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Episode171 | Expectations can impact Situational Awareness

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Attitude, Bravado, Culture, Emotions, Expectations, Fear, Human Behavior, Judgment, Perception Of Reality, Preoccupation, Risk, SAMatters Radio, Stress, Task Fixation, Tunnel Vision / Rich Gasaway

This episode explores how our expectations can create stress and how stress can lead to task fixation, contribute to tunnel vision and cause a host of other situational awareness problems. Length: 26 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and […]

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5 Tips For Improving Situational Awareness Through Training

3 Comments / Article, Crew Resource Management, Decision Making, Emotions, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Human Behavior, Human Factors, Mental Models, Repetition, Safety, Simulation, Situational awareness, Stress, Training / Rich Gasaway

The overall number of structure fires are down nationwide. For the sake of the citizens we protect, this is a good thing. But for the sake of firefighters who need to gain valuable experience through the proverbial baptism by fire, this isn’t such a good thing. I often get asked by company officers and trainers

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Radio Communications is Essential to Situational Awareness

Leave a Comment / Article, Communications, Crew Resource Management, Decision Making, Equipment, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Human Factors, Leadership, Miscommunications, Mission, Radios, Safety, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Teamwork, Training / Rich Gasaway

I was invited to be an observer at a regional police tactical training exercise. The program was a multi-day event, starting with some classroom training and culminating in a series of simulations using mock weapons, flash-bangs and actors. The one thing that readily stood out to me was the tactical teams were not using radios

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Working Command and Situational Awareness

6 Comments / Accountability, Attention Management, Communications, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Safety, Situational awareness, Size Up, Stress, Teamwork, Workload Management / Rich Gasaway

I seem to be getting asked a lot lately 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 a fixed command position outside the structure and coordinate the activities of incoming units? Or, should the

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