Human Factors

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

Explanations for Situational Awareness Insanity – Part 2

In this segment, we continue our discussion about the seemingly insane things that firefighters do at structure fires. I use the word insane not because the firefighters suffer from a mental affliction. Rather, I use the word insane because we keep doing the same things over and over again while expecting different results. This meets […]

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Episode 145 | Task Saturation

In this episode, we discuss the challenges when first responders become task saturated. Length: 26 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 Academy. CLICK HERE for

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Episode 141 | Confabulation

In this episode, we explore how the brain confabulates – or makes up its own reality. In the absence of facts, the brain can start to invent or create its own reality.  This can be dangerous on emergency scenes. Length: 22 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen       _____________________________________________________ If you are

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Episode 137 | Radio Traffic and Situational Awareness

In this episode, we discuss how situational awareness can be improved or impacted by radio traffic. 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 out the Situational Awareness Matters Online Academy. CLICK

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Episode 133 | The Devil’s Advocate

In this episode, we discuss the role of the devil’s advocate on emergency scenes and how the advocate can help when there is a flawed perception of reality. Length: 27 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen       _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and high-risk decision making

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safety training

Episode 132 | Online Academy Preview

  I am super excited to be able to share with you the features and enrollment options for the newly released Situational Awareness Matters Online Academy. Length: 22 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

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Episode 131 | Best practices for managing mental workload

    In this episode, we discuss five best practices for managing mental workload under stressful working conditions. Length: 26 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

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Episode 127 | Teaching responders how to speak up

    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

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Episode 120 | Interview with Instructor John Dixon

  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

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Radio Communications is Essential to Situational Awareness

I was invited to be an observer at a regional police tactical training exercise. The program was a multi-day event, starting with some classroom training and culminating in a series of simulations using mock weapons, flash-bangs and actors. The one thing that readily stood out to me was the tactical teams were not using radios

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