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A Mental Health Mayday. The Laverne Friesen Story – Part 2 (Episode 302)

Today’s episode is Part 2 of my 2-part interview with Laverne Friesen, a first responder who is confronting the stigma of mental illness head-on as he shares his first-hand account of how work-related stress was leading him down a dark path toward suicide.  He shares intimate details of what that experience was like, how it […]

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A Mental Health Mayday. The Laverne Friesen Story – Part 1 (Episode 301)

Today’s episode is Part 1 of my 2-part interview with Laverne Friesen, a first responder who is confronting the stigma of mental illness head-on as he shares his first-hand account of how work-related stress was leading him down a dark path toward suicide.  He shares intimate details of what that experience was like, how it

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Heavy Content Fires – The Ryan Pennington Interview (Episode 300)

In this episode, I interview the foremost fire service expert on fighting “heavy content” fires (aka, hoarded environments).  The interview is packed with great ideas for first responders, and some tips for family members who are dealing with a family member afflicted with a hoarding disorder. Length: 57 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch

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The Midwest Fire Story – Brett Jensen Interview (Episode 299)

This episode is an interview with Midwest Fire Vice President and General Manager Brett Jensen, discussing the Midwest Fire way of doing business. Length: 58 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

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Surrounded by Fire: The Roree Payment Story – Part 2 (Episode 298)

This episode is part 2 of a 2-part interview with Clearview Fire & EMS Chief Roree Payment, sharing the details of a residential dwelling fire near-miss where he was caught in a fireball due to rapidly changing, wind-driven conditions. Length: 51 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO     __________________________________________________ If

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Surrounded by Fire: The Roree Payment Story – Part 1 (Episode 297)

This episode is part 1 of a 2-part interview with Clearview Fire & EMS Chief Roree Payment, sharing the details of a residential dwelling fire near-miss where he was caught in a fireball due to rapidly changing, wind-driven conditions. Length: 47 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO     __________________________________________________ If

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Overconfidence – A Dangerous Minefield (Episode 296)

In this episode, we review the Overconfidence chapter of my new book, How Smart Workers Use Situational Awareness to Improve Safety. Length: 28 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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Three types of stress

In this article, we discuss three types of stress: Acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress. First responders can, and often do, experience all three. Stress can impact firefighter situational awareness and, equally concerning, stress can have devastating long-term impacts. As I was writing this article I recalled various times during my thirty years

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The Impact of Stress on Memory and Recall – Part 2 (Episode 295)

This episode is part 2 of a 2-part presentation where we talk about how stress can impact memory and recall. Length: 34 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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The Impact of Stress on Memory and Recall – Part 1 (Episode 294)

This episode is part 1 of a 2-part presentation where we talk about how stress can impact memory and recall. Length: 30 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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