Neuroscience Archives - Situational Awareness Matters!™

The Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System – Part 2 (Episode 306)

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Close Call, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Experience, Explicit Knowledge, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Human Behavior, Human Error, Human Factors, Line of Duty Death, Mayday, Mayday and RIT, Near Miss, Neuroscience, Repetition, Risk, Risk Assessment, Routines, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Situational awareness / By Rich Gasaway

Today’s episode is Part 2 of my 2-part interview with John Russ, Program Director for the IAFC Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System. Length: 45 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and high-risk decision making to a higher …

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The Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System – Part 1 (Episode 305)

Today’s episode is Part 1 of my 2-part interview with John Russ, Program Director for the IAFC Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System. Length: 48 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and high-risk decision making to a higher level, check …

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What You Don’t See Can Save You

1 Comment / Article, Assumptions, Attention Management, Auditory exclusion, Decision Making, Human Behavior, Human Factors, Intuition, Meta Awareness, Neuroscience, Prediction, Safety, Size Up, Tacit Knowledge / By Rich Gasaway

I dedicate a lot of time during my situational awareness programs ensuring that first responders understand how clues and cues serve as the foundation for developing and maintaining good situational awareness. We also spend considerable time making the connection of how strong situational awareness becomes the foundation for good decision making. For the most part, …

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The Normalization of Deviance

2 Comments / Article, Assumptions, Competency, Complacency, Expectations, Experience, Human Behavior, Neuroscience, Safety, Situational awareness / By Rich Gasaway

It’s an odd term… normalization of deviance. But the term and the premise behind the term provides a valuable explanation as to some of the behaviors we observe in the first responder world. Defining the terms Normalization: To make normal; to make an established standard. Deviance: Departing from the norm; performing in a non-standardized way. …

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Tired Brains (fatigue) and Situational Awareness

1 Comment / Article, Attention Management, Crew Resource Management, Decision Making, Fatigue, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Human Behavior, Human Factors, Neuroscience, Safety, Situational awareness, Stress / By Rich Gasaway

I get asked often about the role of fatigue in situational awareness. Sometimes the question is based on general curiosity. Sometimes the inquiry is a result of someone seeking support for (or against) an extended work schedule. I sure don’t want to get caught in the middle of that debate but the question is a …

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The Challenge of Disengagement

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Article, Bravado, Emotions, Fear, Human Factors, Intuition, Neuroscience, Perception, Prediction, Repetition / By Rich Gasaway

Why is it so hard to let go of a decision or an action once we have committed ourselves to it? As I think back on my life, it is easy for me to identify a number of times where my situational awareness eroded and it led to bad decisions. I can attribute a number …

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Using the Simulation Environment to Improve Situational Awareness

9 Comments / Article, Communications, Crew Resource Management, Decision Making, Human Behavior, Human Factors, Information overload, Mental Models, Neuroscience, Safety, Simulation, Situational awareness, Stress, Technology, Training, Workload Management / By Rich Gasaway

Many first responder training programs use simulation in the development of decision-making competencies. Simulation exercises help develop skills in setting strategy and tactics, in applying policies and procedures and in developing critical thinking skills. How can simulations be used in the development of situational awareness skills? The answer lies, in part, in understanding what situational …

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Mindset of Aggressiveness – Chris Tobin Interview (Episode 284)

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Assumptions, Attitude, Bravado, Complacency, Culture, Decision Making, Emotions, Experience, Judgment, Leadership, Line of Duty Death, Mission, Near Miss, Neuroscience, Over Confident, Risk, Risk Assessment, SAMatters Radio, Staffing, Training / By Rich Gasaway

In this episode, I interview Firefighter Chris Tobin as we discuss the need to have a mindset of aggressiveness. Length: 51 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and high-risk decision making to a higher level, check out …

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Interview with Adam Kinakin, host of The Tactical Breakdown Podcast Show – Part 2 (Episode 279)

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Assertiveness, Attitude, Cognitive Memory, Communications, Competency, Culture, Decision Making, Experience, Fear, Intuition, Judgment, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Mission Myopia, Neuroscience, Overwhelm, Perception, Prediction, Risk, Risk Assessment, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Shared Mental Models, Situational awareness, Stress, Tacit Knowledge, Task Fixation, Task Saturation, Teamwork, Vigilance / By Rich Gasaway

This episode is part 2 of a 2-part interview with the host of The Tactical Breakdown Podcast, Adam Kinakin, discussing the importance of situational awareness in high-risk decision-making scenarios Length: 52 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and …

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Interview with Adam Kinakin, host of The Tactical Breakdown Podcast Show – Part 1 (Episode 278)

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Attitude, Cognitive Memory, Communications, Competency, Culture, Decision Making, Experience, Fear, Intuition, Judgment, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Mission Myopia, Neuroscience, Overwhelm, Perception, Prediction, Risk, Risk Assessment, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Shared Mental Models, Situational awareness, Stress, Tacit Knowledge, Task Fixation, Task Saturation, Teamwork, Vigilance / By Rich Gasaway

This episode is part 1 of a 2-part interview with the host of The Tactical Breakdown Podcast, Adam Kinakin, discussing the importance of situational awareness in high-risk decision-making scenarios Length: 50 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and …

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