Category Archives: Staffing
Firefighting: It’s a whole new ballgame
There is little doubt the recent recession has had a significant impact on the nation’s fire service. Hardly a day goes by where there’s not some news about an organization that had downsized, rightsized or capsized. There are all kinds … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Complacency, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Emotions, Fear, Human Behavior, Leadership, Mayday and RIT, Personnel location, Risk Assessment, Safety, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Stress, Teamwork, Training, Workload Management
Tagged decision making, decision making under stress, fire service leadership, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness, high reliability organizations, leadership, organizational culture, problem solving, resiliency, resilient problem solving, safety, situational awareness, staffing, teamwork, training
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Aggressiveness and Situational Awareness
I was recently contacted by email from a Situational Awareness Matters member asking if aggressiveness and safety can co-exist at an emergency scene. My answer was “of course they can.” The two actions, being safe and being aggressive are not … Continue reading
Posted in building construction, Crew Resource Management, Decision Making, Emotions, Human Behavior, Safety, Situational awareness, size-up, Staffing, Stress, Teamwork, Training
Tagged aggressive tactics, decision making, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness, incident command, situational awareness, size up
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Twelve Ways to Situational Awareness
Ho, Ho, Ho. Merry Christmas everyone! I know everyone’s feeling particularly festive this time of year and I have caught the Christmas spirit in a very situational awareness sort of way. Surely you’ve heard of the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” … Continue reading
Posted in Communications, Complacency, Culture, Decision Making, Gasaway Consulting Group, human factors, Incompetence, Information overload, Safety, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, size-up, Staffing, Stress, Teamwork, Training, Workload Management
Tagged communications, decision making under stress, firefighter casualties, firefighter safety, fireground command, public safety, safety, situational awareness, staffing, teamwork, training, vigilance
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Administrative chiefs and emergency responses
I recently received an email from a firefighter asking for my opinion as to whether or not the administrative chief officers in his department should respond to reported structure fires. My initial response was: “Well, Duh! Yes!” But then I … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Crew Resource Management, Decision Making, Ego and Self-Esteem, firefighter situational awareness, Incompetence, Safety, Situational awareness, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Teamwork, Workload Management
Tagged fire chief, firefighter safety, firefighter situational awareness, fireground safety, ICS, incident command, incident management, situational awareness, strategy and tactics
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When Budgets Impact Staffing, Tactics Must Change
Throughout the fire service there are departments whose staffing has been reduced as a result of budget cuts. That is not going to come as a shock to most readers. What has been shocking for me, however, has been the … Continue reading
Posted in Communications, Leadership, Safety, Situational awareness, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Teamwork
Tagged command competency, decision making, fire department leadership, firefighter safety, incident command, leadership, situational awareness, staffing, strategy, tactics
4 Comments
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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Newly released program: Are you ready?
There’s a new breed of worker lining up to be your next member: Are you ready? Like it or not, here they come… The Generation Y first responder! Are you ready? There are 80 million of them and they’re going to … Continue reading
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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We Must Stop The Insanity: Part 3
Welcome to the third article in the four-part We Must Stop The Insanity situational awareness series. In case you missed the previous two articles (which I encourage you to go back and read) or if you need a refresher, indulge … Continue reading
