SAMatters Radio

Latest Episodes:

SAM 060 | Explaining the Dynamic Decision Making Process Jun 16, 2015

Show notes

On this episode we discuss how to make decisions in dynamically changing environments and the importance of using situational awareness as the foundation for making good decisions under stress. It is the decisions that first responders make, while operating in high stress, high consequence, time compressed environments (using situational awareness) that drive successful or unsuccessful outcomes.

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

Support@RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424

SAM 059 | Understanding Time Distortion Jun 09, 2015

Show notes

Individuals impacted by tachypsychia have described it as having the appearance that time is elongated, giving the appearance that events are moving slower than reality. The opposite has also been described, where it appears time is speeding up, sometimes moving so fast that things appeared blurred.

In this episode we will also review a near-miss event where rapidly changing conditions at an apartment building fire put firefighters in a dangerous position.

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

Support@RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424

SAM 058 | Mission Myopia Jun 02, 2015

Show notes

The tones drop for an apartment building fire. On the way, dispatch is advising multiple calls, confirming a working fire and the possibility of people trapped. The mind of the officer on the aerial platform is busy processing – thinking – anticipating – what will need to be done upon arrival? Of course, truck work is on the officer’s mind: Forcible entry; search and rescue; ventilation. The officer takes a deep breath and smiles. It’s going to be a good day. That is… until the officer gets overcome by mission myopia.

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

Support@RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424

SAM 057 | Interview with Close Call Survivor Jeff Cheshire May 26, 2015

Show notes

On June 30, 2008 an intense wind driven blaze destroyed a apartment building in Speedway, Indiana. As crews arrives on the scene a large column of smoke filling the sky from the building located along I-465 just north of Hollister Drive.

The fire started around 3:21 pm and quickly spread as high winds from the north pushed the fire further into the building.

Lieutenant Jeff Cheshire, then serving as a firefighter on Engine 202 recounts how his crew got over run by rapidly changing fire conditions and how another fire crew got blown down a set of stairs but what was described as a backdraft or smoke explosion.

Lessons Learned:

The need to pay attention to clues that indicate unusual conditions.
The need to trust your gut and to speak up when you sense something is not right.
The need to overcome your concerns about what others might think of you if you suggest it may be time to leave.
The need to rely on your training and to apply the lessons from training on the fireground.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Guest Contact Information

Lieutenant Jeff Cheshire

Photos Courtesy of Jay Thompson

SpeedwayNavigator.net

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

Support@RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424

SAM 056 | Explaining the neuroscience behind your gut feelings May 19, 2015

Show notes

It is amazing how many articles and videos I have watched lately in which they are talking about decision making based on “gut feel.” It is also disheartening how many first responders I have interviewed who have admitted to me that they have dismissed their gut feelings and proceeded to do things that resulted in bad outcomes. Let’s explore the origins of intuition.

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

Support@RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424

SAM 055 | Interview with Close Call Survivor Jason Corthell May 12, 2015

Show notes

In this episode, Cypress Creek Lieutenant Jason Corthell shares 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.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Guest Contact Information

Jason Corthell

jason.corthell@gmail.com

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

Support@RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424

SAM 054 | SA Q&A May 05, 2015

Show notes

In this episode, Dr. Richard B. Gasaway responds to five listener questions. Tune in as he shares the answers and provides some best practices for developing and maintaining strong situational awareness while working in high-risk, high consequence environments.

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

Support@RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424

SAM 053 | Brian Mulligan Close Call Survivor Interview Apr 28, 2015

Show notes

On May 12, 2012, Atascocita Volunteer Fire Captain Brian Mulligan and his crew responded to a reported gas leak that resulted in a very close call. If the circumstances were just slightly different, Brian could have been severely burned or electrocuted. Yes, at a gas leak call he almost got electrocuted! Listen in and learn how it happened and the valuable lessons Brian and his department took away from this event, including:

The need to always be vigilant and, if it is possible, to expect the unexpected – to think about other explanations for what you may be seeing or hearing. As Brian will share, things are not always what they appear to be.
Do not take anything for granted.
Ensure you have a solid standard operating guideline for responses to gas emergencies. Brian’s department didn’t have one then… but they do now.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Guest Contact Information

Captain Brian Mulligan

Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department

Email: BMulligan@avfd.com

Website: AVFD.com

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

Support@RichGasaway.com

612-548-4424

SAM 052 | Interview with Chief Jerry Streich Apr 21, 2015

Show notes

In this episode, I interview Andover (MN) Fire Chief Jerry Streich on the value of having a safety officer assigned during training evolutions. Chief Streich took part in a pilot program for the League of Minnesota Cities (his department’s insurance provided) in an effort to reduce training-related injuries.

The program has now been in place for two years and the Andover Fire Department has not had a single training-related injury in that time. This is impressive. Chief Streich discusses how the program came about and how your department might benefit from assigning a safety officer during training incidents.

Specific takeaways from this episode include:

The importance of having safety on the minds of all participants in a training evolution.
How safety can become a valued recruitment and retention tool.
How to identify predictable injuries during training evolutions.
How to reduce insurance costs by reducing training injuries.
Ways to implement a training safety officer in your department.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Guest Contact Information

Fire Chief Jerry Streich

jstreich@capstonepss.com

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

SAM 051 | Seek First to Understand Apr 14, 2015

Show notes

On Sunday March 29 Fire Captain Pete Dern was leading his crew across the roof to provide ventilation for the safety of attack crews when a catastrophic collapse dropped him into the inferno. Fellow Firefighters rescued him within minutes but he suffered 65-75 percent second and third degree burns across his body.

Following the incident a video of the event quickly made its way across mainstream media and social media. I was encouraged by the outpouring of support.

I was also repulsed by the number of firefighters who chose first to judge and speak poorly of Captain Dern and his department and their leadership. This episode is dedicated to Captain Dern and all firefighters who, in the moment, make split-second decisions that, for any of us, at any time, can result in tragedy.

This episode is a call to action. There are three actions I am requesting of listeners.

Answer the questions I pose during the radio show that forces all of us to seek first to understand, and to allay our impulse to judge others (especially those we do not know).
Shoot a short (30 second maximum length) video from your crew, company or department, offering support to Captain Dern and his family.
Give a donation to support the Dern Family (a link is in the show notes).

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Send your short (under 30 seconds) video clip offering your support and encouragement to Captain Dern to: Support@RichGasaway.com

Fresno City Firefighters Local 753 Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fresno-City-Firefighters-Local-753/319960938364?fref=ts

YouCaring.com site set up to raise money for Captain Dern and his family:

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/fire-captain-pete-dern-and-family/330134

Situational Awareness Matters! website