Communications

These are the first responder decision making and situational awareness issues and opportunities related to radio, face-to-face and interpersonal communications.

Distractions and Interruptions…What’s the Difference?

Leave a Comment / Article, Attention Management, Communications, Distractions and Interruptions, Personnel location, Situational awareness /

As I talk with first responders in classes about the impact of distractions and interruptions on situational awareness, I find myself often being asked: “What’s the difference?” While there are distinctly different causes for distractions and interruptions, the outcome is often very similar…a reduction in situational awareness and the potential for a catastrophic outcome. [tweet […]

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Episode144 | Pre-Arrival Lens

Leave a Comment / Assumptions, Biases, Communications, Expectations, Neuroscience, Perception, Pre Arrival Lens, Prediction, Radios, SAMatters Radio /

    In this episode, we discuss the pre-arrival lens that responders use to help form situational awareness. Length: 24 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 the Situational Awareness

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Episode 140 | Speaking up

2 Comments / Assertiveness, Communications, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Emotions, Fear, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Human Behavior, Insubordination, Mental Models, Miscommunications, Risk, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Stress /

    In this episode, I interview my son, Cameron Gasaway, a firefighter with the Madison, Wisconsin Fire Department, about why it is so hard to speak up when you see something that’s going wrong. Length: 39 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen     _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of

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Episode 138 | Nine considerations when evaluating incident command software.

Leave a Comment / Attention Management, Auditory exclusion, Automation, Command Support, Communications, Decision Making, Equipment, Information overload, Miscommunications, Overload, Preoccupation, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Shared Mental Models, Task Fixation, Workload Management /

  In this episode, we discuss 9 things you should consider when evaluating your purchase of incident command software. Length: 31 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 the Situational Awareness Matters

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Episode 137 | Radio Traffic and Situational Awareness

Leave a Comment / Auditory exclusion, Communications, Confusion, Human Factors, Miscommunications, Overload, Radios, Repetition, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Tunneled Senses /

In this episode, we discuss how situational awareness can be improved or impacted by radio traffic. Length: 30 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 the Situational Awareness Matters Online Academy. CLICK

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safety training

Episode 132 | Online Academy Preview

Leave a Comment / Attention Management, Communications, Decision Making, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Goals, Human Factors, Mission, Neuroscience, Risk Assessment, SAMatters Radio, Shared Mental Models, Situational awareness, Staffing, Teamwork, Workload Management /

  I am super excited to be able to share with you the features and enrollment options for the newly released Situational Awareness Matters Online Academy. Length: 22 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

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Episode 131 | Best practices for managing mental workload

Leave a Comment / Attention Management, Auditory exclusion, Cognitive Memory, Communications, Confusion, Decision Making, Disoriented, Distractions and Interruptions, Human Factors, Information overload, Multitasking, Neuroscience, Overload, Overwhelm, Perception Of Reality, Prediction, Pressure, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Short Term Memory, Stress, Task Saturation, Workload Management /

    In this episode, we discuss five best practices for managing mental workload under stressful working conditions. Length: 26 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 the Situational Awareness Matters Online

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Episode 130 | Auditory Exclusion – Going deaf under stress

2 Comments / Auditory exclusion, Communications, Perception, SAMatters Radio, Tunneled Senses, Vigilance /

  In this episode, we discuss the phenomenon known as auditory exclusion (going deaf under stress) and I explain how it happens and how it can impact situational awareness and decision making.   Length: 35 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen       _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational

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Episode129 | Interview with Beaver Dam Fire & Rescue Chief Alan Mannel

Leave a Comment / Auditory exclusion, Communications, Complacency, Perception, SAMatters Radio, Time Distortion, Tunneled Senses, Vigilance /

    In this episode, Beaver Dam Fire & Rescue Chief Alan Mannel shares the details of a shootout incident that occurred while he was serving as a police officer in Illinois.     Length: 57 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen     _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational

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Episode 124 | Facilitated Debriefings

Leave a Comment / Close Call, Communications, Equipment, Habits, Human Error, Leadership, Near Miss, Personal Protective Equipment, Routines, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Teamwork /

    In this episode we look at how facilitated debriefings used in aviation safety to improve air travel can be applied to emergency services to improve responder safety.   Length: 33 minutes   click the YouTube icon to listen       _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and

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