Safety

These are the first responder situational awareness and decision making articles related to first responder safety.

Room for Improvement

I recently read an investigation report where a firefighter died and it made me sad. First, as we see so often in after action reviews, it appears as though the tragedy may have been preventable. The second thing that made me sad about this investigation report was the inaccurate and incomplete recommendations about situational awareness. […]

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No Cost Hosting: How to Host a Program for Free. (SAM 262)

If you have the ambition to host a program on situational awareness for your department or region, this is a must-watch episode.  We will share the secret sauce for how you can host a one or two-day event that costs your department nothing. Length: 62 minutes   Click the YouTube icon to watch the full

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Pre Arrival Lens and Situational Awareness

The pre-arrival lens is a neurological phenomenon that can both help and hinder situational awareness. The “lens” is your mental view of the incident you are responding to, developed prior to your arrival,  and based on the triangulation of three primary data sources – dispatch information (shared via radio), past experience and imagination. This article

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Electrocuted by a downed power line – The Tom Ehlers Story – Part 2 (Episode 261)

Listen in as firefighter Tom Ehlers and fire chief Wesley Cole share their story about a fire incident where Tom was struck by a falling 14k volt power line on the scene of a fire.  This is part 2 of the 2 part series. Length: 62 minutes   Click the YouTube icon to watch the

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Situational Awareness Matters

The Perfect Storm

In one of my recent Mental Management of Emergencies classes a participant was describing an incident that resulted in several first responder casualties. As he shared the details, he described the unfolding of events as “The Perfect Storm.” This article will discuss the origins of that phrase and share why we should consider changing our

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Electrocuted by a falling power line – The Tom Ehler’s Story – Part 1 (Episode 260)

Listen in as firefighter Tom Ehlers and fire chief Wesley Cole share their story about a fire incident where Tom was struck by a falling 14k volt power line on the scene of a fire. Length: 54 minutes   Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO     __________________________________________________ If you are interested in

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Safeguards – It’s a fair question

I had the opportunity recently to talk with a very progressive fire chief about situational awareness. I really enjoy my conversations with him because I always learn something. He was telling me that his department just hired 17 new paid-on-call members. He shared with me that during the hiring process he visits the home of

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Sneak Peek into a Live Situational Awareness Training Program (Episode 259)

The Situational Awareness Matters signature program was presented live at the Ponderosa Fire Department in Houston Texas. This episode is a sneak peek into a segment of the program. Click HERE to see all the programs I offer! Length: 47 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO     __________________________________________________ If you

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Thornton Fire Mayday Story – Part 3 (Episode 258)

This interview is part 3 of a 3-part series detailing the events surrounding Thornton Fire-Medic Roy Lapid mayday call, rescue from the basement and lessons learned. Length: 65 minutes     Click the YouTube icon to watch the full VIDEO     __________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and high-risk

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Noise Impacts Situational Awareness

Some time ago I had the honor of visiting and receiving a tour of the Hong Kong Fire Department training center. Many of the props used there are similar to what I have seen in the United States. However, there was one very noticeable difference in the maze they use to train firefighters. Noise! They

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