Topics
Human Factors
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Human Factors |
Five years ago, did you think there would be a beer commercial where one guy hugs another and says, "I love you man." Until 10 or 15 years ago, the 'human side' of firefighting just did not come up. We evaluated situations in factual, yes/ no, even mechanical terms. It was Ted Putnam who stood up and said wait a minute, it is the decisions people make that are the biggest factors in our success or failure; it's how people function in the physical and social environment. Ted continues urging us to study the mind and mindfulness. While we have a long way to go to answer Ted's challenge, important work has been done and the WFSTAR website has gathered essays and initiatives related to the 'human factors' side of firefighting.
Human factors have been integrated into many training courses. It is important for firefighters and those responsible for training to include human factors in everything we do. Reading these essays, preparing presentations around these essays, and helping to develop our grasp of the human side of firefighting will keep us engaged in nuanced and safer operations because our 'Big Picture' is more complete.
Like the exuberant character in the beer commercial, we in the fire community, have also become interested in exploring and expressing what's really important - as comfortable or not as some of these may be for us to look at. We have discovered that by studying focus and attention, leadership, situational awareness, group cohesion, peer pressure, performance under stress, performance when fatigued, 'Portal' experiences, highly reliable organizing, developing a learning culture, and yes, emotion, we add many tools to the toolbox. We are rewarded with greater appreciation and understanding of the dynamics of wildland firefighting, and are better able to value a deeper side of life.
