Situational Awareness for the Incident Commander.

Situational AwarenessSituational Awarenessfor thefor the

Incident CommanderIncident Commander

ConcernsConcerns

Incident commander often overwhelmed Incident commander often overwhelmed by sensory inputby sensory input

Failure to properly evaluate situation may Failure to properly evaluate situation may lead to faulty decisionslead to faulty decisions

Faulty decisions may result in loss of life Faulty decisions may result in loss of life or propertyor property

Situational Awareness StepsSituational Awareness Steps

Fly the airplaneFly the airplane

Be a fighter pilotBe a fighter pilot

Define the problemDefine the problem

Set PrioritiesSet Priorities

Stay out of the weedsStay out of the weeds

Situational Awareness StepsSituational Awareness Steps

Avoid tunnel visionAvoid tunnel vision

Don’t overanalyzeDon’t overanalyze

Skate to where the puck is going Skate to where the puck is going to beto be

Know when to pull the plugKnow when to pull the plug

Fly the AirplaneFly the Airplane

Fly the AirplaneFly the Airplane

Keep the end in mindKeep the end in mind

Make sure someone is focused on staying Make sure someone is focused on staying in the airin the air

Be a Fighter PilotBe a Fighter Pilot

Attitude IndicatorAttitude Indicator

CrosschecksCrosschecks

Remember your wingmanRemember your wingman

Define the problemDefine the problem

Do a personal 360Do a personal 36000

Define the problemDefine the problem

Do a personal 360Do a personal 36000

Pare away superfluous informationPare away superfluous information

Identify the root issueIdentify the root issue

Determine impactsDetermine impacts

Set PrioritiesSet Priorities

Determine most important impactDetermine most important impact

List possible outcomesList possible outcomes

PrioritizePrioritize

Stay Out of the WeedsStay Out of the Weeds

Deal in overviewsDeal in overviews– Delegate trusted Delegate trusted

‘filters’‘filters’

Rely on staffRely on staff

Review ‘folders’Review ‘folders’

Avoid Tunnel VisionAvoid Tunnel Vision

Sector areas of Sector areas of concernconcern– FoldersFolders

Require Require comprehensive comprehensive reportsreports– Filter informationFilter information

Back up one layerBack up one layer

Don’t OveranalyzeDon’t Overanalyze

Deal in generalitiesDeal in generalities

Listen to othersListen to others– Institutional memoryInstitutional memory

Don’t OveranalyzeDon’t Overanalyze

Deal in generalitiesDeal in generalities

Listen to othersListen to others– Institutional memoryInstitutional memory

Occams RazorOccams Razor–the explanation of any the explanation of any phenomenon should make should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating, or as few assumptions as possible, eliminating, or "shaving off," those that make no difference in the "shaving off," those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory hypothesis or theory –"All things being equal, the simplest solution "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one." tends to be the best one."

Skate to where the puck is Skate to where the puck is going to begoing to be

Keep your head upKeep your head up

AnticipateAnticipate

Trust your footworkTrust your footwork

Know when to pull the plugKnow when to pull the plug

Start the clockStart the clock

Keep options openKeep options open

Be decisiveBe decisive

Situational Awareness StepsSituational Awareness Steps

Fly the airplaneFly the airplane

Be a fighter pilotBe a fighter pilot

Define the problemDefine the problem

Set PrioritiesSet Priorities

Stay out of the weedsStay out of the weeds

Situational Awareness StepsSituational Awareness Steps

Avoid tunnel visionAvoid tunnel vision

Don’t overanalyzeDon’t overanalyze

Skate to where the puck is going Skate to where the puck is going to beto be

Know when to pull the plugKnow when to pull the plug