Firefighting, despite heavy reliance on fire prediction,
hazard models, fire control and suppression technologies, is
ultimately a human activity. It requires individual firefighters to
form risk assessments and initiate courses of action.
It requires individual firefighters to form risk assessments and
initiate courses of action. Firefighter safety, both in bushfire
situations and in associated brigade activities, therefore requires
that individuals be aware of, and give adequate attention to, the
safety implications of any decisions they might implement.
Previous research suggests that human decision-making ability
deteriorates in rapidly changing and relatively unpredictable
situations such as a bushfire. It is unclear, however, precisely
what factors cause such a decline in decision-making ability,
particularly with regard to threats to safety.
The research to be undertaken by the La Trobe University team in
collaboration with firefighting agencies, aims to increase the
understanding of the human factors affecting decision making that
could compromise safety on the fireground. Human factors include
the effects of physical and mental stress, group pressures at crew
and agency level, and the firefighters’ own thought
processes.
Project researchers will interview senior officers of fire
agencies and firefighter associations to determine perceived
research needs, carrying out detailed post-incident debriefings of
firefighting personnel (across all levels of rank) who are involved
in incidents, conduct controlled experimentation using
computer-generated safety threats (using Networked Fire Chief), and
develop and test methods for presenting fire related information
and for training to reduce safety-compromising behaviour.
In the first stage of the project 33 firefighters, ranging from
crew leaders to incident controllers, were interviewed over summer
of 2004/2005 after large-scale wildfires and prescribed fires. Some
interesting trends are emerging from these interviews.
The findings from the interviews and subsequent experiments will
greatly improve fire agencies’ ability to amend/develop
processes and to train their firefighters, and so increase the
likelihood of ‘safe’ decisions, particularly under
stress.
Project Leader: Mary Omodei, LaTrobe University, Ph: (03)
9479-1747
