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The Denver Drill that John discusses had been performed all week using two ladders and two firefighters at the sill. But the crew on duty on this day was confident that they could perform the drill using one ladder and one firefighter. In the process of removing Chief Vanatta (the victim) from the window, the officer on the ladder had to assist in pulling him through the window, which caused Chief Vanatta to be inverted (face up versus face down). In an effort to correct his positioning, Chief Vanatta rolled off the ladder. The officer grabbed onto Chief Vanatta and both of them fell 10 feet to the concrete. Recovery from their injuries took 2-3 months.

Deputy Fire Chief John Vanatta Jr. joined the Siloam Springs Fire Department in January 2017. DC Vanatta is the department training officer, an adjunct instructor for the Arkansas Fire Training Academy, and is currently the President of the Northwest Arkansas Metro Chief's Training Officers Association. He is also the Captain/Training Officer of the Lincoln, AR Volunteer Fire Department. His credentials include a Masters degree from Eastern Michigan University, the CPSE Chief Fire Officer credential, and NREMT Paramedic.

Prior to moving to Siloam Springs, Chief Vanatta retired from Clinton Township Fire-Rescue-EMS in Michigan at the rank of Battalion Chief. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Chief, attaining the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant. In 2008-2009, he deployed to Iraq and served as a military civil affairs liaison to the Iraqi Fire Service.

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The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

Back on Episode 55, then Cypress Creek Lieutenant Jason Corthell shared his close call survival story where he was operating on the second floor of an exterior stairwell at an apartment building fire.

The stairwell, not involved in fire at all, unexpectedly collapsed, trapping Lieutenant Corthell and District Chief Sanchez under tons of steel and concrete. A mayday was called and a rapid intervention crew was able to remove the debris and successful rescue the two firefighters.

This episode chronicles Jason's physical and mental road to recovery and he discusses his efforts to help other firefighters who may be experiencing trauma, on and off the job.

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Situational Awareness & Thermal Imaging Program on November 24 with Insight Training

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thermal-imaging-situational-awareness-improving-decision-making-tickets-126653755793?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch&fbclid=IwAR1QQ-LyT5qR2J2OyomeQ1VPcp2G7R8As1GPcpKYiB-IGyuQaTLqxnKtU4Y

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

Back on Episode 55, then Cypress Creek Lieutenant Jason Corthell shared his close call survival story where he was operating on the second floor of an exterior stairwell at an apartment building fire.

The stairwell, not involved in fire at all, unexpectedly collapsed, trapping Lieutenant Corthell and District Chief Sanchez under tons of steel and concrete. A mayday was called and a rapid intervention crew was able to remove the debris and successful rescue the two firefighters.

This episode chronicles Jason's physical and mental road to recovery and he discusses his efforts to help other firefighters who may be experiencing trauma, on and off the job.

Contact us

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www.RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424 (office)

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Midwest Fire

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Chief Miller

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Situational Awareness & Thermal Imaging Program on November 24 with Insight Training

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thermal-imaging-situational-awareness-improving-decision-making-tickets-126653755793?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch&fbclid=IwAR1QQ-LyT5qR2J2OyomeQ1VPcp2G7R8As1GPcpKYiB-IGyuQaTLqxnKtU4Y

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

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.

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Midwest Fire

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Chief Miller

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Situational Awareness & Thermal Imaging Program on November 24 with Insight Training

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thermal-imaging-situational-awareness-improving-decision-making-tickets-126653755793?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch&fbclid=IwAR1QQ-LyT5qR2J2OyomeQ1VPcp2G7R8As1GPcpKYiB-IGyuQaTLqxnKtU4Y

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

It's been 5 years since my last interview with my son, Cameron Gasaway. At that time, he was serving as an apprentice firefighter in Madison, Wisconsin. In this episode, he will share his lessons learned and offer advice to firefighters just getting started in their career.

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Guest Contact Information

Cameron Gasaway [email protected]

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

Rick Mehaffey serves as an engineer for the Waynesville Fire Department, is combination department that runs 2500 calls a year out of two stations. (He has since been promoted to Captain.)

At the time of the near miss event the staffing levels was 1 person on-duty at each of two stations, supplemented by roughly 30 volunteers.

0759 the fire department was dispatched to a residential fire at 71 Cornerstone Ridge in Waynesville. Mehaffey was first on-scene of a working fire in a two-story wood frame structure with light smoke coming from the eves and smoke coming out of the chimney.

Mehaffey noted the rock chimney stood approximately 8 feet above the gutter line and was 4 foot in width. The size of the chimney led him to position my engine outside of what he would deem to be the collapse zone.

Mehaffey established command and completed a 360 degree size up. The second engine arrived and they initiated interior operations. The crew located the fire in the vaulted ceiling cavity around the chimney.

Exterior crews set a ladder up to access the porch roof. This ladder was directly under the chimney.

Mehaffey exited the structure and was stopped and asked a question by a mutual aid company. At that time they were directly in front of the chimney about 10 feet away from the house.

Then someone screamed the chimney was falling.

Hearing the scream, Mehaffey and the other firefighters he was talking to began to run.

As Mehaffey heard the crash of the chimney he turned to look back to see a few large rocks that, as he described, "almost appeared to be chasing me and where so close that as I turn my head to watch where I was running I was anticipating the pain of the rock taking my legs out from underneath me."

As he reached the engine h stopped running, turned and looked back. The rocks had stopped rolling about 5 feet behind him.

An investigation revealed the chimney was a wood frame construction with large rock attached. Improper installation had contributed to the wood frame catching fire and spreading into the ceiling cavity, causing the chimney to fall.

As Mehaffey wrote to me: "In my opinion we almost had three LODDs that day due to my inability to remove my blinders and see a potential hazard," a hazard that by his own admission he was concerned enough on his arrival to ensue he positioned his engine outside the collapse zone.

But, as he noted; "Once my boots hit the ground I got tunnel vision and it almost cost four firefighters lives."

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Midwest Fire

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Chief Miller

Instagram: @Chief_Miller

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

On August 11, 2007, Captain Martin and his partner were over run by a fast-moving wildland fire. On retreat, his partner became entangled on a barbed wire fence. Captain Martin used a utility knife to cut away his partner's ensnarled clothing and they both narrowly escaped death.

Dave Martin's crew was assigned to the task of keeping the wildland fire from jumping Highway 97. Around 2100, Captain Martin and a member of the tribal fire management team were assigned to conduct a back-burn operation along the highway.

Unexpectedly, the fire blew up on them, eventually consuming 1,200 acres. While on a retreat from the fast moving fire, Captain Martin's partner become entangled on a barbed wire fence. While being over run by hot embers and heavy smoke, Captain Martin used a utility knife to cut away his partner's ensnarled clothing and they both narrowly escaped death.

Listen in as Dave shares his lessons learned that include:

1. The need to trust your intuition – your gut feel when it tells you something is not right.
2. The importance of standing your ground when you feel a mistake is being made by your partner.
3. The consequences of overlooking critical clues and cues that indicate conditions are changing.
4. How task fixation and mission myopia and serve as barriers that impact your situational awareness and flaw your decision making.

Contact us

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www.RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424 (office)

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Premier Sponsor

Midwest Fire

MidwestFire.com

Associate Sponsor

Chief Miller

Instagram: @Chief_Miller

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

A confabulated reality is one that we believe to be real but, in actuality, it is made up in our brain. The problem with this is we rarely are able to distinguish between a confabulated reality and true reality until something bad happens. It will be at that point that we realize we were experiencing a flawed perception of reality.

Contact Us

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www.RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424 (office)

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Facebook: Follow SAMatters

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Premier Sponsor

Midwest Fire

MidwestFire.com

Associate Sponsor

Chief Miller

Instagram: @Chief_Miller

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

On July 28, 2011, the Asheville Fire Department was forever changed by the tragic LODD of Captain Jeff Bowen. During this interview, Fire Chief Scott Burnette talks about that fateful day and the significant changes that have occurred in the Asheville Fire Department – changes that every fire department can benefit from.

Contact Us

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www.RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424 (office)

Let's Get connected

Facebook: Follow SAMatters

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Premier Sponsor

Midwest Fire

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Associate Sponsor

Chief Miller

Instagram: @Chief_Miller

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

NIOSH Investigation report (Hyperlink): http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/pdfs/face201013.pdf

KMBC News video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOv27DH8aWk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNAvC7_jbcA

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

On July 28, 2011, the Asheville Fire Department was forever changed by the tragic LODD of Captain Jeff Bowen. During this interview, Fire Chief Scott Burnette talks about that fateful day and the significant changes that have occurred in the Asheville Fire Department – changes that every fire department can benefit from.

Contact Us

www.SAMatters.com

www.RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424 (office)

Let's Get connected

Facebook: Follow SAMatters

LinkedIn: Follow Rich Gasaway

Twitter: Follow Rich Gasaway

Instagram: Follow SA_Matters

Youtube: Subscribe to SAMattersTV

Itunes: Subscribe to SAMatters Radio

Stitcher Radio: Subscribe to SAMatters Radio

Google Play: Subscribe to SAMatters Radio

iHeart Radio: Subscribe to SAMatters Radio

Premier Sponsor

Midwest Fire

MidwestFire.com

Associate Sponsor

Chief Miller

Instagram: @Chief_Miller

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

NIOSH Investigation report (Hyperlink): http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/pdfs/face201013.pdf

KMBC News video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOv27DH8aWk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNAvC7_jbcA

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.