Richard B. Gasaway

Situational Awareness Matters

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP, is a trusted authority on human factors, situational awareness and the decision-making processes used in high-stress, high-consequence work environments. Gasaway served 33 years on the front lines as a firefighter, EMT-paramedic, company officer, training officer, fire chief and emergency incident commander. His doctoral research included the study of cognitive neuroscience to understand how human factors flaw situational awareness and impact high-risk decision-making. Gasaway is the founder and CEO for Situational Awareness Matters, a teaching and consulting organization located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He can be reached at Rich@RichGasaway.com.

Full list of Richard B. Gasaway results

Situational awareness on wildland fires: Share the mental workload
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Physically demanding work performed over extended periods of time can lead to mental fatigue, impacting situational awareness
Situational awareness during acts of violence: Vigilance is key
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Preplan your escape routes, and consider your options to flee, hide or fight back
Situational awareness at structure fires: 4 questions to guide decision-making
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Under rapidly changing conditions, errors in decision-making can lead to flawed tactics and tragic outcomes
Situational awareness at roadway incidents: Honing a defensive mindset
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First responders not only face “D-Drivers” but also cognitively blinded drivers distracted by the flashing lights
Situational awareness at EMS incidents: Overcoming complacency
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Crews can become so accustomed to the routines of patient care that tasks become automatic, with reduced communications and overall scene awareness