Samatters Radio

  On May 5, 2014 Perry Hall was part of an engine crew conducting a search when he got separated from his crew and accidentally locked in one of the worst places he could be – in a basement stairwell with the fire below him. Perry tells the story of the event and the post-traumatic stress that, literally, changed his life forever.   Show Notes   Contact Us www.SAMatters.com www.RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424 (office) 651-331-8518 (cell)   SAMatters Social Media Facebook.com/SAMatters www.linkedin.com/in/richgasaway/ https://twitter.com/RichGasaway SAMatters TV https://www.youtube.com/SAMattersTV   SAMatters Radio iTunes Stitcher Google Play   Our Sponsors Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com   Chief Miller Instagram: @Chief_Miller   Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Licensed by BMI Music   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/   Contact the guest Perry Hall fphall140@gmail.com   SPONSOR REQUEST   The SAMatters Show is the longest running, faste

On May 5, 2014 Perry Hall was part of an engine crew conducting a search when he got separated from his crew and accidentally locked in one of the worst places he could be – in a basement stairwell with the fire below him. Perry tells the story of the event and the post-traumatic stress that, literally, changed his life forever.   Show Notes Contact Us www.SAMatters.com www.RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424 (office) 651-331-8518 (cell)   SAMatters Social Media Facebook.com/SAMatters www.linkedin.com/in/richgasaway/ https://twitter.com/RichGasaway SAMatters TV https://www.youtube.com/SAMattersTV   SAMatters Radio iTunes Stitcher Google Play   Our Sponsors Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com   Chief Miller Instagram: @Chief_Miller   Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Licensed by BMI Music   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/   Contact the guest Perry Hall fphall140@gmail.com   Photo Credit Town Police Department   SPONSOR REQUEST   The SAMatters

  On August 5, 2014 Assistant Fire Chief Jamie Middlebrook of New Carlisle Fire Department (Indiana) died after being trapped under a roof collapse while fighting a fire at a commercial storage building.   A defensive fire attack was initiated. The assistant fire chief was one of three fire fighters who had entered Side A of the structure to stretch a 2½-inch hoseline to protect equipment and acetylene cylinders.     The crew was operating approximately 50 feet inside the structure and then decided to change the 2½-inch nozzle to a portable ground monitor (deck gun). During the changeover, one fire fighter left the interior to go outside and charge the hoseline. The fire was already in the overhead truss system above the assistant fire chief and the fire fighter, and the fire was likely concealed by the ceiling.   As the third fire fighter got to the overhead door, a loud crash occurred. The truss system failed and the ceiling and roof assembly collapsed on the assistant fire chief and fire fighter. The assi

Disclaimer: The comments shared during this interview are of the individual and do not represent the views of any company, employer or agency. On August 6, 2012, the Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Refinery in Richmond, California, experienced a catastrophic pipe failure in the #4 Crude Unit. The pipe ruptured, releasing flammable, hydrocarbon process fluid which partially vaporized into a large vapor cloud that engulfed nineteen Chevron employees. All of the employees escaped, narrowly avoiding serious injury. The flammable portion of the vapor cloud ignited just over two minutes after the pipe ruptured. The ignition and subsequent continued burning of the hydrocarbon process fluid resulted in a large plume of unknown and unquantified particulates and vapor traveling across the Richmond, California, area. In the weeks following the incident, approximately 15,000 people from the surrounding area sought medical treatment due to the release. Show Notes Contact Us www.SAMatters.com www.RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424 (office)

On August 6, 2012, the Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Refinery in Richmond, California, experienced a catastrophic pipe failure in the #4 Crude Unit. The pipe ruptured, releasing flammable, hydrocarbon process fluid which partially vaporized into a large vapor cloud that engulfed nineteen Chevron employees. All of the employees escaped, narrowly avoiding serious injury. The flammable portion of the vapor cloud ignited just over two minutes after the pipe ruptured. The ignition and subsequent continued burning of the hydrocarbon process fluid resulted in a large plume of unknown and unquantified particulates and vapor traveling across the Richmond, California, area. In the weeks following the incident, approximately 15,000 people from the surrounding area sought medical treatment due to the release.   Show Notes Contact Us www.SAMatters.com www.RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424 (office) 651-331-8518 (cell)   SAMatters Social Media Facebook.com/SAMatters www.linkedin.com/in/richgasaway/ https://twitter.com/RichGasaway SAMat

Like many of you, I do my best work when I am not interrupted. Whether it’s someone trying to carry on a conversation, a phone ringing or a text message, an interruption disrupts my train of thought. And when the train of thought is disrupted, situational awareness can be adversely impacted.   Our Sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com   Contact Us www.SAMatters.com www.RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424 (office) 651-331-8518 (cell)   SAMatters Social Media Facebook.com/SAMatters www.linkedin.com/in/richgasaway/ https://twitter.com/RichGasaway SAMatters TV https://www.youtube.com/SAMattersTV   SAMatters Radio iTunes Stitcher Google Play   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/ SPONSOR REQUEST The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.  

On this episode (Part 2 of 2) I interview with Indianapolis Health & Safety Chief Doug Abernathy. At the time of the fire Doug had served on the Indianapolis Fire Department for four years. While this was a near-miss event for Doug, the incident resulted in the death of two of his comrades, Corporal Ellwood (Woody) Gelenius and Private John Lorenzano.   Our sponsor: Midwest Fire www.MidwestFire.com     Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Licensed by BMI Music   Image Credit Cleaning up after the Athletic Club Fire Indianapolis-Marion County Library   Video Credit Bryan Boyd https://www.bryantheboyd.com    Link to register for the Evansville event http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=fiqbqa9ab&oeidk=a07efiv4gp542f17fe6   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 this episode (Part 1 of 2) I interview with Indianapolis Health & Safety Chief Doug Abernathy. At the time of the fire Doug had served on the Indianapolis Fire Department for four years. While this was a near-miss event for Doug, the incident resulted in the death of two of his comrades, Corporal Ellwood (Woody) Gelenius and Private John Lorenzano.   Our sponsor: Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com   Intro music Safety Dance (1982) Men Without Hats GMC - Virgin Records Licensed by BMI Music   Image Credit Cleaning up after the Athletic Club Fire Indianapolis-Marion County Library   Video Credit Bryan Boyd https://www.bryantheboyd.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

On this episode (Part 2 of 2) I interview with Captain John Lightly. At the time of the recording of this episode John had served as a member of the Youngstown, Ohio Fire Department for 13 years. Youngstown FD has 8 stations and a sworn strength of 135 firefighters. John’s married and has twin daughters. So you can imagine how exciting… and hectic John’s life is. I really appreciate him sitting down with me and sharing his close call survivor story where he almost died as a result of being caught in a flashover. For reasons that will become obvious during the interview, I title this episode “3 feet from death” and dedicate to all the firefighters who’ve been caught in a flashover and did not live to tell their story.   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

  On this episode (Part 1 of 2) I interview with Captain John Lightly. At the time of the recording of this episode John had served as a member of the Youngstown, Ohio Fire Department for 13 years. Youngstown FD has 8 stations and a sworn strength of 135 firefighters. John’s married and has twin daughters. So you can imagine how exciting… and hectic John’s life is. I really appreciate him sitting down with me and sharing his close call survivor story where he almost died as a result of being caught in a flashover. For reasons that will become obvious during the interview, I title this episode “3 feet from death” and dedicate to all the firefighters who’ve been caught in a flashover and did not live to tell their story.   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 Gasaw

I titled the original episode (#18) “What I learned in two minutes.” This is an interview with Lieutenant Sean Dolan from the Aurora Fire Department. On January 7, 2013 Sean, then serving as a firefighter on Engine 7 became a near-miss  survivor when he entered a structure fire at 16562 East Asbury Place, a single story residential fire with confirmed people trapped.   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

It’s not something talked about often, especially in high-risk work environments – overstaffing. Far more often the focus is on issues of understaffing which, coincidentally, can be a significant barrier to situational awareness and can have a catastrophic impact on safety. There can be, on occasion, scenarios where a worksite or an emergency scene can end up having too many people and that can cause problems.   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

Some people confuse tunnel vision and task fixation.  This episode explains the difference and provides best practices for developing and maintaining 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

On May 5, 2015, Chicopee Fire Deputy Chief Dave Beauregard responded to a report of an electrical fire – reported to already be out –  at an industrial facility on Meadow Street in Chicopee. Chief Beauregard discusses how his complacency contributed to a near-miss that if circumstances were just slightly different it could have killed him.   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   Guest Contact Information Dave Beauregard davidbeauregard@chicopeema.gov (413) 594-1635   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

On May 5, 2015, Chicopee Fire Deputy Chief Dave Beauregard responded to a report of an electrical fire – reported to already be out –  at an industrial facility on Meadow Street in Chicopee. Chief Beauregard discusses how his complacency contributed to a near-miss that if circumstances were just slightly different it could have killed him.   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   Guest Contact Information Dave Beauregard davidbeauregard@chicopeema.gov (413) 594-1635   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

On March 20, 2003, Twinsburg Firefighter-Paramedic Jim Woolf responded on Engine 4 to a reported electrical fire in an apartment building under construction.  The fire was reported to have been extinguished by workers on-site. On arrival there was nothing showing and the crews went to the second floor to investigate. What happened next was entirely unexpected and, as Jim stated, could have easily killed him.   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   Guest Contact Information Jim Woolf Jwoolf82abn@aol.com   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

On March 20, 2003, Twinsburg Firefighter-Paramedic Jim Woolf responded on Engine 4 to a reported electrical fire in an apartment building under construction.  The fire was reported to have been extinguished by workers on-site. On arrival there was nothing showing and the crews went to the second floor to investigate. What happened next was entirely unexpected and, as Jim stated, could have easily killed him.   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   Guest Contact Information Jim Woolf Jwoolf82abn@aol.com   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424

In 2007, Situational Awareness Matters was founded, initially, to help first responder improve high-risk decision making. From a single program delivered at a conference a movement was started that now includes over 100,000 program attendees, newsletter subscribers and social media followers.  This episode shares personal reflections from Dr. Gasaway and others who have been impacted by his teachings.   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 was my 20th year presenting at the Fire Department Instructors Conference. This is the first time I’ve dedicated an episode of the podcast to observations I made from the classes I attended and the attendees I talked with. 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

Tacit knowledge is that collection of life’s experiences, education and training that resides outside conscious awareness. It’s the knowledge one possesses that helps tap into intuition, a vital component to making high-stress, high-consequence, and rapid decisions.   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