Ch. 8: Reading Risk

Question 1

Firefighters make choices about the dangers they face.

Answer 1

That is RISK TAKING.

Question 2

Firefighter’s action approach to get results exposes them to dangers that they may not appreciate.

Answer 2

Because many firefighters are “arbitrarily aggressive.”

Question 3

Instead of arbitrarily aggressive, we should be __________ aggressive.

Answer 3

intellectually

Question 4

What is required to be intellectually aggressive?

Answer 4

Being able to recognize predictable dangers and taking steps to reduce risk taking by our fellow responders.

Question 5

You can acquire the perspective of intellectually aggressive by front-loading what two things?

Answer 5

The understanding of defined risk-taking values and the increased ability to achieve situational awareness.

Question 6

What is perhaps the most difficult decision that the ISO has to make at the incident scene?

Answer 6

Determine the appropriateness of risk taking.

Question 7

Physical property whose loss will cause harm to the community.

Answer 7

valued property

Question 8

What must the ISO consider when determining an acceptable or unacceptable risk?

Answer 8

What is commonplace and accepted by their departments in terms of acceptable risks.

Question 9

What is the foundation for risk taking established by?

Answer 9

Defined values

Question 10

In order to establish defined values, why must one be keenly dialed into the incident?

Answer 10

In order to have situational awareness.

Question 11

The degree of accuracy by which one’s perception of the current environment mirrors reality.

Answer 11

situational awareness

Question 12

The ability to accurately read potential risks and recognize factors that influence the incident outcome.

Answer 12

situational awareness

Question 13

What approach can help you “read risk,” instead of using a size-up model?

Answer 13

situational awareness

Question 14

Situational awareness is actually a measurement of __________.

Answer 14

accuracy that mirrors reality
reading potential risks
recognize factors that influence outcome

Question 15

A series of “gauges” to help an IC understand hazard severity. Each gauge included a green-yellow-red scale of relative dangers to responders.

Answer 15

The Brunacini Approach

Question 16

What are all the three methods that have been developed to help you “get” the risk being taken on and help apply situation awareness to reading risk at an incident?

Answer 16

• The Brunacini Approach
• Value-Time-Size Method
• ISO’s Read-Risk Approach

Question 17

How is the Brunacini’s Situational Evaluation factors rated?

Answer 17

Each of the factors is “gauged” 1-5 with 5 being the highest risk.

Question 18

What is a quick risk-versus-benefit evaluation that offers a way to think through the appropriateness of risk taking?

Answer 18

Chief Stewart Rose’s Risk-Versus-Benefit Evaluation that evaluates:
value
time
size.

Question 19

What factors are paramount in making risk decisions?

Answer 19

Knowledge, sound judgment, experience, and wisdom.

Question 20

What is one way to prepare for situational risk decision making?

Answer 20

Read the many accident investigation reports generated for firefighter duty-deaths.

Question 21

What is defined as learning from the mistakes of others?

Answer 21

vicarious learning

Question 22

Which approach consists of a collection of the information and questions?

Answer 22

“read-risk” approach

Question 23

What are the steps to the ISO’s Read-Risk Approach?

Answer 23

Step 1: Collect Information
Step 2: Analyze
Step 3: Judge Risks
[CAJ]

Question 24

What is used to measure situational awareness?

Answer 24

Degree of accuracy

Question 25

What is it called when firefighters make choices about the risks they take?

Answer 25

Risk taking

Question 26

What was the size-up like in the nineties?

Answer 26

27-point

Question 27

Who should the ISO consult with if he is not comfortable
with the risks being taken but cannot quite justify his
concern?

Answer 27

Incident commander

Question 28

Which is NOT part of the first step in collecting
information?

Answer 28

Read the principle hazard

Question 29

What is vicarious learning?

Answer 29

Learning from the mistakes of others

Question 30

What are considered factors that reduces situational
awareness?

Answer 30

• Insufficient communication
• Fatigue and stress
• Task overload
• Task underload
• Group mind-set and biases
• “Press on regardless” philosophy
• Degrading operating conditions

Question 31

Which is NOT a factor in Stewart Rose’s
Risk-Versus-Benefit Evaluation model?

Answer 31

Location

Question 32

What are the factors in Stewart Rose’s Risk-Versus-Benefit Evaluation model?

Answer 32

Value-Time-Size

Question 33

How many factors are included in the Brunacini’s Situational Evaluation Approach?

Answer 33

16

Question 34

What are the evaluation factors in the Brunacini’s
Situational Evaluation Approach biased towards?

Answer 34

Structure fire

Question 35

What is it called when the ISO is keenly dialed into the
incident?

Answer 35

Risk/benefit analysis

Question 36

What is the second step in the ISO’s read-risk approach?

Answer 36

Analyze [CAJ]

Question 37

What is physical property whose loss will cause harm to
the community?

Answer 37

Valued property

Question 38

Simplified NFPA guidelines can generally be broken down into 4 statements

Answer 38

Risk a life to save a known life

• *Perform** in a predictable, practiced manner to save valued
• property*

Take no risk to save what’s lost

Default to defensive when conditions deteriorate quickly