These are articles on the SAMatters blog.
When I talk with first responders about situational awareness and what it takes to develop and maintain it, the program participants often use terms such as: “It’s important to pay attention.” Or, “You have to keep your head on a swivel.” Or, “It helps to look up, down and all around.” All of this is […]
Mission-induced Blindness Read More »
During a recent situational awareness program a participant was discussing something that went wrong at a routine call. As the story went, the crew had been to this address numerous times for the same (or similar) problem. Each time, the issue was resolved quickly and without incident. The call was, by his words, routine. So,
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 »
I have witnessed a rather disturbing trend in my situational awareness classes over the past year. I have added a video where firefighters are on a roof that is clearly self-venting. The video then leads us into discussions on assumed risk versus created risk and changing outcomes versus getting in the way of outcomes that
Five Tough Questions Read More »
Imagine for a moment that you’re part of a 4-person first-due crew responding on to an apartment fire. On the way to the call the dispatcher announces over the radio that a caller is reporting the fire to be on the first floor of a three-story apartment building. Your company officer tells you that on
Resistance to Change 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 »
If you are a student of near-miss and casualty reports then you know, without a doubt, that flawed communications is a major contributing factor when things go wrong and flawed communications is often a factor when the quality of situational awareness erodes. In fact, flawed communications was the second most frequently cited barrier to flawed
19 Ways Communications Barriers Can Impact Situational Awareness 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 »
Last year i started offered a summary of my activities to advance the Situational Awareness Matters mission. I received a lot of positive comments and support from the information I shared so I thought I would carry on the tradition by posting this – 2015 year in review. The personal motivation I derive from this
2015 Year in Review 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
