Are You Battle Ready?

“Experience is a brutal teacher, it gives the test first & the lesson
afterwards.”
Be aware of you!
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
Richard Gasaway

1. Unconscious incompetence - people who

are unaware of how little they know.
person does not know enough to spot cues & clues.

2. Conscious incompetence - A person who

becomes aware of how much they don’t
know.
a person who knows enough to be cautious at emergency
scenes.

3. Conscious competency - after 3-5 years of

training & experience ,people build a broader
knowledge base.
training & experience pay off as people are able to recall the
lessons & their decision making. Stress still interferes.

4. Unconscious competency - When a person

becomes so good at what they do through
experience, knowledge and practice that
knowing what to do in a
HIGH STRESS /HIGH CONSEQUENCE
SITUATION seems to come naturally &
automatically.
Stress inoculation - know your nervous system.
“that moment when you feel overwhelmed.”
Manage it or it manages you. Develop awareness.
Parasympathetic Nervous system = PNS rest ,the brakes.
Exhalation - activates the the PNS = slower heart rate &
decreased blood pressure. Take long exhales-slow down.
Sympathetic Nervous system = SNS accelerator, the
gas pedal,- no ramp up, quick acting - fight or flight,
survival.

OODA - John Boyd

OBSERVE, ORIENT, DECIDE, ACT

“ Work the problem or it works you” Bruce Carlton - Portland Fire.

“Get as close to the tree as possible - do not get lost in the canopy ”
Accountability
1.To Oneself, your Family, to your Dept.
Learn to Face the Truth with all 3.
Start with #1.

 Accountability
“Our department takes 1,120
calls every day. Do you know
how many of the calls the
public expects perfection
on? 1,120. Nobody calls the
fire department and says,
'Send me two dumb-ass
firemen in a pickup truck.' In
three minutes they want five
brain-surgeon decathlon
champions to come and
solve all their problems.”
You get one shot.
Find balance.
Sign up for the Battle, not just the T- shirt - be in Shape!
 HYDRATE
Watch out for each other.
Know your Gear.
Know the weakest link.
What temp will Mask FAIL?
 HEAT- will travel from HIGH to LOW.
Your gear can only absorb so much heat.

Know the design & limits of your gear.

If your feeling bee stings while crawling on floor- temp is 400+

Ask yourself what is temp on ceiling ?

Educate oneself on Fire Dynamics
Modern fuel loads have changed the game.
Know your enemy. Think OODA.
 Cancer is the biggest Killer of
Firefighters.
Be Proactive- Watch out for each other.
What’s in your pockets?
We are under a microscope 24/7
Everyone has a camera phone.

 You get one shot.

Follow Dept. policy- do not end up in court.
KNOW YOUR DISTRICT
The time to do your RECON is now ,not at 4am!
Photograph & study new buildings.
understand the common buildings & layouts in your
town.Examples - Cape ,colonial ,ranch.
Drive around your town, and spot buildings and ask yourself “what if?”
When the tones strike, be ahead of the questions.
Play the street #game
What is the St. # on East Elm st.where Melissa Dr intersects?When your on a
run and hit an intersection, you must know how the #’s flow.Do you go right or
left?What side of street for odd & even #’s?
 Be Ready 24/7
Its a bad night when your windshield is frozen!
 Use your
phone as a
tool.
When the tones hit, find
the location.

Let the Officer know you

have eyes on the
address.

 Have a cheap note book. Take Notes!

Take 5 minutes a day & learn something NEW for
the Fire Service
“Never stand next to the Jake who thinks he or she knows everything.
This is the person who will get you hurt or killed” Chief Brunacini
 Spend time before & after the run in the
kitchen/dayroom.
This is the place knowledge is passed on & debated between young & old members.

All the problems of the world are discussed here - be part of this.

Learn to be a good listener. Ask questions.

 THE 3 U THEORY
1. First U - Person is uninformed. They simply do not know what is expected.
Solution - inform them. These are the rules, this is what is expected.

2. Second U - The individual is unable.

Solution- Teach them the rules, skills, train them.

3. Third U - Individual is unwilling.

Solution - Listen to the reason why and offer council and set objectives
or take disciplinary action.

“When somebody goes shopping for a

dentist, electrician , lawyer, landscaper etc
they have multiple choices.When someone
dials 911 we are it, the public doesn’t get a
choice.”
BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE!
CHIEF BRUNACINI.
 PERSEVEARE
We all count on each other!