The issue of under staffing is a hot topic these days. Staffing reductions are one of the impacts of our struggling economy. On a number of occasions I have discussed this topic – mostly from the perspective of budgets and politics.
Now, it’s time to look at the stark reality of how staffing can impact the situation awareness of commanders. In my book on Fireground Command Decision Making, I discuss one of the most surprising findings of my research – how significant the impact of staffing is on command situation awareness.
One of the essential tasks of a commander at any emergency scene is to conduct a size-up. Commanders are taught to look at things like building size/type, construction material/features, smoke/fire conditions, contents and life hazards. One of the things that is RARELY taught to developing commanders is the “Personnel Size-Up.”
The Personnel Size-Up is the commander’s assessment of what tasks can be safely accomplished based on the personnel on-scene. If you’re being realistic, you know that all crews are not created equal. Crew size, quality, training, age and fitness all impact a crew’s abilities. When the crews arrive it is important to size them up. Is the crew on Engine 1 the “A Team?” Is the crew on Ladder 3 from the “Island of Misfit Toys?”
If you work on a department with on-duty staffing, this size-up can start at the beginning of the shift when you see the roster of who is working on each piece of apparatus for the day. If you are a member of a department where the staffing responds from home, then you do not have the luxury of knowing the quality of your crew until they arrive. A Personnel Size-Up will help you make that determination and set realistic expectations.
One of the essential components of good situation awareness (and decision making) is being able to predict future events based on current conditions and actions of your personnel. In other words, getting out ahead of what is happening now and looking at where things should be five our ten minutes from now.
The quantity and quality of your staffing impacts your predictions of future events. The assignment you give your A-Team might take them 3-5 minutes to complete while the same assignment given to your Island Dwellers might take 10-15 minutes (and it will probably be done wrong).
As a commander, conducting a Personnel Size-Up will help you set realistic expectations of crew performance and the resulting future events. This, in turn, helps you maintain strong situation awareness.
Fire Chief (ret.) Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO, MICP
www.RichGasaway.com
For more Information:
YouTube Video Clips from a Situation Awareness Presentation
Podcast on Situation Awareness
[Author's note: This blog post was also posted at www.Firehouse.com]
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
The measure of success
How does someone measure success? Some would say by the accumulation of stuff (houses, cars, boats, and other motorized toys). Others might say by size of the bank account (inclusive of stocks and bonds). I disagree with both.
I was told a very long time ago by a very wise person that I should measure my success by how much I help others succeed. In other words, the more I help other people achieve what they want in live, the more successful I will become. It took me a while to grasp on to the concept that helping other people be successful would some how make me feel successful.
However, having embraced that philosophy for nearly 30 years, I can honestly say it does work and I feel incredibly successful for having helped so many other people achieve their goals. In just the past several months I have provided coaching to three persons who want a career in the fire service. As their coach, it’s not my job to tell them what they want to hear. It’s my job to give them the unvarnished truth about their chances of success and how to improve those chances.
I also had a conversation with an associate of mine whom I helped with some advice more than 15 years ago. I told him that when he became successful, he would have an obligation to help someone else the way I helped him. The purpose of his call was to tell me that he had done for someone else exactly what I had done for him so many years ago. And so, the cycle repeats itself. Helping others makes me feel successful. Give it a try. You may be amazed at how good it feels to help someone else get what THEY want.
Fire Chief (ret.) Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO, MICP
www.RichGasaway.com
RBG3100@aol.com
I was told a very long time ago by a very wise person that I should measure my success by how much I help others succeed. In other words, the more I help other people achieve what they want in live, the more successful I will become. It took me a while to grasp on to the concept that helping other people be successful would some how make me feel successful.
However, having embraced that philosophy for nearly 30 years, I can honestly say it does work and I feel incredibly successful for having helped so many other people achieve their goals. In just the past several months I have provided coaching to three persons who want a career in the fire service. As their coach, it’s not my job to tell them what they want to hear. It’s my job to give them the unvarnished truth about their chances of success and how to improve those chances.
I also had a conversation with an associate of mine whom I helped with some advice more than 15 years ago. I told him that when he became successful, he would have an obligation to help someone else the way I helped him. The purpose of his call was to tell me that he had done for someone else exactly what I had done for him so many years ago. And so, the cycle repeats itself. Helping others makes me feel successful. Give it a try. You may be amazed at how good it feels to help someone else get what THEY want.
Fire Chief (ret.) Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO, MICP
www.RichGasaway.com
RBG3100@aol.com
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