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Safety

These are the first responder situational awareness and decision making articles related to first responder safety.

Sharing multiple near-miss experiences including being held-up at gunpoint. The Jim Arie Story – Part 2 (Episode 332)

This episode is Part 2 of a 2-part interview where we learn about multiple near-miss events experienced by retired Fire Chief, Jim Arie throughout his 43-year career and he’ll discuss the situational awareness lessons from being held-up at gunpoint in March, 2020. Length: 40 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full video.   […]

Sharing multiple near-miss experiences including being held-up at gunpoint. The Jim Arie Story – Part 2 (Episode 332) Read More »

Sharing multiple near-miss experiences including being held-up at gunpoint. The Jim Arie Story – Part 1 (Episode 331)

This episode is Part 1 of a 2-part interview where we learn about multiple near-miss events experienced by retired Fire Chief, Jim Arie throughout his 43-year career and he’ll discuss the situational awareness lessons from being held-up at gunpoint in March, 2020. Length: 41 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full video.  

Sharing multiple near-miss experiences including being held-up at gunpoint. The Jim Arie Story – Part 1 (Episode 331) Read More »

Seven Situational Awareness Thieves (Episode 330)

You might think that by now the importance of completing a 360-degree size-up would be second nature for firefighters.  But it’s not.  In fact, failing to complete a proper size-up remains one of the most often cited contributing factors in NIOSH Line-of-Duty death reports.  There are lots of reasons why proper size-ups are not completed.

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The 360 Degree Size-up (Episode 329)

You might think that by now the importance of completing a 360-degree size-up would be second nature for firefighters.  But it’s not.  In fact, failing to complete a proper size-up remains one of the most often cited contributing factors in NIOSH Line-of-Duty death reports.  There are lots of reasons why proper size-ups are not completed.

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The Impact of Understaffing (Episode 328)

The pandemic has been tough on everyone, especially first responders who have stepped up to the task.  But for many first response agencies, the worst is yet to come as the economic fallout will likely create budget shortfalls that will, in turn, cause fire departments to reduce staffing and services.  This show looks at the

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Bravado – A barrier to situational awareness (Episode 327)

Bravado is defined as “a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate.”  A co-worker or boss displaying bravado can be dangerous because their need to impress or intimidate can cause them to miss critical clues and cues and flaw their situational awareness. Length: 12 minutes Click the YouTube icon to

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Situational Awareness Best Practices for Incident Commanders (Episode 326)

There are three component parts to situational awareness – perception, understanding and prediction.  There are barriers that can impact awareness on all three levels. The application of best practices can help incident commanders reduce the impact of barriers. Length: 35 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full video.   __________________________________________________ All of our

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What we fear most Part 2 (Episode 325)

The fear of public speaking consistently ranks near the top of the list in fear surveys.  This won’t come as a surprise for many.  But the consequences of not speaking up can be catastrophic for organizations and for the individual gripped by this fear. This episode explores the fear of public speaking and offers some

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Deadly Methyl Bromide exposure: The Misty Worrell story – Part 2 (Episode 324)

Misty Worrell and her partner on Cypress Creek EMS responded to a medical call that would result in two fatalities and the EMS crew being exposed to deadly Methyl Bromide.  Because there is no cure for Methyl Bromide poisoning, Misty, a mother of five children, was instructed to get her affairs in order as she

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Deadly Methyl Bromide exposure: The Misty Worrell story – Part 1 (Episode 323)

Misty Worrell and her partner on Cypress Creek EMS responded to a medical call that would result in two fatalities and the EMS crew being exposed to deadly Methyl Bromide.  Because there is no cure for Methyl Bromide poisoning, Misty, a mother of five children, was instructed to get her affairs in order as she

Deadly Methyl Bromide exposure: The Misty Worrell story – Part 1 (Episode 323) Read More »