S-130 WILDLAND HAZARDS AND
HUMAN FACTORS ON THE FIRELINE
QUESTIONS WITH ACTUAL SOLUTIONS
Situational nnAwareness nn- nnANS-You nnneed nnto nnemploy nnthe nnfundamental
nnprinciple nnof nnsituational nnawareness nn(SA) nnwhile nnworking nnon nnan nnincident.
nnSituational nnawareness nnis:
- nnGathering nninformation nnby nnobservation nnand nncommunication
- nnThe nnfoundation nnof nnall nnthe nndecision nnmaking
- nnAn nnongoing nncycle
Be nnan nnactive nnthinker nnand nnobserver nnon nnthe nnfireline. nnStop nnand nnreevaluate
nnand nnmake nncareful, nninformed nndecisions—especially nnwhen nnyou're nntired nnor
nnunsure.
360 nnDegree nnPerspective nn- nnANS-Up:
- nnWeather nnand nnsmoke nnmovement nn(Thunder nnand nnLightning, nncan nnbe nna
nndanger nnup nnto nn40 nnmiles nn(64 nnkm) nnbefore nncloud, nnuse nn30/30 nnrule: nnwhen
nnthe nninterval nnbetween nna nnground nnflash nnand nnthe nnthunder nnit nnproduces nnis
nnless nnthan nn30 nnseconds, nntake nnprecautions nnagainst nnbeing nnstruck nnfor nnat
nnleast nn30 nnminutes nnafter nnthe nnthundercloud nnpasses.)
- nnRocks nnor nnburning nnmaterials nnrolling nninto nnunburned nnfuel nnbelow
- nnOverhead nnpower nnlines
- nnAircraft nnflying nnoverhead nnand nnperforming nnairdrops
- nnTree nnlimbs nnweakened nnby nnfire nnand nnburning nnor nnburned-out nnsnags
Down:
- nnDowned nnpower nnlines
- nnPoor nnfooting
- nnUnseen nnditches, nnholes, nnor nndrop-offs
- nnSnakes nnand nncritters
- nnFuels nnthat nncause nnchanges nnin nnfire nnbehavior
- nnFire nndownslope nnfrom nnyour nnposition
Around:
- nnLooking nnaround nncan nnalert nnyou nnto nnapproaching nnvehicles nnas nnwell nnas nnto
nnchanges nnin nnthe nnfire's nnbehavior nnthat nnmight nnthreaten nnyou.
, - nnAlso, nnlook nnaround nnwhen nnworking nnon nnthe nnfireline nnto nnbe nnsure nnthere nnis
nnat nnleast nn10 nnfeet nn(3 nnm) nnbetween nnyou nnand nnother nncrew nnmembers.
Lightning nnand nnThunder nnDangers nn- nnANS-Ideally, nntry nnto nnget nninside nna nnvehicle
nnor nnstructure nnif nnpossible. nnIf nnthat nnisn't nnpossible, nnget nnin nnthe nnmiddle nnof nna
nnlarge nnclearing nnand nnsit nn(don't nnlie nndown) nnon nnyour nnpack nnor nncrouch nnwith
nnyour nnfeet nntogether—especially nnif nnyour nnskin nntingles.
During nna nnlightning nnstorm, nndon't nnuse nnlandline nnphones nnand nnradios nnwith nnlong
nnantennas—use nnonly nncell nnphones nnor nnradios nnthat nnhave nnshort nnantennas.
nnThen, nnavoid nngetting nntoo nnclose nnto:
- nnDry nncreek nnbeds nnbecause nnof nnthe nnflash nnflood nnpotential
- nnHeavy nnmachinery
- nnFlammable nnliquids
- nnPoles nnor nntrees
- nnRidge nntops
- nnLedges
- nnWire nnfences
- nnRock nnoutcroppings
- nnMetal nntools
Human nnHazards nn- nnANS-Maintaining nnyour nnSA nnon nnthe nnfireline nncan nnbe
nnchallenging nnfor nna nnnumber nnof nnreasons:
- nnInexperience
- nnPersonal nnand nnjob-related nnstress
- nnFatigue
- nnPersonal nnand nnenvironmental nndistractions
- nnAttitude
Distractions nnand nnlack nnof nnfocus nnon nnthe nnfireline nncan nndraw nnyour nnattention
nnaway nnfrom nnpotential nnproblems nnor nnhazards. nnDecision nnmaking nncan nnbe nna
nnstruggle nnwhen nnyou're nnfatigued nnand nnyour nnability nnto nnfilter nnthe nnimportant
nninformation nnis nndiminished.
Good nnCommunication nn- nnANS-- nnAllows nnyou nnto nnreceive nnorders nnand
nninstructions
- nnProvides nna nnway nnfor nnyou nnto nnlearn nnof nnhazards
- nnGives nna nnway nnfor nnyou nnto nnreport nnthe nnsituation nnto nnothers
- nnServes nnas nna nnlearning nntool nnto nnencourage nnlearning, nnmaking nnyou nna nnbetter
nnwildland nnfirefighter
Barriers nnto nnCommunication nn- nnANS-- nnHaving nna nnpreconceived nnopinion nnabout
nna nnmessage
- nnAllowing nnpersonal nnor nnenvironmental nndistractions nnto nntake nnyour nnfocus
- nnHearing nnwhat nnyou nnwant nnto nnhear nnand nnfiltering nnout nnthe nnrest
HUMAN FACTORS ON THE FIRELINE
QUESTIONS WITH ACTUAL SOLUTIONS
Situational nnAwareness nn- nnANS-You nnneed nnto nnemploy nnthe nnfundamental
nnprinciple nnof nnsituational nnawareness nn(SA) nnwhile nnworking nnon nnan nnincident.
nnSituational nnawareness nnis:
- nnGathering nninformation nnby nnobservation nnand nncommunication
- nnThe nnfoundation nnof nnall nnthe nndecision nnmaking
- nnAn nnongoing nncycle
Be nnan nnactive nnthinker nnand nnobserver nnon nnthe nnfireline. nnStop nnand nnreevaluate
nnand nnmake nncareful, nninformed nndecisions—especially nnwhen nnyou're nntired nnor
nnunsure.
360 nnDegree nnPerspective nn- nnANS-Up:
- nnWeather nnand nnsmoke nnmovement nn(Thunder nnand nnLightning, nncan nnbe nna
nndanger nnup nnto nn40 nnmiles nn(64 nnkm) nnbefore nncloud, nnuse nn30/30 nnrule: nnwhen
nnthe nninterval nnbetween nna nnground nnflash nnand nnthe nnthunder nnit nnproduces nnis
nnless nnthan nn30 nnseconds, nntake nnprecautions nnagainst nnbeing nnstruck nnfor nnat
nnleast nn30 nnminutes nnafter nnthe nnthundercloud nnpasses.)
- nnRocks nnor nnburning nnmaterials nnrolling nninto nnunburned nnfuel nnbelow
- nnOverhead nnpower nnlines
- nnAircraft nnflying nnoverhead nnand nnperforming nnairdrops
- nnTree nnlimbs nnweakened nnby nnfire nnand nnburning nnor nnburned-out nnsnags
Down:
- nnDowned nnpower nnlines
- nnPoor nnfooting
- nnUnseen nnditches, nnholes, nnor nndrop-offs
- nnSnakes nnand nncritters
- nnFuels nnthat nncause nnchanges nnin nnfire nnbehavior
- nnFire nndownslope nnfrom nnyour nnposition
Around:
- nnLooking nnaround nncan nnalert nnyou nnto nnapproaching nnvehicles nnas nnwell nnas nnto
nnchanges nnin nnthe nnfire's nnbehavior nnthat nnmight nnthreaten nnyou.
, - nnAlso, nnlook nnaround nnwhen nnworking nnon nnthe nnfireline nnto nnbe nnsure nnthere nnis
nnat nnleast nn10 nnfeet nn(3 nnm) nnbetween nnyou nnand nnother nncrew nnmembers.
Lightning nnand nnThunder nnDangers nn- nnANS-Ideally, nntry nnto nnget nninside nna nnvehicle
nnor nnstructure nnif nnpossible. nnIf nnthat nnisn't nnpossible, nnget nnin nnthe nnmiddle nnof nna
nnlarge nnclearing nnand nnsit nn(don't nnlie nndown) nnon nnyour nnpack nnor nncrouch nnwith
nnyour nnfeet nntogether—especially nnif nnyour nnskin nntingles.
During nna nnlightning nnstorm, nndon't nnuse nnlandline nnphones nnand nnradios nnwith nnlong
nnantennas—use nnonly nncell nnphones nnor nnradios nnthat nnhave nnshort nnantennas.
nnThen, nnavoid nngetting nntoo nnclose nnto:
- nnDry nncreek nnbeds nnbecause nnof nnthe nnflash nnflood nnpotential
- nnHeavy nnmachinery
- nnFlammable nnliquids
- nnPoles nnor nntrees
- nnRidge nntops
- nnLedges
- nnWire nnfences
- nnRock nnoutcroppings
- nnMetal nntools
Human nnHazards nn- nnANS-Maintaining nnyour nnSA nnon nnthe nnfireline nncan nnbe
nnchallenging nnfor nna nnnumber nnof nnreasons:
- nnInexperience
- nnPersonal nnand nnjob-related nnstress
- nnFatigue
- nnPersonal nnand nnenvironmental nndistractions
- nnAttitude
Distractions nnand nnlack nnof nnfocus nnon nnthe nnfireline nncan nndraw nnyour nnattention
nnaway nnfrom nnpotential nnproblems nnor nnhazards. nnDecision nnmaking nncan nnbe nna
nnstruggle nnwhen nnyou're nnfatigued nnand nnyour nnability nnto nnfilter nnthe nnimportant
nninformation nnis nndiminished.
Good nnCommunication nn- nnANS-- nnAllows nnyou nnto nnreceive nnorders nnand
nninstructions
- nnProvides nna nnway nnfor nnyou nnto nnlearn nnof nnhazards
- nnGives nna nnway nnfor nnyou nnto nnreport nnthe nnsituation nnto nnothers
- nnServes nnas nna nnlearning nntool nnto nnencourage nnlearning, nnmaking nnyou nna nnbetter
nnwildland nnfirefighter
Barriers nnto nnCommunication nn- nnANS-- nnHaving nna nnpreconceived nnopinion nnabout
nna nnmessage
- nnAllowing nnpersonal nnor nnenvironmental nndistractions nnto nntake nnyour nnfocus
- nnHearing nnwhat nnyou nnwant nnto nnhear nnand nnfiltering nnout nnthe nnrest
