Decision Making

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

Episode 240 | Jason Corthell Interview

In this episode, Cypress Creek Lieutenant Jason Corthell shares his close call survival story where he was operating on the second floor of an exterior stairwell at an apartment building fire. The stairwell, not involved in fire at all, unexpectedly collapsed, trapping Lieutenant Corthell and District Chief Sanchez under tons of steel and concrete. A […]

Episode 240 | Jason Corthell Interview Read More »

Twelve Ways to Situational Awareness

Ho, Ho, Ho. Merry Christmas everyone! With Thanksgiving day in the past, it is officially the Christmas season! I know everyone’s feeling particularly festive this time of year and I have caught the Christmas spirit in a very situational awareness sort of way. Surely you’ve heard of the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” -You know –

Twelve Ways to Situational Awareness Read More »

Episode 238 | Ken Prillaman Interview

  This episode is a flashback episode where Fire Chief Ken Prillaman shared his near-miss story where complacency at an EMS call almost resulted in a catastrophe. Length: 45 minutes   Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO         __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness

Episode 238 | Ken Prillaman Interview Read More »

Positive and Negative Clues and Cues

As we train our leaders to improve situational awareness it is important the lessons include a list of both positive and negative clues and cues. In the context of developing situational awareness, positive and negative does not mean good and bad. Rather, positive and negative means present and absent. Let me explain.

Positive and Negative Clues and Cues Read More »

Episode 237 | Brian Schaeffer Interview

  This episode is a flashback episode where Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer shared his near-miss story at a commercial building fire in Spokane, Washington. Length: 56 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

Episode 237 | Brian Schaeffer Interview Read More »

Positive Reinforcement of Undesirable Behavior

In this article I am taking on a topic often discussed in my leadership programs more often than in my situational awareness programs – motivation. I’m not going to get in to depth on the topic of motivation as it takes me a solid four hours in a classroom session to demystify the topic and

Positive Reinforcement of Undesirable Behavior Read More »

Episode 236 | John Dantuono Interview

  This episode is a flashback episode where Firefighter John Dantuono shared his near-miss story where he was saved from falling though a roof by his SCBA bottle. Length: 43 minutes   Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO         __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational

Episode 236 | John Dantuono Interview Read More »

More on Training For Failure

Since I announced the release of the Training for Failure live program (and the DVD recording of the program) I have received a lot of emails from firefighters and training officers asking me to tell them more about the program’s content so I thought I’d share with you a snip-it of the catastrophically important content discussed in that

More on Training For Failure Read More »

Episode 235 | Richard Marcus Interview

This episode is a flashback episode where Firefighter Richard Marcus recounts the day the apparatus he was riding in struck a tree while returning from a call. Length: 44 minutes     Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO         __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational

Episode 235 | Richard Marcus Interview Read More »

Mission Myopia: A situational awareness barrier

The primary mission in all emergency situations is to save lives and property. In some agencies when a new member is inducted into the organization they take an oath of office that includes pledging their commitment to this mission. The mission is an important – even noble – calling. But what happens when a responder

Mission Myopia: A situational awareness barrier Read More »