Category Archives: Accountability
Healing and growing from tragedy
I had an opportunity today to present along side Asheville Fire Chief Scott Burnette at the North Carolina Society of Fire Rescue Instructors Conference. This opportunity came as a result of another wonderful opportunity that Chief Burnette extended to me … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Communications, Crew Resource Management, Decision Making, firefighter situational awareness, Leadership, Mayday and RIT, Safety, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, Training
Tagged 445 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville Fire Department, Captain Jeff Bowen, decision making, Facilitated Debriefing, Fire Chief Scott Burnette, Firefighter lessons learned, Firefighter Line of Duty Death, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness, fireground command, fireground command situational awareness
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Radio Discipline
A frequent contributing factor in firefighter casualty incidents is too much radio traffic. This can have a significant impact on first responder situational awareness because it becomes near impossible to take in, process, comprehend and remember the volumes of information … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Auditory exclusion, Communications, Culture, Distractions and Interruptions, firefighter situational awareness, Human Behavior, Mayday and RIT, Safety, Situational awareness
Tagged communications, decision making, fire chief, firefighter, fireground command, fireground command situational awareness, fireground safety, incident awareness, radio discipline, radio procedures
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Nine Dangerous Mindsets: Part 9 – The Synergist
Welcome to this, the last of the nine part series on dangerous mindsets. From the feedback I’m getting, this series hit some chords with readers. I appreciate the kind words about my observations and the advice I’ve dispensed throughout this … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Communications, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Ego and Self-Esteem, firefighter situational awareness, Safety, Situational awareness, Teamwork
Tagged decision making, firefighter safety, freelancing, gasaway consulting group, incident command, independent action, leadership, situational awareness, teamwork
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Independent Actions Can Impact Team Situational Awareness
For some public safety agencies it is standard practice for the first arriving personnel (or crews of personnel) to deploy independently. Oftentimes these responders are highly trained, highly motivated and action oriented. What they are lacking is coordination of their … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Crew Resource Management, firefighter situational awareness, Personnel location, Safety, Situational awareness, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Teamwork
Tagged decision making, firefighter safety, freelancing, gasaway consulting group, incident command, independent action, leadership, situational awareness, teamwork
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Nine Dangerous Mindsets – Part 5: The Stubborn
Welcome to the fifth of the nine-part series on dangerous mindsets that can impact first responder situational awareness and, subsequently, their safety. In this article I am going to address the stubborn team member. This individual can be described as … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Ego and Self-Esteem, Fear, firefighter situational awareness, Leadership, Safety, Situational awareness
Tagged communications, decision making, ego, fire chief, fire command, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness, five step assertive statement process, incident command, incident commander, leadership, public safety, safety, self-esteem, situational awareness, stubborn
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Nine Dangerous Mindsets: Part 4 – The Superior
Welcome to the fourth installment of the Dangerous Mindsets series. Previously I talked about the dangerous mindsets of the Starter, the Subordinate and the Specialist. This article addresses the Superior or, more appropriately, the Superior with personal issues and how … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Ego and Self-Esteem, Fear, firefighter situational awareness, Human Behavior, human factors, Leadership, Mental Models, Safety, Situational awareness, Stress, Teamwork
Tagged communications, decision making, ego, fire chief, fire command, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness, five step assertive statement process, incident command, incident commander, leadership, public safety, safety, self-esteem, situational awareness, superiority complex
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Tracking of personnel
Accountability: A critically important component to emergency scene safety when personnel operate in a hazardous environment. From the perspective of situational awareness, accountability plays several roles. The obvious role is personnel accountability facilitates the rapid deployment of rescue teams if … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Communications, Crew Resource Management, Decision Making, firefighter situational awareness, Leadership, Mayday and RIT, Safety, Situational awareness, Staffing, Teamwork
Tagged accountability, decision making, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness, leadership
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Thank you Stowe Fire Department
In 2011 I had the opportunity to deliver a Mental Management of Emergencies class for the Stowe Fire Department. The program focused on how to improve first responder situational awareness and decision making processes under stress. I have been afforded … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Complacency, Culture, Decision Making, Ego and Self-Esteem, firefighter situational awareness, Human Behavior, human factors, Incompetence, Neuroscience, Safety, Situational awareness
Tagged arrogance, catastrophe, complacency, decision making, decision making under stress, fire chief Mark Sgantas, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness, incompetence, mental management of emergencies, stowe fire department, stowe vermont
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Nine Dangerous Mindsets – Part 1: The Starter
One of the human factors influencing situational awareness is the mindset of the first responder. Mindset is based on beliefs, biases and self-perception. Mindset may also be influenced by organizational culture and peer pressure. In this series I am going … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Decision Making, Ego and Self-Esteem, Fear, firefighter situational awareness, Human Behavior, human factors, Leadership, Safety, Situational awareness, Teamwork
Tagged dangerous mindsets, decision making, decision making under stress, ego, fear, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness
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A must-see safety video
As a great follow-up to the Recipe from Hell’s Kitchen series, I want to recommend you watch this video created by the Chicago Fire Department that depicts the powerful life stories of firefighters who have been injured or killed.
Posted in Accountability, Communications, Complacency, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Fear, firefighter situational awareness, Incompetence, Leadership, Physical Fitness, Safety, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, size-up, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Stress, Teamwork, Workload Management
Tagged decision making, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness, incident command, leadership, situational awareness
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