These are the first responder situational awareness and decision making issues and opportunities related to human behavior.
Albert Einstein is credited with saying: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.” If you have spent time reading firefighter fatality reports, you might start to see the real-life manifestation of Einstein’s definition of insanity. In fact, I would go as far as to say we’ve got to […]
Explanations for Situational Awareness Insanity – Part 1 Read More »
In this episode, we discuss how fear can impact situational awareness in ways that might be surprising. Length: 29 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 out the Situational Awareness Matters Online
Episode 146 | Fear and situational awareness Read More »
In this episode, I interview my son, Cameron Gasaway, a firefighter with the Madison, Wisconsin Fire Department, about why it is so hard to speak up when you see something that’s going wrong. Length: 39 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of
Episode 140 | Speaking up Read More »
In this episode, we discuss the challenges of teaching responders how to speak up when they think something is going wrong. As we will see, it goes way beyond telling them to speak up if they see something. Length: 39 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen _____________________________________________________ If you are
Episode 127 | Teaching responders how to speak up Read More »
In this episode we look at the top 12 reasons why first responders are so hesitant to discuss their near-miss events and the lessons they learned from them that could save the lives of other responders. Length: 34 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking
In this episode I sat down for an interview with Instructor John Dixon to discuss his passion topic – the normalization of deviance. Length: 63 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
Episode 120 | Interview with Instructor John Dixon Read More »
If you have attended one of my new Mental Management of Emergencies programs you have learned how stress is a game-changer when it comes to firefighter situational awareness and decision making quality. Most basic training programs focus on developing cognitive knowledge and physical skills. Far less address the impact of stress on situational awareness and
You Can’t Handle the Truth! Read More »
I have witnessed a rather disturbing trend in my situational awareness classes over the past year. I have added a video where firefighters are on a roof that is clearly self-venting. The video then leads us into discussions on assumed risk versus created risk and changing outcomes versus getting in the way of outcomes that
Five Tough Questions Read More »
In this episode I interview Dr. Burt Clark, author of the recently released book “I can’t save you but I’ll die trying: The American fire culture” shares his passion for firefighter safety and the need to change our culture. Length: 79 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen _____________________________________________________ If you
Episode 38 – Interview with Dr. Burt Clark Read More »
This episode is PART 2 of a two-part interview with Winnipeg Firefighter Lionel Crowther. Listen in as Firefighter Crowther recounts his close call survivor story about an incident where he sustained 2nd and 3rd-degree burns and two of his comrades lost their lives while fighting a dwelling fire. Length: 65 minutes Click the YouTube icon
Episode 36 – PART 2 Interview with Close Call Survivor Lionel Crowther Read More »
