In reading casualty reports you will often see issues related to communications as a contributing factor. Miscommunications, lack of communications or too much radio traffic (to include overloaded radio channels) are often cited. It is the last of these issues I want to address. There is an inherent cognitive consequence from too much communications that can impact situational awareness. Essentially, you can stop listening… and it doesn’t happen on purpose.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Licensed by BMI Music

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

This episode chronicles an event where responders were managing two cardiac arrest calls in a hotel room.  Initial response teams did not consider the possibility of carbon monoxide as the potential cause and the outcome was almost catastrophic for the response teams.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Licensed by BMI Music

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

Oftentimes employee training involves scenarios where workers learn how to perform to the scripted standards. On the surface, there’s nothing wrong with that.

However, the employee training scenarios are often developed to ensure the outcome of the training will be success.  And, as many workers know, the complexity of many work issues can often require actions that are not consistent with the Standards. In other words, workers must veer from the written standard and be resilient problem solvers.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Licensed by BMI Music

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

If you have attended one of my situational awareness programs you have learned how stress is a game-changer when it comes to situational awareness and decision making quality.

Most employee training programs focus on developing cognitive knowledge and physical skills. Far less address the impact of stress on situational awareness and decision making and the seemingly irrational (some might even term it bazaar) behaviors manifested by some workers when they are under stress.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Licensed by BMI Music

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

On January 3, 2014, the St. Charles Fire Department responded to a single-family residential dwelling fire on Nancy Drive.  This podcast chronicles events (told by Captain Chip Ashford and Battalion Chief Dan Casey) as they unfolded. The thermal assault enduring by these firefighters resulted in injuries that included second and third-degree burns and a shoulder injury from bailing out a window.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Licensed by BMI Music

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Overhaul to Fireball Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/Overhautofireball/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

On January 3, 2014, the St. Charles Fire Department responded to a single-family residential dwelling fire on Nancy Drive.  This podcast chronicles events (told by Captain Chip Ashford and Battalion Chief Dan Casey) as they unfolded. The thermal assault enduring by these firefighters resulted in injuries that included second and third-degree burns and a shoulder injury from bailing out a window.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Licensed by BMI Music

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Overhaul to Fireball Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/Overhautofireball/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

On January 3, 2014, the St. Charles Fire Department responded to a single-family residential dwelling fire on Nancy Drive.  This podcast chronicles events (told by Captain Chip Ashford and Battalion Chief Dan Casey) as they unfolded. The thermal assault enduring by these firefighters resulted in injuries that included second and third-degree burns and a shoulder injury from bailing out a window.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Licensed by BMI Music

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Overhaul to Fireball Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/Overhautofireball/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

On May 31, 2017, I delivered a presentation to the Colorado Springs Fire Department in Situational Awareness. During the program we engaged in a conversation about how they do their training. I was so impressed that I asked them to do an interview with me. 

This is part 2 of a two-part interview with: Jason Buckingham, Lieutenant, Station 8; Jesse Weddle, Firefighter, Station 8; and, Brian Lynch, Lieutenant, Station 1.

Bryan Lynch is a Lieutenant assigned to fire station 1 in downtown Colorado Springs. Bryan has been a lead instructor for his departments annual Truck Academy and developed his departments Ground Ladder and Ventilation programs. He was instrumental in implementing Nozzle Forward in his department.

In 2008, Bryan was the Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters Local 5 Firefighter of the Year. He is the co-owner and co-founder of Irons and Ladders LLC.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Licensed by BMI Music

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Irons and Ladders

IRONSandLADDERS.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

On May 31, 2017, I delivered a presentation to the Colorado Springs Fire Department in Situational Awareness. During the program we engaged in a conversation about how they do their training. I was so impressed that I asked them to do an interview with me. 

This is part 1 of a two-part interview with: Jason Buckingham, Lieutenant, Station 8; Jesse Weddle, Firefighter, Station 8; and, Brian Lynch, Lieutenant, Station 1.

Bryan Lynch is a Lieutenant assigned to fire station 1 in downtown Colorado Springs. Bryan has been a lead instructor for his departments annual Truck Academy and developed his departments Ground Ladder and Ventilation programs. He was instrumental in implementing Nozzle Forward in his department.

In 2008, Bryan was the Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters Local 5 Firefighter of the Year. He is the co-owner and co-founder of Irons and Ladders LLC.

Accountability is a critically important component to the safety of employees when they are operating in hazardous environments. From the perspective of situational awareness, accountability plays several roles.

The obvious role is personnel accountability facilitates the rapid deployment of teams if something goes wrong. The person in-charge knows the team sizes and where the teams are operating at and can send help expeditiously.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Licensed by BMI Music

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424