[lifeguard]

Expect numerous false positives for the next few months.

[optiminimalist]

Better false positives than false negatives.

[lifeguard]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_benefit_analysis

[yew]

Don't be silly. No one ever does that in a crisis. They just spout platitudes about 'doing everything possible' and never stop to think about what that actually means.

And if you point out the implications someone will quickly follow up by assuring you that 'no one would ever do that'. Sometimes I think the greatest weakness of policymakers is the delusion that other policymakers believe what they believe, and for the same reasons.

[lifeguard]

The army, FEMA, the Red Cross, EMT doctrines; they all teach cost benefit analysis in emergency decision making.

[nwzpaperman]

Triage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triage