Final answer:
The correct answer is c) Incident assessment, which is the first necessary step after an emergency has been declared, in order to gauge the situation and determine the appropriate resources and responses needed.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a situation has been defined as an emergency, the immediate concerns often engage assessing the incident to understand its scope, impact, and the resources required to manage it. The correct next step in the decision-making process, therefore, is c) Incident assessment. This involves determining the nature of the incident, the extent of the damage or potential damage, and identifying what resources and responses are necessary.
Emergency workers have to be nimble in their decision-making process, maintaining clear communication, exercising solid teamwork, and demonstrating efficient and effective stress management. These capabilities are crucial not only in the immediate resolution of the emergency but in framing the longer-term response, which may include evacuation planning, crisis communication planning, and resource allocation. However, without an initial comprehensive assessment, none of these subsequent steps can be effectively implemented.
The analogy of the 'break glass in case of emergency' is apt as it implies that plans and protocols need to be in place and easily accessible when an immediate action is required. The actual response, guided by the initial incident assessment, is like breaking the glass—a deliberate action set off by understanding the emergency at hand.