaluation time is small and the consequences due to each act can be very important. The purpose is to know the influence in the decision taking at the very moment of emergency due to factors as: available resources, experience manager, time to act, presence of outsiders and performing of simulated exercises. The research is qualitative. The data collection was based on a quest and carried through in the Fire Department of Paraná state, in the city of Ponta Grossa, with a sample of 8 (eight) officers. The results obtained in the research show that when the mental workload due to the emergency complexity increases, it also increases the influence degree, from the factors analysed, in the performance of the commander. Key Words: Decision taking; Emergency, Safety work, Stress, Work Psycology