Annual Refresher Communication, Human Factors, and Lessons Learned A follow up to “If you see something, say something” National Emphasis Topic Prepared by Ed Dunbar, Benton County Fire District 4

Overview  Prior year emphasis – “If you see something, say something”  This year – next logical step is “What is it that we are looking for you to say something about? Past experiences, events and conditions that have lead to trouble for firefightersPast experiences, events and conditions that have lead to trouble for firefighters

Objectives  Communications Review Human factors barriers to communicating hazardsReview Human factors barriers to communicating hazards Review Additional ways to communicate and learn about hazardsReview Additional ways to communicate and learn about hazards  Review Communications Responsibilities  Explore additional resources for reporting and reviewing lessons learned

Good Communications  Integral part of successful operations  Central aspect of Fireline Leadership training  Reflected in 10 & 18, LCES  Millions of dollars spent on equipment to communicate

Good Communications  Despite this heavy emphasis, every year injuries or fatalities occur from hazards/threats seen by other firefighters but not communicated to those injured/killed  Why does this happen?  Can we change to accept the responsibility to communicate the threat? – We must!!

Communication Barriers  Common pitfalls Others are seeing the hazard/threat, so everyone must already be aware of itOthers are seeing the hazard/threat, so everyone must already be aware of it  Not everyone may have seen hazard or threat due to terrain, smoke, other events or just not correctly identified the hazard/threat

Communication Barriers  Common pitfalls Others with more experience see the hazard/threat and don’t appear to be concernedOthers with more experience see the hazard/threat and don’t appear to be concerned  Assume that those with more experience are aware  Assume that you are being over cautious due to lack of experience  Better to err on the side of safety to ensure threat is recognized by all  Embarrassment is rarely, if at all, fatal

Communication Barriers  Common pitfalls I don’t want to insult intelligence of fellow firefighters by pointing out what should be obviousI don’t want to insult intelligence of fellow firefighters by pointing out what should be obvious  Again, err on the side of safety  Ensure communication is made so all are aware  If others are made aware, they may be appreciative to a potential oversight on their part

Communication Barriers  Common pitfalls It isn’t any of my business if observed threat is to someone outside of my crew or area of responsibilityIt isn’t any of my business if observed threat is to someone outside of my crew or area of responsibility  Situational awareness dictates relying on others to provide information about the fire not seen  Operational boundaries should make no difference when communicating threats

Communication Responsibilities   All firefighters have five communication responsibilities: Brief others as needed Debrief your actions Communicate hazards to others Acknowledge messages Ask if you don’t know

Leader’s Intent   All leaders of firefighters have the responsibility to provide complete briefings and ensure that their subordinates have a clear understanding of their intent for the assignment: Task = What is to be done Purpose = Why it is to be done End State = How it should look when done

Human Factors Barrier to Situation Awareness and Decision Making  Low experience level with local factors Unfamiliar with the area or the organizational structureUnfamiliar with the area or the organizational structure  Distraction from Primary Duty Radio TrafficRadio Traffic ConflictConflict Previous ErrorsPrevious Errors Collateral dutiesCollateral duties Incident within an incidentIncident within an incident

Human Factors Barrier to Situation Awareness and Decision Making  Fatigue Carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide DehydrationDehydration Heat stress and poor fitness level can reduce resistance to fatigueHeat stress and poor fitness level can reduce resistance to fatigue 24-hours awake affects your decision- making capability like 0.10 blood alcohol content24-hours awake affects your decision- making capability like 0.10 blood alcohol content

Human Factors Barrier to Situation Awareness and Decision Making  Stress Reactions Communication deteriorate or grows tenseCommunication deteriorate or grows tense Habitual or repetitive behaviorsHabitual or repetitive behaviors Target fixation – locking into a course of action, whether it makes sense or not, just try harderTarget fixation – locking into a course of action, whether it makes sense or not, just try harder Action tunneling – focusing on small tasks but ignoring the big pictureAction tunneling – focusing on small tasks but ignoring the big picture Escalation of commitment – accepting increased risk as completion of task gets nearEscalation of commitment – accepting increased risk as completion of task gets near

Human Factors Barrier to Situation Awareness and Decision Making  Hazardous Attitudes Invulnerable – That can’t happen to usInvulnerable – That can’t happen to us Anti-authority – Disregard of the team effortAnti-authority – Disregard of the team effort Impulsive – Do something even if it’s wrongImpulsive – Do something even if it’s wrong Macho – Trying to impress or prove somethingMacho – Trying to impress or prove something Complacent – Just another routine fireComplacent – Just another routine fire Resigned – We can’t make a differenceResigned – We can’t make a difference Group Think – Afraid to speak up or disagreeGroup Think – Afraid to speak up or disagree

Additional ways to communicate and learn about hazards  Underutilized tools Safenet – – SAFECOM – – Clickable LinksClickable Links  Safenet Safenet  SAFECOM SAFECOM

Additional ways to communicate and learn about hazards  Safenet & SAFECOM Powerful methods of communicating hazards and safety concernsPowerful methods of communicating hazards and safety concerns Not intended to replace immediate corrective actionsNot intended to replace immediate corrective actions Easy to useEasy to use Available to all fire and aviation personnelAvailable to all fire and aviation personnel “Search” function useful for finding information“Search” function useful for finding information

Additional Resources  “This Day in History” – part of the 6 Minutes for Safety topics  “Learning from Incidents” library – videos that highlight personal stories from wildland incidents  Staff Ride Library – virtual site visit and incident simulation based on past incidents

After Action Review   The climate surrounding an AAR must be one in which the participants openly and honestly discuss what transpired, in sufficient detail and clarity, so everyone understands what did and did not occur and why.   Most importantly, participants should leave with a strong desire to improve their proficiency.

After Action Review Where Lessons Learned come outWhere Lessons Learned come out Perform as immediately after the event as possiblePerform as immediately after the event as possible Reinforce that respectful disagreement is OK.Reinforce that respectful disagreement is OK. Keep focused on the what, not the whoKeep focused on the what, not the who Participation by allParticipation by all End on a positive noteEnd on a positive note

After Action Review  What was planned?  What actually happened? Effective/non-effective performanceEffective/non-effective performance  Why did it happen? Again – what, not whoAgain – what, not who  What can we do next time? Correct weaknesses/sustain strengthsCorrect weaknesses/sustain strengths