Some people call it auto-pilot. It’s that ability to arrive at a scene and immediately go to work. That’s a learned skill, and it has a place on the fireground.

But another learned skill that may be even more important is the ability to analyze decisions before they’re made. You may know it by a more familiar term, situational awareness.

Most firefighters believe they have it already, and many do. Some really don’t. But just like anything else, you can develop it, or improve on what you have.

The difference between situational awareness on the fireground and in other jobs is, of course, that people can get hurt or die if it’s not done well on this job.

My guest today is an expert in helping firefighters build their situational awareness skills and he has some tips that may make yours a bit better. Doctor Richard Gasaway is the President of Situational Awareness Matters. He leads a team of expert instructors who train and consult on safety and leadership topics.

He's written 7 books related to situational awareness, high-risk decision making and leadership, He served 33 years as a firefighter, EMT-Paramedic, company officer, training officer, fire chief and incident commander.