Optimize Human Performance

The 360 Degree Size-up (Episode 329)

You might think that by now the importance of completing a 360-degree size-up would be second nature for firefighters.  But it’s not.  In fact, failing to complete a proper size-up remains one of the most often cited contributing factors in NIOSH Line-of-Duty death reports.  There are lots of reasons why proper size-ups are not completed. […]

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The Impact of Understaffing (Episode 328)

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

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Bravado – A barrier to situational awareness (Episode 327)

Bravado is defined as “a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate.”  A co-worker or boss displaying bravado can be dangerous because their need to impress or intimidate can cause them to miss critical clues and cues and flaw their situational awareness. Length: 12 minutes Click the YouTube icon to

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Situational Awareness Best Practices for Incident Commanders (Episode 326)

There are three component parts to situational awareness – perception, understanding and prediction.  There are barriers that can impact awareness on all three levels. The application of best practices can help incident commanders reduce the impact of barriers. Length: 35 minutes Click the YouTube icon to watch the full video.   __________________________________________________ All of our

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What we fear most Part 2 (Episode 325)

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

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Five Fatalities and Lessons Learned from Chesterfield County– Flashback episode – Part 3 (Episode 320)

In the early morning hours of January 17, 2016, Chesterfield County Fire & EMS responded to a residential fire on Wicklow Lane that would result in fire civilian fire fatalities, including 2 children. This three-part interview chronicles the event, the situational awareness challenges and the lessons learned from the first-in captain and the first arriving

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Five Fatalities and Lessons Learned from Chesterfield County– Flashback episode – Part 2 (Episode 319)

In the early morning hours of January 17, 2016, Chesterfield County Fire & EMS responded to a residential fire on Wicklow Lane that would result in fire civilian fire fatalities, including 2 children. This three-part interview chronicles the event, the situational awareness challenges and the lessons learned from the first-in captain and the first arriving

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Five Fatalities and Lessons Learned from Chesterfield County– Flashback episode – Part 1 (Episode 318)

In the early morning hours of January 17, 2016, Chesterfield County Fire & EMS responded to a residential fire on Wicklow Lane that would result in fire civilian fire fatalities, including 2 children. This three-part interview chronicles the event, the situational awareness challenges and the lessons learned from the first-in captain and the first arriving

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Situational Awareness Q & A Session – Part 2 (Episode 317)

Episode 315 focused on the process for developing and maintaining situational awareness. The program was very engaging and there were over 40 questions asked.  This episode is part 2 of a 2-part episode addresses the questions. During this Pandemic, I have heard the term situational awareness spoken more times than I can ever remember.  Media

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Situational Awareness Q & A Session – Part 1 (Episode 316)

Episode 315 focused on the process for developing and maintaining situational awareness. The program was very engaging and there were over 40 questions asked.  This episode is part 1 of a 2-part episode addresses the questions. During this Pandemic, I have heard the term situational awareness spoken more times than I can ever remember.  Media

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