New Orleans, LA (2005) – While searching for survivors and evacuees in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, my USAR (Urban Search & Rescue) team and I came upon a healthcare facility during our efforts.  The staff members that remained were slouched over on the front steps, clearly downtrodden.  The water had mostly receded where they were but

“No man can command more than 5 distinct bodies in the same theater of war.”  Napoleon I (1815) And so began our oft-repeated dictate on how many subordinates one supervisor can have.  If you’ve taken a FEMA course on how to manage an emergency response, you’ve heard this chant ad nauseam about span of control:“Span of Control