SAMatters Radio

If you are the type of person who can work on your notebook, listen to music on your iPod, talk on your cell phone and text message at the same time, (maybe all while driving) this episode is for you. Advances in technology have given us more opportunities to multitask than any other time in the history of humankind. We are bombarded with visual and audible stimulation, most of which is at our fingertips.

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

[email protected]

612-548-4424

While attempting to command an understaffed incident scene, the attention of the company officer or the incident commander can be narrowly focused on what is causing him or her the greatest stress. In the case of understaffing, the safety of personnel operating in the hazardous conditions can be a huge stressor. If this happens, it may cause a responder to narrow their attention and cause him or her to miss seeing, or hearing, important clues and cues.

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

[email protected]

612-548-4424

I recently read with great interest a very long thread on Facebook about whether or not an incident commander should wear turnout gear at a fire scene. As my focus and passion is improving first responder situational awareness, I would like to address this issue from that perspective.

The feedback on Facebook was, as expected, all over the place with some participants saying the commander should be in turnout gear. Some said the commander should not be in turnout gear. And some displayed the typical (and expected) distain for management and saying the chiefs should just stay in their offices. Editorial comments lacking maturity aside, the question of whether an incident commander should wear turnout gear is one I field often during my Fifty Ways to Kill a First Responder program so I thought I'd take the matter up here.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Cover Photo:

John Buckman Chief Photographer WildFire Studios

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 I were to tell you that on an emergency scene it is possible for you to use X-Ray vision, you'd probably think I've been watching too many Superman movies. But it is possible for you to look right through a solid object on an emergency scene and see what's beyond it. Seriously! This episode will explain how that is possible and why this skill is so vitally important to your 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

[email protected]

612-548-4424

This episode defines high reliability organizations and looks at the common threads that have emerged in organizations that embrace HRO philosophies. We will look at:

• Organizational complexity
• Teamwork
• How knowledge supersedes rank
• Communications
• Accountability
• Feedback
• Compressed time constraints
• Sensitivity to operations
• Reluctance to simplify
• Preoccupation with failure
• Deference to expertise
• Resilience

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

References for this episode

• Baker, D.P., Day, R., & Salas, E. (2006). Teamwork as an essential component of high-reliability organizations. Health Serv Res. Aug;41(4 Pt 2):1576-98.
• McKeon, L.M., Oswaks, J.D., & Cunningham P.D. (2006). Safeguarding patients: complexity science, high reliability organizations, and implications for team training in healthcare. Clin Nurse Spec. Nov-Dec;20(6):298-304; quiz 305-6.
• Roberts, K.H. & Rousseau, D,M. (1989). Research in nearly failure-free, high-reliability organizations: having the bubble. IEEE Trans Engin Manage. May 36(2):132-9.
• Weick, K.E., & Sutcliffe, K.M.(2001). Managing the unexpected: assuring high performance in an age of complexity. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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

[email protected]

612-548-4424

In this episode we provide a working definition of situational awareness and take the mystery out of how it is developed and maintained by individuals working in high risk, high consequence environments.

Specifically, we will discuss:

• Perception
• Understanding
• Prediction
• Intuition
• Pattern Matching
• Tacit Knowledge

And we will address some of the reasons why situational awareness can be so challenging to develop and maintain.

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

[email protected]

612-548-4424

In this episode we discussed some really important and valuable topics that all firefighters can face, including:

• How to maintain control of you own personal situation when you show up on scene of a house fire and find out that it is owned and or occupied by either a family member, loved one, ex partner, friend, etc.

• The impact that helmet cameras can have on situational awareness, decision making and behavior.

• How to keep from getting caught off-guard when you arrive at a working incident

• How a firefighter (non-officer) can develop and maintain situational awareness.

County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service Recruitment Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-NsafQaRPA .

The County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service is comprised of several different stations at different levels. We have 2 full time staffed stations which cover the regions of the County of Grande Prairie which immediately surround the City of Grande Prairie. These 2 stations are composite (combination staffing) and typically are comprised of 2 full time staff, supplemented by 2 part time (paid on call staff) for a total of four crew members in each of the 2 stations.

Overall, staffing consists of 20 full time-staff, and another 80 part-time members. The staffed service area has a population of approximately 12,000 with a mix of rural, urban, commercial, industrial and forested areas.

As a result of the variety they face, the County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service members are trained to provide a wide array of services. Members are trained for:

• Structural / vehicle Firefighting to 1001 Level 2
• Hazardous materials to technician level
• Rope rescue to technician level
• Ice rescue to technician level
• Wildland firefighting to 1051 level 1
• MVC extrication to 1001 level 2
• Confined space rescue 1006 level 1
• Farm extrication 1006 level 2
• Medical co-responses to EMR (EMT-B)

The service area for the staffed stations is about 300 square miles. In addition we have 3 rural volunteer paid on call stations in 3 of our hamlets, and an additional 4 stations in 3 towns and 1 village located within the county to provide services. Our rural volunteer stations are 100% operated by our service. The contract departments are operated by their municipalities, and are provided with apparatus for county responses by our service. The entire County of Grande Prairie covers approximately 2800 square miles. The call volume for the entire region excluding the city of Grande Prairie is about 1500 calls per year. Our 2 staffed stations see about 800-900 of those calls.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Guest Information

Jason Nesbitt Captain “C” Platoon

County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service

Phone: 780-532-3145 Cell: 780-814-0280 www.countygp.ab.ca Address: 10001 - 84 Avenue Clairmont, AB T0H 0W0

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

[email protected]

612-548-4424

Dispatched to a report of multiple people trapped on the second floor of an apartment building with rising water, Tiger Schmittendorf and two of other members of his department launched their rescue boat and located the victims on in the apartment building. While preparing them for removal the conditions outside changed significantly and the slow moving water became swift moving water.

Listen in as he chronicles how the firefighters were able to remove the victims but then almost became victims themselves. Lessons learned included:

1. Don’t allow yourself it get into a situational you are not adequately trained and prepared to handle.

1. Don't wear bunker pants while performing a water rescue.

1. Don't let emotions drive your decision making.

1. Only used trained responders for water rescue evolutions.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Guest Information

Tiger Schmittendorf

Deputy Fire Coordinator

Erie County Emergency Services

716-777-0205

[email protected]

TrainYourReplacement.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

[email protected]

612-548-4424

John Martens is Founder of NMotion UAS, which provides Drone (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) technologies to public safety professionals and emergency management groups. These technologies enable responders to better assess, execute, and mitigate emergencies.

As a firefighter, Martens initially discovered the unmanned aircraft industry through a previous company in video production and digital media. Martens was driven to improve the life safety of his crew members and other responders with a mission to revolutionize the dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks that they perform regularly.

His company was launched in March of 2014 and provides complete systems and relevant services to equip agencies with various aircraft, training, and delivery platforms. Martens received a Bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University in Organizational Leadership and a minor in Emergency Services.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Guest Information

John Martens

NMotion UAS

316-804-8149

620-217-6031

[email protected]

P.O. Box 917 Hesston, KS 67062

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HovWlBCluqM

https://youtu.be/CdntbcwuWO0?t=2m34s

www.nmotionuas.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

[email protected]

612-548-4424

On January 30, 2010, Captain Tim Kohlbeck and Lieutenant Chase Longmiller, assigned to the heavy rescue at Sheboygan Fire Station #1 were dispatched to a structure fire with the possibility of people trapped on the second floor.

They were inside conducting the search when conditions when conditions changed quickly. Their decisive actions saved their lives… barely.

Lessons learned included:

1. Knowing the buildings in your town – both construction and layout.

1. Building mutual trust with your company.

1. Realizing when you’re in an environment where victims are not savable.

1. Keeping a big picture focus.

1. Decide. Act! (no hesitation).

1. Trusting your guy.

1. Understanding the characteristics of a high-energy (pre-flashover) fire environment.

Tim Kohlbeck,Biography: Tim Kohlbeck is serving in his his 26th year with the City of Sheboygan (WI) Fire Department. He was hired in 1990 and currently serves the city as a Captain and is assigned to Rescue 3, the city’s heavy rescue unit.

Tim is trained to the Technician level in Ropes, Confined Space, and Trench Rescue, and to Level 1 in Structural Collapse. Currently, he teaches rope and confined space rescue, as well as vehicular extrication for the department. He has been married to his wife Kathy for 24 years, and they have two children- Luke, 19 and Sarah, 17.

Chase Longmiller Biography

Lieutenant Chase Longmiller has served with the Sheboygan (WI) Fire Department for 18 years. Prior to that, he served in the United States Air Force as a Security Police Officer.

Chase has held the rank of Firefighter and Fire Equipment Operator (FEO) prior to being promoted to Lieutenant in 2015. He is the President of Sheboygan Professional Firefighters Local 483, and he has served on the Executive Board for 14 years. He is married with two children, ages 6 and 4.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Guest Information

Captain Tim Kohlbeck

[email protected]

Lieutenant Chase Longmiller

[email protected]

Photographer Information:

Gary C. Klein/Sheboygan Press Media Copyright, all rights reserved

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

[email protected]

612-548-4424