Complacency

These are the first responder situational awareness and decision making issues and opportunities related to complacency.

Episode 214 | Dave Beauregard Interview – Part 1

This episode is Part 1 of a two-part near-miss interview with Chicopee Fire Department Deputy Chief Dave Beauregard.  Length: 47 minutes click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO of this interview!         __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and high-risk decision making to a higher […]

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Episode 213 | Jim Woolf Interview – Part 2

This episode is Part 2 of a two-part interview with Twinsburg (Ohio) Fire-Medic Jim Woolf.  Length: 44 minutes   click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO of this interview!         __________________________________________________ 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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Episode 212 | Jim Woolf Interview – Part 1

This episode is Part 1 of a two-part interview with Twinsburg (Ohio) Fire-Medic Jim Woolf.  Length: 42 minutes   click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO of this interview!         __________________________________________________ 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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Episode 209 | Tacit knowledge

In this episode we discuss how tacit knowledge helps in the formation of situational awareness and high-risk decision making.  Length: 30 minutes         click the YouTube icon to listen       __________________________________________________ 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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Firefighting: It’s a whole new ballgame

There is little doubt the economic recession of 2008-2009 had a significant impact on the nation’s fire service. Hardly a day went by where there wasn’t some news about an organization that downsized, rightsized or capsized. There are all kinds of explanations and terms being attached to what happened. One I heard at the time

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Episode 203 | Normalization of Deviance

When we are operating under conditions of stress and consequence, coupled with changing conditions and time compression, we can feel a sense of urgency and this can cause us to want to take a shortcut from safety best practices.  Length: 29 minutes       click the YouTube icon to listen       __________________________________________________

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Culture And Situational Awareness

Each member of an emergency response team is guided by a unique system of values, beliefs, assumptions and norms. Every member also brings their own unique habits and routines. What happens when you combine the values, beliefs, assumptions, norms, habits and routines of many unique individuals within an organization? You create culture. Organizational culture can

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Creatures of Habit

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. But what happens in the mystical world of the brain when a behavior becomes a habit? Is your behavior under stress predictable? Rational? Understandable?

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Episode 188 | When the puzzle pieces don’t fit

This episode discusses the confusion that can occur when the information you gather during size-up do not fit your expectations of what you thought you were going to see or hear. Length: 35 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen         _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness

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Episode 185 | St. Charles Fire Department Near Miss – Part 3

This episode is part 3 of a 3-part interview with two members of the St. Charles Fire Department (Missouri) discussing a near-miss where four firefighters were overrun by rapidly changing conditions at a residential dwelling fire. Length: 48 minutes Click the YouTube icon to listen   _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of

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