Here's how you can showcase your critical thinking and quick decision-making in high-pressure situations.

To make quick decisions you need to be prepared for them. Know the current situation, what is available to you, the limitation of equipment and current weather conditions. Never walk into a shift without assuming you're not going to need to make fast decisions. Prepare for them by setting a baseline every time, before any situation occurs.

Staying informed as an emergency manager is part of the job, but also making sure your team is informed it up-to-date with continuing their education and training would be optimal. No one emergency manager can consume all of the facets of Emergency Management and master all of the emergency support functions that operate within an emergency operation center. Having a firm understanding of the base standpoint are critical but maintaining continuing education and training between oneself and ones team is the most effective method.

Remaining calm, under pressure is ideal in high-risk situations. To do this as an emergency manager is the balance of coping and flexibility within the mind and within the team. Being able to maintain composure in an emergency operations center as an emergency manager is ideal by doing so this improves the decision-making processes and the ability to support your community and jurisdiction. Working on mental health skills and coping skills when it comes to stress supports the decision-making process.

Telling someone to 'calm down' when facing a crisis almost never works. It's all well and good saying stay calm, but how? By understanding the stress response. The chemical release in the brain that triggers an emotional response. So focus on the tasks that need to be completed or actioned based on pre-prescribed procedural trigger points. Train under stress. The more exposure to the stresses of dealing with an emergency, the more they become normal behavior and the lower the stress response becomes in face of the real event.

Team dynamics are critical for emergency management agencies and the ability to delegate procedures, processes, and decisions to competent professionals. Without the support of a team and the continued building of synergy prior to an emergency in blues skies helps increase the impact of the combined teamwork during an activation. An active or proactive approach to facilitating, teamwork, and synergy can make or break an operation.

In my experience as a security manager, one of the best ways to showcase critical thinking and quick decision-making skills is through practicing emergency scenarios. Regular drills and simulations have been invaluable, allowing me to apply my knowledge in controlled environments and prepare for real-life emergencies. These exercises improve readiness and build confidence, enabling decisive action during actual crises. By continuously practicing scenarios, I ensure that when faced with high-pressure situations, I am equipped to handle them with skill and precision