Episode 72: The dispatcher’s role in forming first responder situational...
Some of the least appreciated members of the emergency response team are the communications specialists (in some venues, termed dispatchers). How do I know this? First, I served as a...
View ArticleEpisode 73 | Ryan Pennington on Hoarder Home Fires
In this episode I interview Ryan Pennington about his new book Hoarder Homes: Piles of Hazards for Firefighters. This book is the first to address the topic of heavy content conditions...
View ArticleEpisode 74 | Creating the Thinking Firefighter
This episode is a recording of my presentation at the Executive Fire Officer Program Graduate Symposium, hosted on the Campus of the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Length: 30...
View ArticleEpisode 75 | Interview with Personal Safety Expert Shawn Rafferty
In today’s episode I interview Shawn Rafferty, creator of the Safety Blueprint personal awareness and protection program. We will talk about how first responders can heighten their...
View ArticleEpisode 76 | Ontario Fire Service Critical Incident Initiative
In today’s episode I interview Brent Thomas, Stephen MacInnis and Richard Craibbe. As members of the Ontario Fire Training Officers Association they are leading an initiative to improve...
View ArticleEpisode 77 | Rewarding undesirable behavior
In this episode I am talking about the results of rewarding undesirable behavior. This is a topic more often discussed in my leadership programs than in my situational awareness programs –...
View ArticleEpisode 78 | Begin with the end in mind
In this episode we discuss the importance of looking into the future before committing resources at an emergency scene. Borrowing from Steve Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,...
View ArticleEpisode 79 | The overconfident incompetent
This episode discusses the process for competency development and introduces the Dunning-Kruger Effect, a cognitive bias whereby unskilled people suffer from the illusion of having superior...
View ArticleEpisode 80 | Interview with Near-Miss Survivor Morris Lentz
This episode is an interview with Assistant Chief Morris Lentz of the Rogersville, Alabama Fire Department. On February 8, 2009, Chief Lentz, then a lieutenant, was working a residential...
View ArticleA Tour of SAMatters
For those who have been along for the journey from the launch of the Situational Awareness Matters mission, thank you so much for your dedication and support. I really appreciate it! For those who may...
View ArticleEpisode 81 | Interview with Near-Miss Survivors Tim Kohlbeck and Chase...
This episode is an interview with Captain Tim Kohlbeck and Lieutenant Chase Longmiller of the Sheboygan Fire Department. On January 30, 2010, Captain Kohlbeck and Lieutenant Longmiller...
View ArticleEpisode 82 | Interview with John Martens, founder of NMotion UAS
This episode interviews John Martens from NMotion UAS on the use of unmanned aircraft (drones) to improve situational awareness. Length: 35 minutes...
View ArticleEpisode 83 | Interview with Close Call Survivor Tiger Schmittendorf
This episode interviews Tiger Schmittendorf as he chronicles a near-mess event during a water rescue incident. Length: 34 minutes...
View ArticleEpisode 84 | Interview County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service Captain...
This episode interviews County of Grande Prairie C Platoon Captain Jason Nesbitt and his on-duty crew at the County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service in Clairmont, Alberta. Length: 69...
View ArticleEpisode 85 | What is Situational Awareness?
In this episode we go back to the basics and explain what situational awareness is, how it is developed and why it is so important to first responder decision making. This isn’t something...
View ArticleEpisode 86 | High reliability organizations
In this episode we discuss what high reliability organizations are and look at their traits and the processes they use in their efforts to produce effective and predictable results. Length:...
View ArticleEpisode 87 | The role imagination plays in developing situational awareness
This episode discusses the role that imagination plays in forming and maintaining situational awareness. Being able to predict future events, before they happen, is critical to first...
View ArticleEpisode 88 | Commanders in Turnout Gear
This episode discusses whether incident commanders should wear turnout gear while commanding incidents. The answer may not be as simple as it appears. Length: 24 minutes...
View ArticleEpisode 89 | Understaffing can impact situational awareness
Understaffing can have a big impact on first responder safety. We all know that. But it can also have a huge impact on first responder situational awareness. This episode explores how...
View ArticleEpisode 90 | The myth of multitasking
This episode explores the challenges responders face while operating in dynamically changing conditions that require sharing attention to multiple, concurrent activities – a.k.a.,...
View Article