These are the first responder situational awareness and decision making issues and opportunities related to decision making.
I was recently reading some research that mentioned the cognitive bias known as herd mentality (or herd behavior). Stated basically, individuals will group and follow each other for inexplicable reasons. This is sometimes referred to as the “mob mentality” and is observed during riots. When one person yells loudly and charges forward, the herd (or […]
Herd mentality can impact situational awareness Read More »
This episode revisits an interview conducted on September 1, 2014 with Sean Dolan from the Aurora (Colorado) Fire Department about his near-miss event. Length: 78 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
Episode 218 | Sean Dolan Interview Read More »
How you decide to do something is a complex process that involves multiple brain regions. Are decisions made with the rational brain or the intuitive brain? The answer, surprisingly, is both. Rational judgment allows you to process facts and data essential to good decision making. Intuition allows you to tap into past training and experiences
How We Decide … Anything Read More »
This episode explores how over staffing can impact situational awareness. Length: 29 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 out the Situational Awareness Matters Online Academy. CLICK HERE for
Episode 217 | Overstaffing Read More »
Towering Inferno… Backdraft… Ladder 49… Emergency… Adam 12… Dragnet… Rescue Me… Chicago Fire… Hawaii Five O … Love them or hate them, movies and television influence perceptions and create expectations three ways: First, they influence citizen perceptions of emergency service providers and create certain performance expectations. Second, they influence first responders’ perceptions of themselves and
Expectations can Impact Situational Awareness Read More »
If you have visited SAMatters before, you know the mission of the site is to help first responders improve situational awareness by “Helping you see the bad things coming in time to change the outcome.” Something happened today that I didn’t see coming and I’d like to share the story with you. Thank you for
I Woke Up Today With Nothing To Do! Read More »
This episode is Part 2 of a two-part near-miss interview with Chicopee Fire Department Deputy Chief Dave Beauregard. Length: 50 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
Episode 215 | Dave Beauregard Interview – Part 2 Read More »
I recently fielded a question from a Situational Awareness Matters member on the use of helmet cameras and the impact it might have on situational awareness. Here is the question: Would you please be so kind as to point me in the direction of literature, articles, websites or advice on the impact of personal cameras
Helmet Cams and Risky Behaviors Read More »
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
Episode 214 | Dave Beauregard Interview – Part 1 Read More »
I would like to share the results of a series of informal polls I have been conducting over a several year period. I conducted these surveys during my Firefighter Safety: Mistakes & Best Practices programs. Roughly 7,000 first responders have participated. There is nothing scientific about this survey or the results. It was merely
Giving L.I.P. to R.I.T. Read More »
