In this segment of the Recipe From Hell’s Kitchen series, I share the second step of the recipe – consequence. [tweet this] Rather, the lack of consequence and the impact this may have on firefighter situational awareness. One of the outcomes you might expect when there is incompetent behavior is an injury – a consequence. […]
A Recipe From Hell’s Kitchen – Part 2 Read More »
When it comes to first responder radio traffic I am reminded of the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. You may recall that in the story Goldilocks samples three bowls of porridge. One is too hot. One is too cold. And the third is just right. This lesson applies directly to first responder situational
Radio Traffic Can Improve or Destroy Situational Awareness Read More »
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 »
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 »
If you have attended one of my new Mental Management of Emergencies programs you have learned how stress is a game-changer when it comes to firefighter situational awareness and decision making quality. Most basic training programs focus on developing cognitive knowledge and physical skills. Far less address the impact of stress on situational awareness and
You Can’t Handle the Truth! Read More »
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 »
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 »
I am seeing an increase in the use of mobile data computers as a tool used by incident commanders. Commanders are using computers to capture and manage information, aid in decision making and in some cases as a tool in the development of situational awareness . On the surface, it would appear that situational awareness
Mobile Data Computers and Situational Awareness Read More »
Perhaps you’ve heard it said that we are creatures of habit. The more we do something over and over again, the more likely that behavior will be turned into a habit. This episode explores how we create habits. Length: 26 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen
Episode 91 | Creatures of habit Read More »
It is the goal of Situational Awareness Matters to post a new podcast episode every Tuesday and a new blog article every Friday. This goal was achieved in 2015. Thus, there were 52 podcast episodes and 52 blog articles posted. Listed below are the topics and links to the top 10 most popular blog articles
