Attention Management

These are the first responder situational awareness and decision making issues and opportunities related to the management of attention.

Imagination Can Influence Situational Awareness

If I were to tell you that on an emergency scene it is possible for you to use X-Ray vision, you’d probably think I’ve been watching too many Superman movies. But it is possible for you to look right through a solid object on an emergency scene and see what’s beyond it. Seriously! Read on…

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Flawed Expectations of Personnel Can Impact Situational Awareness

You develop situational awareness by using your senses to capture information (Level 1 situational awareness). Those clues and cues are then processed into understanding (Level 2 situational awareness). Once you understand what is happening, you can then make predictions of future events (Level 3 situational awareness). This article focuses on the third level of situational

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Forging Your Team – The Johnny Torgeson Story – 408

  The fire service is struggling with recruiting and retention. It’s also challenged by a mental health crisis and a growing apathy within the profession. The good news is, we have the power to fix it. Working in a team environment provides job satisfaction, psychological safety, and a feeling of community. Fire service leaders have

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The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance – 406

  In this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with Jeff Dill about the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance and their work to reduce firefighter suicides.     Description   In 2010, Jeff Dill founded Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA).  And since 2021, Jeff has served full time as the Behavioral Health Administrator for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue

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The NIOSH 5 and Leadership – The Jeff Snider Interview – 403

  In this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with Jeff Snider about the NIOSH 5 – or the five most often cited contributing factors in Line of Duty death investigations and lessons for leader   Jeff Snider has served with the Canadian military as a Special Forces Operator (3 CDO), a Correctional Officer at a maximum-security facility,

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Conducting a LODD After Action Review: Part 2 – 402

This episode is part 2 of a 2-part interview where Dr. Gasaway talks with retired Philadelphia Deputy Chief Vince Mulray and Battalion Chief Bobby Kennedy about conducting a Line-of-Duty After Action Review following the death of Lieutenant Matthew LeTourneau on January 6, 2018. After Action Review-Line of Duty Death   On January 06, 2018, Lt.

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Conducting a LODD After Action Review: Part 1 – 401

  This episode is part 1 of a 2-part interview where Dr. Gasaway talks with retired Philadelphia Deputy Chief Vince Mulray and Battalion Chief Bobby Kennedy about conducting a Line-of-Duty After Action Review following the death of Lieutenant Matthew LeTourneau on January 6, 2018. After Action Review-Line of Duty Death   On January 06, 2018,

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Complacency – a barrier to situational awareness

We develop and maintain situational awareness by being perceptive about what is happening around us. To be perceptive, we must pay attention to what is going on in our environment. We can employ all of our senses to help us pay attention – seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting and smelling. However, if we let our guard

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The 400th Episode Anniversary of the SAMatters Show – 400

    Dr. Gasaway, along with some special guests, celebrates the milestone of reaching our 400thepisode.   The Situational Awareness Matters Show debuted on May 12, 2014.  This episode highlights the journey Dr. Gasaway has taken to educate first responders about situational awareness and high-risk decision making. About the Host Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP

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2015 Amtrak Passenger Train Derailment in Philadelphia – 399

In this episode, Dr. Gasaway interviews Vince Mulray, retired Philadelphia Deputy Chief, discussing the 2015 derailment of Amtrak Train #188 traveling from Washington DC to New York City.   On May 12, 2015, at approximately 9:20pm, Amtrak Train #188 traveling from Washington D.C. to New York City derailed and crashed on the Frankford Junction curve

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