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A person suffering from auditory exclusion will experience temporary hearing loss. While it is most often identified and associated with individuals who are working in high stress environments, the truth is it can happen to any of us at any time.
We will discuss how it happens and how it impacts situational awareness.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
Beaver Dam (WI) Fire Chief, Alan Mannel, was working as a police officer in Crete, Illinois where a suspect opened fire on officers while they were attempting to apprehend him following a shooting incident in a neighboring Park Forest.
Then-patrolman Mannel, ended up discharging his weapon three times, though he only remembered shooting twice. He also described experiencing a mild form of auditory exclusion where sounds – including not hearing the multiple shots fired by officers and by the assailant.
Officer Mannel also was not, at the time of the shootout, wearing his department-issued ballistic vest. After the assailant fired a shot that Officer Mannel heard whiz by his ear, he shot the suspect in the head, ending the shootout.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Guest contact information:
Alan Mannel
Beaver Dam Fire & Rescue
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
Lieutenant Jarrod Sergi attended one of my situational awareness programs in Virginia earlier this year and during the program we discussed, among many other topics, the impact of sleep inertia on awareness and decision making.
A few months after the class Lieutenant Sergi and his crew were responding to a late-night residential dwelling fire and he experienced the impact of sleep inertia. This compelled him to contact me and to share his experience.
He agreed to come on to the podcast and to tell his story so that others might learn from the experience of his crew and how they were impacted.
Jerrod Sergi biography
Jarrod Sergi is a Lieutenant and a proud member of Norfolk Fire Rescue in Norfolk VA. He has served in one of the city's busiest Engine Companies and has also served a tour in the Training Division as a Fire Academy Coordinator. He currently is assigned to a Ladder Company in the city's 1st Battalion. Jarrod has been a part of, and assisted in the development of several department wide training programs that included both Engine and Ladder company operations and Fire Dynamics
Jarrod also serves as an adjunct State Instructor for both the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the National Fire Academy focusing on MAYDAY and Strategy/Tactics. Prior to working for the City of Norfolk, Jarrod served 6 years in the United States Navy as a Damage Controlman (shipboard firefighter) and a Search and Rescue Swimmer. Jarrod is currently enrolled in the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fire Science, is a contributor to Fire Engineering Magazine and he is the founder of Trial by Fire.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Guest contact information:
Jarrod Sengi
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
It is not uncommon for responders to be told: "If you see something that is causing you a concern, speak up." And everyone nods their heads in the affirmative. But when it comes right down to it… will they? From the discussions I've had with first responders I don't think the answer is as cut and dried as you might think. In this episode we will explore why and I'll offer some suggestions for how to get them to speak up.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
On February 14, 2014 the Birmingham Fire Department was dispatched to a residential dwelling fire at 0130. On arrival the first-in company reported heavy fire conditions on the CD corner of the house. There were two vehicles on the property, one of the vehicles had three car seats in it. This gave the IC a strong indication there were people still in the house, including children.
Despite the challenging conditions, crews entered with the mission of fire containment and search and rescue. As conditions rapidly changed, Engine 14 called a mayday. This interview details the event, outcome and lessons learned.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Guest Contact Information
Floyd (Buddy) Wilks, Jr.
Birmingham Fire Department
1808 7th Sttreet North
Birmingham, AL 35203
205-254-2510 office
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
One of the best ways we can learn how to be safer is to learn from our mistakes. Truly, haven't we all said "I've learned more from the mistakes I've made in life than the things I've done right." The same thing can be said about our service as first responders. There is a lot to learn from mistakes – ours and others.
That's assuming the mistakes that resulted in near-miss events and lessons learned are shared with others. Unfortunately, many times they are not. I will discuss why they are not shared and offer some advice that might inspire you to step up and share your lessons learned from YOUR near-miss event.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
Your chances of getting killed in a commercial airline accident while traveling with one of the top 20 U.S. carriers is roughly 1:87 million. As a researcher and practitioner of first responder safety this incredible safety statistic causes me to contemplate how the airlines have been able to create such an impeccable safety record.
In this episode we explore how a facilitated debriefing can help first responder agencies improve safety.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
As we train first responders to improve situational awareness it is important the lessons include a list of both positive and negative clues and cues. Clues and cues are another way of saying "information"… the information you gather and process that forms your situational awareness. In the context of developing situational awareness, positive and negative clues and cues does not mean good and bad information… Rather, positive and negative means present and absent. The positive clues and cues are those you can see and hear. The negative clues and cues are those you cannot see and hear… not because you're NOT paying attention… but because they are absent… NON EXISTENT clues… NOT EXISTENT information.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Photo Credit: Bedford Hills Fire Department
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
Locus of control is a psychological principal that refers to the extent to which a person feels they are in control of the events that can affect their life, well-being or success. It is often associated with how a person views what happens to them in life and who is responsible for their successes and failures. I recently came across some research on the topic of locus of control that got me wondering about the correlation it may have to first responder safety and risk taking.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
First responders can experience three types of stress: Acute stress, episodic acute stress and chronic stress. This episode explores how stress can impact a first responder's situational awareness and, equally concerning, how stress can have devastating long-term impacts on a responder's health and wellness.
Our sponsor:
Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424
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