Search
Close this search box.

Firefighter Situational Awareness

These articles related to firefighter situational awareness.

Situational Awareness Starts with the Size-Up

During my fireground situational awareness classes we talk about the process for making high-stress, high consequence decisions. The first step in this process is performing a rapid size up. When I ask participants how long they take to size up a single-family residential dwelling fire with no exposures, the answer I get ranges from 10 […]

Situational Awareness Starts with the Size-Up Read More »

working command

Episode 108 | Working Command and Situational Awareness

            This episode explores how situational awareness may be impacted when the first arriving officer establishes a “working command.” Length: 32 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen     _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and high-risk decision making to a higher level, check out

Episode 108 | Working Command and Situational Awareness Read More »

multitasking

Multitasking Impacts Situational Awareness

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a live demonstration may be worth ten thousand words. In a recent situational awareness and decision making class, I was explaining to the participants the science behind why humans are such poor multitaskers. Of course, when I do this there is always someone in the class who,

Multitasking Impacts Situational Awareness Read More »

Radio Communications is Essential to Situational Awareness

I was invited to be an observer at a regional police tactical training exercise. The program was a multi-day event, starting with some classroom training and culminating in a series of simulations using mock weapons, flash-bangs and actors. The one thing that readily stood out to me was the tactical teams were not using radios

Radio Communications is Essential to Situational Awareness Read More »

Projection

Time to Task Completion is Critical

Your highest level of situational awareness is formed when you are able to make accurate predictions about future events. In science we call this projection and it simply means you are able to predict, or project, the future events. This is accomplished through mental models you develop that are founded in your training and experience.

Time to Task Completion is Critical Read More »

Obsession

The Irrational Obsession With Loss

There is a growing body of research revealing that many human’s have an irrational obsession with loss. Or, perhaps more accurately, an irrational obsession with AVOIDING loss. This phenomenon is something I have seen played out in my evaluation of many casualty incidents. Ironically, the human trait to avoid loss is the same trait that

The Irrational Obsession With Loss Read More »

3 Decision Choices for the First Arriving Officer

Recently in a Flawed Situational Awareness class we were discussing how situational awareness serves as the foundation for good decision making. Granted, a person does not need strong situational awareness to make a good decision. When a good decision is made after a person’s situational awareness has eroded, that would be called luck. [tweet this]

3 Decision Choices for the First Arriving Officer Read More »

Episode 38 – Interview with Dr. Burt Clark

In this episode I interview Dr. Burt Clark, author of the recently released book “I can’t save you but I’ll die trying: The American fire culture” shares his passion for firefighter safety and the need to change our culture.   Length: 79 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen       _____________________________________________________ If you

Episode 38 – Interview with Dr. Burt Clark Read More »

Episode 37 – Interview with Dr. Chad Weinstein

In this episode I interview Dr. Chad Weinstein the author of “Thinking Aloud: Reflections on Ethical Leadership.” Dr. Weinstein works with fire departments to achieve extraordinary results through ethical leadership. Join us as we discuss the role of ethics in creating a safety culture and bringing accountability to an organization. Length: 49 minutes click the

Episode 37 – Interview with Dr. Chad Weinstein Read More »

Episode 36 – PART 2 Interview with Close Call Survivor Lionel Crowther

This episode is PART 2 of a two-part interview with Winnipeg Firefighter Lionel Crowther. Listen in as Firefighter Crowther recounts his close call survivor story about an incident where he sustained 2nd and 3rd-degree burns and two of his comrades lost their lives while fighting a dwelling fire.   Length: 65 minutes Click the YouTube icon

Episode 36 – PART 2 Interview with Close Call Survivor Lionel Crowther Read More »