Lost Focus Archives - Page 3 of 7 - Situational Awareness Matters!™

The John Vanatta Story. Part 1 – SAM 349

Leave a Comment / Assumptions, Attention Management, Attitude, Close Call, Communications, Competency, Complacency, Culture, Decision Making, Defiance, Denial, Ego, Expectations, Experience, Explicit Knowledge, Goals, Incompetence, Invincible, Judgment, Leadership, Lost Focus, Meta Awareness, Mission, Mission Myopia, Near Miss, Personal Protective Equipment, Personnel location, Prediction, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Routines, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Situational awareness, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Task Fixation, Teamwork, Training, Vigilance / Rich Gasaway

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 Myth of Multitasking – SAM 346

Leave a Comment / Assumptions, Attention Management, Automatic Action, Checklists, Cognitive Memory, Competency, Confusion, Decision Making, Disoriented, Distractions and Interruptions, Expectations, Frustration, Human Behavior, Human Error, Human Factors, Information overload, Interruptions, Judgment, Long-Term Memory, Lost Focus, Mind Drift, Mindfulness, Multitasking, Neuroscience, Overload, Overwhelm, Pattern Matching, Perception, Perception Of Reality, Prediction, Preoccupation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Short Term Memory, Situational awareness, Task Fixation, Task Saturation, Vigilance, Worksheets / Rich Gasaway

This episode explores the challenges workers face while operating in dynamically changing conditions that require sharing attention to multiple, concurrent activities – a.k.a., multitasking. If you are the type of person who can work on your notebook, listen to music on your iPod, talk on your cell phone and text message at the same time,

The Myth of Multitasking – SAM 346 Read More »

The Rick Mehaffey Story. Flashback to Episode 142 – SAM 344

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Assumptions, Building Construction, Close Call, Communications, Complacency, Lost Focus, Mindfulness, Mission Myopia, Near Miss, Personnel location, Prediction, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Tunnel Vision, understaffing / Rich Gasaway

In this episode, Captain Ricky Mehaffey from the Waynesville NC Fire Department chronicles his near-miss survival story where 3 firefighters almost died at a “routine” chimney fire. At the time of the fire, Rick Mehaffey served as an engineer for the Waynesville Fire Department, is combination department that runs 2500 calls a year out of

The Rick Mehaffey Story. Flashback to Episode 142 – SAM 344 Read More »

The Dave Martin Story – Flashback to Episode 45 – SAM 343

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Assumptions, Bravado, Communications, Competency, Complacency, Confusion, Crew Resource Management, Decision Making, Equipment, Expectations, Experience, Fear, Gut Feeling, Habits, Human Behavior, Human Error, Human Factors, Intuition, Lost Focus, Mindfulness, Overwhelm, PAR, Perception, Perception Of Reality, Personal Protective Equipment, Personnel location, Prediction, Preoccupation, Pressure, Progress Reports, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Routines, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Shared Mental Models, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, Stress, Tacit Knowledge, Task Fixation, Teamwork, Training / Rich Gasaway

On August 11, 2007, Captain Martin and his partner were over run by a fast-moving wildland fire. On retreat, his partner became entangled on a barbed wire fence. Captain Martin used a utility knife to cut away his partner’s ensnarled clothing and they both narrowly escaped death. Description Dave Martin’s crew was assigned

The Dave Martin Story – Flashback to Episode 45 – SAM 343 Read More »

Trapped in a basement – The Perry Hall Story – Part 2 – SAM 337

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Assumptions, Attention Management, Attitude, Automatic Action, Benchmarks, Building Construction, Close Call, Competency, Complacency, Culture, Decision Making, Disoriented, Expectations, Experience, Goals, Human Behavior, Human Error, Lost Focus, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Mission Myopia, Near Miss, Personal Protective Equipment, Personnel location, Physical Fitness, Pre Arrival Lens, Progress Reports, Radios, Risk, Risk Management, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Shared Mental Models, Size Up, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Stress, Task Fixation, Teamwork, Time Distortion, Training, Tunnel Vision, Tunneled Senses, Vigilance, Workload Management / Rich Gasaway

This episode is part two of a two-part interview with Perry Hall, a firefighter who shared his story of a horrific near-miss event and the life-changing impact it has had on him. Description On May 5, 2014 Perry Hall was part of an engine crew conducting a search when he got separated from

Trapped in a basement – The Perry Hall Story – Part 2 – SAM 337 Read More »

Trapped in a basement – The Perry Hall Story – Part 1 – (SAM 336)

Leave a Comment / Assumptions, Attention Management, Attitude, Automatic Action, Benchmarks, Building Construction, Communications, Competency, Complacency, Culture, Decision Making, Disoriented, Expectations, Experience, Goals, Human Behavior, Human Error, Lost Focus, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Mission Myopia, Near Miss, Personal Protective Equipment, Personnel location, Physical Fitness, Pre Arrival Lens, Progress Reports, Radios, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Shared Mental Models, Size Up, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Task Fixation, Teamwork, Time Distortion, Training, Tunnel Vision, Tunneled Senses, Vigilance, Workload Management / Rich Gasaway

This episode is part one of a two-part interview with Perry Hall, a firefighter who shared his story of a horrific near-miss event and the life-changing impact it has had on him. On May 5, 2014 Perry Hall was part of an engine crew conducting a search when he got separated from his crew and

Trapped in a basement – The Perry Hall Story – Part 1 – (SAM 336) Read More »

Trapped in a Tunnel – The Joe Pronesti Story (Episode 335)

Accountability, Assumptions, Attention Management, Attitude, Automatic Action, Benchmarks, Building Construction, Close Call, Communications, Competency, Complacency, Culture, Decision Making, Disoriented, Expectations, Experience, Goals, Human Behavior, Human Error, Lost Focus, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Mission, Mission Myopia, Near Miss, Personal Protective Equipment, Personnel location, Physical Fitness, Pre Arrival Lens, Progress Reports, Radios, Risk, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Shared Mental Models, Size Up, Staffing, Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, Stress, Task Fixation, Teamwork, Time Distortion, Training, Tunnel Vision, Tunneled Senses, Vigilance, Workload Management / Rich Gasaway

Captain Pronesti was involved in advancing a hoseline and fighting the underground fire. While approximately 300’ inside the tunnel on the attack, his low air alarm started ringing. He ran out of air before making it completely out, disconnected his regulator and breathed products of combustion. Upon exiting, he provided a briefing to his commander

Trapped in a Tunnel – The Joe Pronesti Story (Episode 335) Read More »

Sharing multiple near-miss experiences including being held-up at gunpoint. The Jim Arie Story – Part 2 (Episode 332)

Anger, Assumptions, Attention Management, Attitude, Close Call, Competency, Confusion, Decision Making, Denial, Emotions, Expectations, Experience, Fear, Firefighter Situational Awareness, Intuition, Lost Focus, Mindfulness, Near Miss, Optimism, Perception, Prediction, Preoccupation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Situational awareness, Size Up, Stress, Tacit Knowledge, Task Fixation, Time Distortion, Tunnel Vision, Tunneled Senses / Rich Gasaway

This episode is Part 2 of a 2-part interview where we learn about multiple near-miss events experienced by retired Fire Chief, Jim Arie throughout his 43-year career and he’ll discuss the situational awareness lessons from being held-up at gunpoint in March, 2020. Length: 40 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full video.

Sharing multiple near-miss experiences including being held-up at gunpoint. The Jim Arie Story – Part 2 (Episode 332) Read More »

Sharing multiple near-miss experiences including being held-up at gunpoint. The Jim Arie Story – Part 1 (Episode 331)

This episode is Part 1 of a 2-part interview where we learn about multiple near-miss events experienced by retired Fire Chief, Jim Arie throughout his 43-year career and he’ll discuss the situational awareness lessons from being held-up at gunpoint in March, 2020. Length: 41 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full video.

Sharing multiple near-miss experiences including being held-up at gunpoint. The Jim Arie Story – Part 1 (Episode 331) Read More »

Mental Health Mayday – The Verne and Chancy Friesen Story – Part 2 (Episode 311)

Leave a Comment / Accountability, Anger, Assertiveness, Assumptions, Attitude, Bravado, Building Construction, Close Call, Communications, Culture, Decision Making, Defiance, Denial, Emotions, Expectations, Fear, Human Behavior, Illness, Judgment, Leadership, Lost Focus, Mindfulness, Miscommunications, Perception Of Reality, Pressure, Risk, Risk Assessment, Safety, SAMatters Radio, Selective Listening, Situational awareness, Situational Readiness, Stress / Rich Gasaway

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 »