If you have spent time reading a large number of firefighter fatality reports you might start to see the real-life manifestation of Einstein’s definition of insanity. In fact, I would go as far as to say we’ve gotten to the point where we are discovering very few new ways to kill firefighters. Rather, we’re taking all the ways we already know how to do it and we’re perfecting it by doing it over and over… and over… and over… again. This is Einstein’s insanity personified. In this series we will ...
Jul 18, 2017•26 min
If you have spent time reading a large number of firefighter fatality reports you might start to see the real-life manifestation of Einstein’s definition of insanity. In fact, I would go as far as to say we’ve gotten to the point where we are discovering very few new ways to kill firefighters. Rather, we’re taking all the ways we already know and we’re perfecting it by doing it over and over… and over… and over… again. This is Einstein’s insanity personified. In this series, we will examine some...
Jul 11, 2017•23 min
If you have spent time reading a large number of firefighter fatality reports you might start to see the real-life manifestation of Einstein’s definition of insanity. In fact, I would go as far as to say we’ve gotten to the point where we are discovering very few new ways to kill firefighters. Rather, we’re taking all the ways we already know how to do it and we’re perfecting it by doing it over and over… and over… and over… again. This is Einstein’s insanity personified. In this series, we will...
Jul 04, 2017•30 min
If you have spent time reading a large number of firefighter fatality reports you might start to see the real-life manifestation of Einstein’s definition of insanity. In fact, I would go as far as to say we’ve gotten to the point where we are discovering very few new ways to kill firefighters. Rather, we’re taking all the ways we already know and we’re perfecting it by doing it over and over… and over… and over… again. This is Einstein’s insanity personified. In this series, we will examine some...
Jun 27, 2017•25 min
If you have spent time reading a large number of firefighter fatality reports you might start to see the real-life manifestation of Einstein’s definition of insanity. In fact, I would go as far as to say we’ve gotten to the point where we are discovering very few new ways to kill firefighters. Rather, we’re talking about all the ways we already know how to do it and we’re perfecting it by doing it over and over… and over… and over… again. This is Einstein’s insanity personified. In this series, ...
Jun 20, 2017•26 min
Developing situational awareness is a three-part process that begins with perception, and then understanding, and finally prediction – or forecasting what is going to happen in the future. Many first responders are good at the perception and understanding part, but the prediction part can present some real challenges. This episode discusses the process for predicting future outcomes. Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records L...
Jun 13, 2017•30 min
In this episode, I interview three members of the Lynchburg Fire Department who responded to a structure fire where conditions changed rapidly and caused the crews to leave the structure just short of being over-run by the fire. 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/ Conta...
Jun 06, 2017•47 min
In this episode, I interview three members of the Lynchburg Fire Department who responded to a structure fire where conditions changed rapidly and caused the crews to leave the structure just short of being over-run by the fire. 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/ Conta...
May 30, 2017•39 min
This episode is an interview Karl McNorton, Dusty Nichols and Joe Hawkins who were involved in a brush fire incident that was complicated when a tornado was reported in their vicinity, casing the crews to take cover in nearby homes. 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/ C...
May 23, 2017•50 min
On Dec. 19, 2016 at 1:05pm, the Virginia Fire Department responded to a report of an apartment building fire in the 700 block of 5th Avenue South. Noting a change in smoke conditions, the incident commander ordered an evacuation just moments before a smoke explosion rocked the building and it was all caught on video (link to the video below). Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Virginia Fire Department Smoke Explosion Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxUxnpQ0rSY Intro music Safety Dan...
May 16, 2017•59 min
In this episode, we discuss the Synergist - the person who seeks others who are like-minded and tends to side with their compatriots point of view regardless of the presence of mounting evidence that refutes the position of those who are like-minded. 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.firefigh...
May 09, 2017•24 min
In this episode, we discuss the Slacker: A person who avoids work or effort. I think we all knew that already. The slacker does the least amount of work possible to remain employed. They are a minimal contributor and seem to be content in their mediocrity. Getting them to get enthusiastic about work is like trying to get a lazy dog to fetch a stick. Or, less generously, it is like trying to teach a pig to sing. You are not going to succeed and you are only going to annoy the pig. Our sponsor: Mi...
May 02, 2017•26 min
In this episode, we discuss the super hero dangerous mindset. You might think of this as the person who sees him or herself as unstoppable, bullet proof, invulnerable or invincible. The super hero can leap tall buildings in a single bound, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to run faster than a speeding bullet. In other words, they think they have super powers and super abilities. The only problem is, simply because they think they can, does not mean they actually can. Our sponsor: Midwes...
Apr 25, 2017•26 min
This episode discusses the history of SAMatters and Dr. Gasaway shares his background and the work he has done to improve first responder situational awareness and high-risk decision making. 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 Su...
Apr 18, 2017•42 min
The silent individual members, for whatever reason, may not speak up even if something is going horribly wrong. This can have devastating consequences on first responder safety because the Silent member may see something very important for the safety of personnel operating at the scene, and yet, never say a word. 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.SAMatter...
Apr 11, 2017•29 min
In this episode, we discuss the stubborn – an individual that is set in their ways, closed minded and perhaps even defiant. Their narrowed view can impact relationships and, more importantly, their situational awareness. 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 ...
Apr 04, 2017•26 min
This episode discusses the boss who lets his or her authority get the best of their judgment or that boss who suffers from feelings of inadequacy (inferiority) that results in a dangerous mindset that can harm the safety of first responders. 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.firefighternearmi...
Mar 28, 2017•33 min
This episode is part three of a nine-part serious on dangerous mindsets that first responders can develop and I offer some advice for dealing with each. This week we talk about the Specialist, (a.k.a. The Know-it-all). A specialist is someone who takes the effort to acquire a higher level of training on a specialty topic. A specialist can be a tremendous asset, especially when an incident occurs that requires their specialized knowledge, skills and abilities. However, a specialist can also prese...
Mar 21, 2017•33 min
This episode is part two of a nine-part serious on dangerous mindsets that first responders can develop and I offer some advice for dealing with each. Last week we started off the series by talking about the starter mindset… the mindset of the brand-new responder. This week we talk about the Subordinate. __________________________________________________________________ Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Licensed by BMI...
Mar 14, 2017•27 min
Everyone of us should be able to relate to this mindset. We have all been there, albeit some more recently than others. Being the new responder can be a scary ordeal. I recall how intimidated I was just learning how to properly don my turnout gear. In fact, when I first joined I did not know what I did not know. And that’s what this episode explores – the mindset of the starter. Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Situat...
Mar 07, 2017•30 min
Have you ever driven your vehicle somewhere, arrived at your destination and wondered to yourself “How did I get here?” If so, you have experienced mind drift. This can happen when you’re driving your car, sitting in a classroom, or performing a high-risk activity. And when it happens, it can have a catastrophic impact on your situational awareness. Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Situational Awareness Matters! websi...
Feb 28, 2017•27 min
James Johnson is a Firefighter for Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is currently assigned to Firehouse 1 and is part of the Special Operations Technical Rescue Team, as well as Canada Task Force One USAR Team. James is a certified Fire Service Instructor II and teaches at the Justice Institute of British Columbia in the Fire and Safety Division. Before becoming a career firefighter, James spent a number of years in the construction industry and comple...
Feb 21, 2017•52 min
First responder training is often conducted in topical segments. One week it might be fire attack. The next week the training might focus on search and rescue and the next week on forcible entry. There is a reason a football team conducts a scrimmage, or why actors in a play conduct a full-dress rehearsal. This episode discusses the value of putting all the training segments together into one comprehensive practiced event. Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982)...
Feb 14, 2017•38 min
Fear is one of two emotions that drive all human behavior. The other is desire. Whatever a first responder chooses to do, or not do, is based on one of these two emotional drives. This episode discuses how fear can compel responders to do undesirable, and sometimes dangerous, things at emergency scenes. 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 Repo...
Feb 07, 2017•29 min
There’s no doubt that in dynamically changing, high-risk, high-consequence environments someone could be called upon to perform many varied tasks, some at the same time. When staffing levels are low, the likelihood of this situation can increase significantly. The problem this creates is the brain does not perform well when task saturated, especially in stressful situations. Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Situationa...
Jan 31, 2017•26 min
We see with our brains, not with our eyes. The eyes are simply a tool to gather photons of light. The processing of images happens in the visual cortex (in the back of your brain). There is also an interesting thing that happens as we listen to information. We also draw pictures in our brain. This is what I call the pre-arrival lens and it can set a responder up for success or it can cause some significant challenges. Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men ...
Jan 24, 2017•24 min
There are two types of memory we will discuss in this episode, short-term and long-term. Both play important roles in helping first responders develop and maintain situational awareness. Here, we will explain how. Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Situational Awareness Matters! website www.SAMatters.com Situational Awareness Matters Online Academy www.SAMatters.com/academy Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://...
Jan 17, 2017•29 min
At the time of the fire, Rick Mehaffey served as an engineer for the Waynesville Fire Department, a 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. At 0759 the fire department was dispatched to a residential fire at 71 Cornerstone Ridge in Waynesville. Mehaffey was first on-scene of a working f...
Jan 10, 2017•47 min
Confabulation is a fascinating phenomenon where a person’s brain can make up its own reality and the individual it happens to will not realize that what they believe to be fact is, indeed, a figment of their imagination. Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Situational Awareness Matters! website www.SAMatters.com Situational Awareness Matters Online Academy www.SAMatters.com/academy Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System ...
Jan 03, 2017•21 min
In this episode, Madison Firefighter Cameron Gasaway shares his observations about why it is so hard for a new firefighter to speak up when they think something is going wrong. We also share a real-life experience Cameron had when he was presented with an opportunity to speak up. In his words, it was one of the worst feelings he’d ever had. Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Situational Awareness Matters! website www.SA...
Dec 27, 2016•38 min
