Judgment Archives - Situational Awareness Matters!™

Helmet Cams and Risky Behaviors

1 Comment / Article, Bravado, Decision Making, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Judgment, Risk, Safety, Simulation, Situational awareness / Rich Gasaway

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 »

Forging Your Team – The Johnny Torgeson Story – 408

1 Comment / Attention Management, Attitude, Benchmarks, Communications, Competency, Culture, Decision Making, Expectations, Experience, Explicit Knowledge, Goals, Judgment, Leadership, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Optimism, Risk, Risk Management, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Situational awareness, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Teamwork / Rich Gasaway

The fire service is struggling with recruiting and retention. It’s also challenged by a mental health crisis and a growing apathy within the profession. The good news is, we have the power to fix it. Working in a team environment provides job satisfaction, psychological safety, and a feeling of community. Fire service leaders have

Forging Your Team – The Johnny Torgeson Story – 408 Read More »

The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance – 406

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Attention Management, Attitude, Bravado, Command Support, Communications, Competency, Complacency, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Denial, Ego, Emotions, Fatigue, Fear, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Frustration, Gut Feeling, Habits, Human Behavior, Human Error, Human Factors, Illness, Intuition, Invincible, Judgment, Leadership, Line of Duty Death, Mental Models, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Near Miss, Neuroscience, Overload, Overwhelm, Perception, Perception Of Reality, Physical Fitness, Prediction, Preoccupation, Pressure, Risk, Risk Management, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Shared Mental Models, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, Size Up, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Stress, Task Fixation, Task Saturation, Teamwork, Training, understaffing, Workload Management / Rich Gasaway

In this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with Jeff Dill about the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance and their work to reduce firefighter suicides. Description In 2010, Jeff Dill founded Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA). And since 2021, Jeff has served full time as the Behavioral Health Administrator for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue

The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance – 406 Read More »

The Minnesota Hometown Heroes Assistance Program – 405

Leave a Comment / Assumptions, Attitude, Bravado, Close Call, Command Support, Communications, Complacency, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Defiance, Denial, Disoriented, Ego, Emotions, Expectations, Experience, Fatigue, Fear, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Frustration, Gut Feeling, Habits, Human Behavior, Human Error, Human Factors, Illness, Intuition, Invincible, Judgment, Leadership, Line of Duty Death, Lost Focus, Mayday, Mayday and RIT, Mental Models, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Mission Myopia, Near Miss, Neuroscience, Optimism, Overload, Overwhelm, Perception, Perception Of Reality, Physical Fitness, Prediction, Preoccupation, Pressure, Risk, Risk Assessment, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Shared Mental Models, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, Size Up, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Stress, Teamwork, Training, Understanding, Vigilance / Rich Gasaway

In this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with George Esbensen, President of the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE) about the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program. During his 32 years in the fire service, George Esbensen served in many roles, from firefighter to chief. Today, he volunteers as Board President of the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE),

The Minnesota Hometown Heroes Assistance Program – 405 Read More »

PFAS, Firefighter Cancer and The Foam Exposure Committee – 404

Leave a Comment / Assumptions, Culture, Decision Making, Denial, Equipment, Expectations, Experience, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Invincible, Judgment, Leadership, Line of Duty Death, Perception, Perception Of Reality, Personal Protective Equipment, Personnel location, Risk, Risk Assessment, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Situational awareness, Technology, Training / Rich Gasaway

In this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with Vicki Quint and Rick Nickerson about PFAS, foam exposure and the risk to firefighters. The Foam Exposure Committee Mission Statement – – To reduce firefighter / first responder exposures to perfluorinated chemicals used in firefighting foams in order to protect their health and lives. We will

PFAS, Firefighter Cancer and The Foam Exposure Committee – 404 Read More »

Conducting a LODD After Action Review: Part 2 – 402

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Anger, Assertiveness, Assumptions, Attention Management, Attitude, Automatic Action, Automatic Action, Biases, Building Construction, Command Location, Command Presence, Command Support, Communications, Competency, Complacency, Comprehension, Confusion, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Defiance, Denial, Disoriented, Emotions, Equipment, Expectations, Experience, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Goals, Habits, Human Behavior, Human Error, Human Factors, Intuition, Judgment, Leadership, Line of Duty Death, Lost Focus, Mayday, Mayday and RIT, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Mission Myopia, Optimism, Overwhelm, Perception, Perception Of Reality, Personal Protective Equipment, Personnel location, Prediction, Pressure, Progress Reports, Radios, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, Size Up, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Stress, Task Fixation, Teamwork, Training, understaffing, Vigilance, Workload Management / Rich Gasaway

This episode is part 2 of a 2-part interview where Dr. Gasaway talks with retired Philadelphia Deputy Chief Vince Mulray and Battalion Chief Bobby Kennedy about conducting a Line-of-Duty After Action Review following the death of Lieutenant Matthew LeTourneau on January 6, 2018. After Action Review-Line of Duty Death On January 06, 2018, Lt.

Conducting a LODD After Action Review: Part 2 – 402 Read More »

Conducting a LODD After Action Review: Part 1 – 401

This episode is part 1 of a 2-part interview where Dr. Gasaway talks with retired Philadelphia Deputy Chief Vince Mulray and Battalion Chief Bobby Kennedy about conducting a Line-of-Duty After Action Review following the death of Lieutenant Matthew LeTourneau on January 6, 2018. After Action Review-Line of Duty Death On January 06, 2018,

Conducting a LODD After Action Review: Part 1 – 401 Read More »

The 400th Episode Anniversary of the SAMatters Show – 400

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Anger, Assertiveness, Assumptions, Attention Management, Attitude, Auditory exclusion, Automatic Action, Automatic Action, Automation, Benchmarks, Biases, Bravado, Building Construction, Checklists, Close Call, Cognitive Memory, Command Location, Command Presence, Command Support, Communications, Competency, Complacency, Comprehension, Confabulation, Confusion, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Defiance, Denial, Disoriented, Distractions and Interruptions, Ego, Emotions, Equipment, Error Creep, Excited, Expectations, Experience, Explicit Knowledge, Fatigue, Fear, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Frustration, Goals, Gut Feeling, Habits, Hallucinations, Human Behavior, Human Error, Human Factors, Hyper Vigilance, Illness, Incompetence, Independent Goal Setting - Freelancing, Information overload, Insubordination, Interruptions, Intuition, Invincible, Judgment, Leadership, Line of Duty Death, Live Events, Long-Term Memory, Lost Focus, Mayday, Mayday and RIT, Mental Models, Meta Awareness, Mind Drift, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Mission Myopia, Motion Induced Blindness, Multitasking, Muscle Memory, Near Miss, Neuroscience, News, Online Classes, Optimism, Over Confident, Over Staffing, Overload, Overwhelm, PAR, Pattern Matching, Perception, Perception Of Reality, Personal Protective Equipment, Personnel location, Physical Fitness, Pre Arrival Lens, Prediction, Preoccupation, Pressure, Progress Reports, Questions & Answers, Radios, Repetition, Response Time Delays, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Routines, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Sensory Conflict, Shared Mental Models, Short Term Memory, Simulation, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, Size Up, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Stress, Tacit Knowledge, Task Fixation, Task Saturation, Teamwork, Technology, Testimonials, Time Distortion, Training, Tunnel Vision, Tunneled Senses, Under Confident, understaffing, Understanding, Vigilance, Virtual Training, Weather, Workload Management, Worksheets / Rich Gasaway

Dr. Gasaway, along with some special guests, celebrates the milestone of reaching our 400thepisode. The Situational Awareness Matters Show debuted on May 12, 2014. This episode highlights the journey Dr. Gasaway has taken to educate first responders about situational awareness and high-risk decision making. About the Host Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP

The 400th Episode Anniversary of the SAMatters Show – 400 Read More »

2015 Amtrak Passenger Train Derailment in Philadelphia – 399

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Assumptions, Attention Management, Benchmarks, Command Location, Command Presence, Command Support, Competency, Confusion, Crew Resource Management, Culture, Decision Making, Expectations, Experience, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Judgment, Leadership, Miscommunications, Mission, Personnel location, Progress Reports, Radios, Risk, Risk Management, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Shared Mental Models, Simulation, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, Size Up, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Stress, Tacit Knowledge, Teamwork, Workload Management / Rich Gasaway

In this episode, Dr. Gasaway interviews Vince Mulray, retired Philadelphia Deputy Chief, discussing the 2015 derailment of Amtrak Train #188 traveling from Washington DC to New York City. On May 12, 2015, at approximately 9:20pm, Amtrak Train #188 traveling from Washington D.C. to New York City derailed and crashed on the Frankford Junction curve

2015 Amtrak Passenger Train Derailment in Philadelphia – 399 Read More »

Dyslexia in the Fire Service: The Burt Clark Story – 396

Leave a Comment / Assumptions, Attention Management, Attitude, Biases, Cognitive Memory, Communications, Competency, Confusion, Culture, Decision Making, Denial, Disoriented, Emotions, Experience, Explicit Knowledge, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Human Factors, Incompetence, Information overload, Intuition, Judgment, Leadership, Long-Term Memory, Lost Focus, Mind Drift, Mindfulness, Neuroscience, Pattern Matching, Perception, Perception Of Reality, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Sensory Conflict, Shared Mental Models, Short Term Memory, Stress, Tacit Knowledge, Task Saturation, Under Confident, understaffing, Understanding, Vigilance, Workload Management / Rich Gasaway

In this episode, Dr. Gasaway talks with Dr. Burton Clark on the topic of Dyslexia in the fire service. Dr. Burton A. Clark, EFO has been in the fire service for 53 years. He’s known he was a Dyslexic since early childhood and is passionate about reducing the stigma around firefighters with Dyslexia. Dr. Clark was

Dyslexia in the Fire Service: The Burt Clark Story – 396 Read More »