These are the first responder situational awareness and decision making issues and opportunities related to leadership.
This episode is Part 1 of a 2-part interview with Deputy Chief John Vanatta discussing a training exercise that went wrong and resulted in two firefighter injuries after falling 10 feet on to concrete. The Denver Drill that John discusses had been performed all week using two ladders and two firefighters at the sill. But […]
The John Vanatta Story. Part 1 – SAM 349 Read More »
The pandemic has been tough on everyone, especially first responders who have stepped up to the task. But for many first response agencies, the worst is yet to come as the economic fallout will likely create budget shortfalls that will, in turn, cause fire departments to reduce staffing and services. This show looks at the
The Impact of Understaffing (Episode 328) Read More »
The fear of public speaking consistently ranks near the top of the list in fear surveys. This won’t come as a surprise for many. But the consequences of not speaking up can be catastrophic for organizations and for the individual gripped by this fear. This episode explores the fear of public speaking and offers some
What we fear most Part 2 (Episode 325) Read More »
In this episode, I share situational awareness thoughts and observations about the COVID-19 Pandemic and address 25 situational awareness barriers that are causing me concern. Length: 65 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO __________________________________________________ All of our live event topics are now available, virtually. CLICK HERE for details, enrollment
Situational Awareness Thoughts and Observations About Covid-19 (Episode 313) Read More »
Accountability: A critically important component of emergency scene safety when personnel operates in a hazardous environment. From the perspective of situational awareness, accountability plays several roles. The obvious role is personnel accountability facilitates the rapid deployment of rescue teams if something goes awry. Command knows the crew sizes and where they are operating and can
Tracking of Personnel Read More »
This interview is part 2 of a 2-part interview with Laverne Friesen and his wife, Chancy, talking about his mental health near miss and how they are working through the challenges together. Length: 56 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your
Mental Health Mayday – The Verne and Chancy Friesen Story – Part 2 (Episode 311) Read More »
This interview is part 1 of a 2-part interview with Laverne Friesen and his wife, Chancy, talking about his mental health near miss and how they are working through the challenges together. Length: 51 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your
Mental Health Mayday – The Verne and Chancy Friesen Story – Part 1 (Episode 310) Read More »
There is a lot being written these days about how “big data” can help emergency scene commanders improve situational awareness and, subsequently, make better decisions. While information (data) is critical to the formation of situational awareness, it is very easy for a commander to become overwhelmed with data. I say this often during my Mental
Big Data Could Spell Big Trouble Read More »
I recently read, with great interest, a very long thread on Facebook about whether or not an incident commander should wear turnout gear at a fire scene. As my focus and passion is improving first responder situational awareness, I would like to address this issue from that perspective. The feedback on Facebook was, as expected,
Commanders in Turnout Gear Read More »
Today’s episode is Part 2 of my 2-part interview with three command officers from the Atascocita Fire Department in Houston, Texas, sharing a story of a commercial building fire that resulted in a mayday. Length: 63 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking
Commercial Building Mayday. The Atascocita Fire Story – Part 2 (Episode 304) Read More »
