Samatters Radio

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 examine some potential explanations for this insanity.   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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

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 potential explanations for this insanity.   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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424  

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 examine some potential explanations for this insanity.   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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424  

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 potential explanations for this insanity.   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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

  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, we will examine some potential explanations for this insanity.   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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

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 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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

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/   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

  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/   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

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/   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

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 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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

  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.firefighternearmiss.com/   Report on Space Shuttle Challenger Investigation: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-CRPT-99hrpt1016/pdf/GPO-CRPT-99hrpt1016.pdf   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

  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: 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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

  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: 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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

  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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

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.SAMatters.com   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

  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 Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

  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.firefighternearmiss.com/   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

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 present special challenges for department personnel.   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 Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424  

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 Music   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

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   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