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Stress changes everything: Gasaway talks fireground decision-making

Dr. Rich Gasaway encourages all firefighters to study near-miss reports, not to judge those involved but to learn from them

How could they not see it coming? It’s a common knee-jerk reaction to news or incident reports about calls that went south. But Dr. Rich Gasaway — a former fire chief and the founder of Situational Awareness Matters — cautions against judgment, emphasizing that it can be extremely difficult to see the red flags flying around us, as stress compromises decision-making during high-risk situations. You have to train your brain through mental rehearsals so you’re able to go beyond simply having your head on a swivel to being able to predict what will happen next — and make the right decision for yourself and your crew.

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Previously on the Better Every Shift Podcast
The San Bernardino County (Calif.) FPD fire chief says it’s time to step up to fix what’s broken in the fire service — and that means embracing technology and innovation