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SAMatters Radio

These are SAMatters Radio podcast episodes related to first responder situational awareness and high risk decision making.

Working Command – SAM 360

In this episode explores how situational awareness may be impacted when the first arriving officer establishes a “working command.” I get asked a lot of questions about what the first arriving company officer should do at a working structure fire. Specifically, the debate revolves around two basic premise. Should the first arriving company officer assume […]

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19 Ways Communications can Impact SA – SAM 359

In this episode we discuss 19 ways that communications issues can impact Situational Awareness.     First responders spend a lot of time together, on calls, in the station, and in many cases in social settings outside of work. All of this interaction builds relationships that allow responders to trust their lives to each other. We’ll

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Conducting Realistic Fire Training – SAM 358

In this episode we put the shoe on the other foot… and I am interviewed by Chris Crawford is a firefighter with the Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania Fire Department and a Public Administration major at Point Park University. Chris was writing a paper on firefighter training for his Applications of Fire Research Class and asked to

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Contact with a 33kV Electric Line. The Sioux Falls Fire Department Story – SAM 357

This episode interviews four members of the Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Fire Department who experienced a near-miss event when the platform on Truck 7 came into contact with a 33 kV transmission line during a routine truck check at the station.    First responders spend a lot of time together, on calls, in the station,

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Peer Pressure – SAM 356

This episode explores our basic human desire to be liked and respected. Not only do we want to be liked, but we also have a very strong internal drive to avoid embarrassment. These traits of human behavior can result in peer pressure that can, in turn, impact your situational awareness.     First responders spend a

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Information Overload – SAM 355

This episode explores the capacity of the human brain to process sensory stimuli into short-term memory and the impact it can have on situational awareness. The San Francisco Fire Department conducted an internal review of the incident and issued a 156-page report on their findings. Many of the lessons relate to situational awareness and it

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Five Situational Awareness Lessons from a LODD Incident – SAM 354

On June 2, 2011, the San Francisco Fire Department suffered the tragic loss of 2 firefighters at 133 Berkeley Way. The episode shares some valuable situational awareness lessons from this tragic incident. The San Francisco Fire Department conducted an internal review of the incident and issued a 156-page report on their findings. Many of the

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Creatures of Habit – SAM 353

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 episodes explores how we create habits.      Good or bad, we all have habits. On an emergency scene good habits can save

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The Origins of Intuition – SAM 352

In this episode we explore the neuroscience behind causes your “gut feeling” – Intuition – and why you might want to pay attention to it. It is amazing how many articles and videos I have watched lately in which they are talking about decision making based on “gut feel.” It is also disheartening how many

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The Overconfident Incompetent – SAM 351

In this episode discusses the process for competency development and introduces the Dunning-Kruger Effect, a cognitive bias whereby unskilled people suffer from the illusion of having superior skills and knowledge.   Description         This discussion includes the four steps in the progression of competency: Step 1: Unconscious incompetence – being unaware of what you do

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