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Teamwork

These are the first responder situational awareness and decision making issues and opportunities related to team work, team coordination and team dynamics.

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 128 | Sleep inertia: An interview with Norfolk Fire Lieutenant Jarrod Sergi

  In this episode, I interview Norfolk Fire Lieutenant Jarrod Sergi as he discusses how sleep inertia impacted his awareness and decision making skills at a late-night fire.   Length: 58 minutes click the YouTube icon to listen       _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and high-risk decision

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Episode 124 | Facilitated Debriefings

    In this episode we look at how facilitated debriefings used in aviation safety to improve air travel can be applied to emergency services to improve responder safety.   Length: 33 minutes   click the YouTube icon to listen       _____________________________________________________ If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and

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Episode 119 | Interview with West Metro Division Chief Dan Pfannenstiel – Part 2

  In this episode I sat down for an interview with West Metro Division Chief Dan Pfannenstiel to discuss a near-miss that occurred at a residential dwelling fire. This is part two of a two-part interview so if you have not yet, be sure to listen to episode 118 for the set-up to the lessons

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The Five Step Assertive Statement Process

You’re a firefighter assigned to a roof job. It’s a flat metal roof and there’s a lot of water on it. (Set aside for a moment all your judgement about why you’re on the roof in the first place). Your situational awareness is strong and you’re getting a gut feeling that’s causing you concern for

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Episode 118 | Interview with West Metro Division Chief Dan Pfannenstiel – Part 1

  In this episode, I sat down for an interview with West Metro Division Chief Dan Pfannenstiel to discuss a near-miss that occurred at a residential dwelling fire. This is part one of a two-part interview so be sure to also listen to episode 119 for the lessons learned. Length: 51 minutes Click the YouTube

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Situational Awareness Matters!

When Budgets Impact Staffing, Tactics Must Change

Throughout the fire service there are departments whose staffing has been reduced as a result of budget cuts. That is not going to come as a shock to most readers. What has been shocking for me, however, has been the response to my question of what fire department leaders are doing to ensure the situational

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working command

Episode 108 | Working Command and Situational Awareness

            This episode explores how situational awareness may be impacted when the first arriving officer establishes a “working command.” Length: 32 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

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Episode 107 | Interview with Hagerstown Fire Chief Steve Lohr

            In this episode I interview Hagerstown Fire Chief Steve Lohr. After serving 30 years with Montgomery County Fire Department, Chief Lohr accepted a position with the Hagerstown Fire Department – a department much smaller than his previous department and with far fewer resources. We discuss the safety and the improvements

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Expectations are Important to Situational Awareness

Situational Awareness is developed, maintained and erodes on three levels. The highest level of situational awareness is developed by being able to make realistic and accurate projections of the future events. The projections are sometimes called “mental models.” Projecting the future facilitates being able to see bad things coming… in time to change the outcome. If

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