"The language is messy." This was the mantra our professor would reiterate to emphasize how difficult it can be to talk about risk. Having just completed a master's level risk management program, I have a better appreciation for the complexities of risk analysis. Thankfully, as Travis Dotson offers in The Summer 2017 Two More Chains, … Continue reading Fruit We Can Reach
Risk
See You On the Other Side
Reality set in quickly as I tore the plastic on my fire shelter. There was no longer any hesitation, no stigmas to worry about, this was survival. I remember saying “I will see you on the other side” to my partners as I fumbled with unfolding my shelter.
Blowing Up Hazards
“This use of blasting as an available tool proved critical to meeting incident objectives and successfully reduced risk exposure to firefighters.”
Fatigue Management
Agency Administrators and Fire Staffs have the ability to encourage modules and individuals to manage fatigue. To set it as an expectation and then to support it.
Engagement Dilemma
Engagement Dilemma revisited: What would you do?
The Problem with LCES
Here is the deal. You damn sure ought to use LCES for all of your operations. But under no circumstances should you use it as proof that you are safe. Nothing we do is safe.
What is “Normal Work”? Getting the Most from Accident Reports
This is the third of a three-part blog series by Jody Jahn, PhD, that addresses how we learn about complex hazards. Each of these three posts focus on a different facet of learning. (To see the first post: How "Oh Sh*t" Moments Can Make You a Better Firefighter ; and second post: “See Something, Say Something" … Continue reading What is “Normal Work”? Getting the Most from Accident Reports
“See Something, Say Something” – Why That Advice Doesn’t Always Work and How to Make it Work for Your Crew
A crew isn’t simply a collection of free-floating, fully independent people. Instead, it’s its own social system guided by a cohesive logic about what the crew is (and is not), what it does, and how it does it.
How “Oh Sh*t” Moments Can Make You a Better Firefighter
"In my research, I found that crews that make a point to do regular learning-based discussions can help their people put intense fire experiences into perspective."
Is LCES Dead?
The following thoughts and observations are derived from my own perspective that is based on 25 seasons filled with two shelter deployments, plenty of near misses, getting hit with branches because I was mesmerized by how awesome falling a burning snag is, falling asleep while driving, falling out on hikes (because I suck at hiking, smoke too much). Oh yeah, as well as one divorce and four or five failed relationships.