Chapter 7: Communications Flashcards
Chapter 7: Communications p109
Missing radio traffic is to miss…
To miss cues and clues, diminishing the first level situational awareness
Chapter 7: Communications p110
How can a message sent in haste, where the sender never waits for acknowledgment from the receiver impact situational awareness?
The sender assumes the receipt of the message leading to a disconnect in the understanding of the situation.
Amplified when the communication disconnect is between the decision-maker and a crew. May not be immediately apparent but could lead to disastrous effects.
Chapter 7: Communications p109-111
Lack of update – decrease situational awareness
Critical information is not passed on due to lack reports either because crew assumes conditions can be seen, don’t know how to talk on the radio, don’t want to stammer through a report, concerned about saying the wrong thing, don’t have working radio etc.
because cues and clues are not being passed on command and cruise can be on different page with extremely different risk profiles.
Chapter 7: Communications p113
incomplete communication loop – decreased situational awareness
Non-repeated message back to the sender results in miscommunication with the assumption of the message being delivered as intended.
Can be amplified by misspeaking, unfamiliar words or phrases, phrases that can have more than one meeting.
The one way to never miss communication to ensure the use of a complete communication loop.
Chapter 7: Communications p114
Communication loop
- Sender transmits message
- Receiver captures msg and processes meaning
- Receiver confirms msg and sends to sender
- If msg is correct sender confirms it
Chapter 7: Communications p114
What is a greatly overlooked way to improve communication between receiver and sender
Using commonly understood terminology, words, and phrases is simple but often overlooked and taken for granted.
Under stress responders may struggle with their words, be winded, use shortcut phrases.
Take preemptive steps to address it develop words and phrases for common task, assignments, and updates.
Then practice them. No such thing as over practicing.
Chapter 7: Communications p115
Too much radio traffic – decreased situational awareness
Every radio transmission has to be processed into meeting. Which take up precious working memory.
Critical messages facilitate understanding. Noncritical messages hinder the decisions makers ability to think and develop clear mental models about what’s happening next.
Chapter 7: Communications p115
Radio problems – decreased situational awareness
Create barriers to communication, especially when undetected.
Accidentally switch radio channel, malfunctioning radio can lead to a crew in a high-risk environment not knowing what’s happening.
Could miss critical communications from command. Their level I situational awareness is flawed.
Chapter 7: Communications p116
Incompatible radios – decreased situational awareness
Incompatible radios lead to personnel not being on the same page when they arrive. Incident wide situational awareness is flawed. Crews may not commonly understand sense of what’s going on and what needs to be done. All this can lead to frustration and anger compounding decrease in SA.
Compounding this situation further someone, commander, has to be responsible for conducting a briefing, bring mutual leaders up to speed and that’s the decision-maker adding to his/her duties. In taking up mental resources.
Chapter 7: Communications p117
Multiple radio channels – decreased situational writers
As much as you think you can multitask duties at the incident scene, the human brain cannot multitask the acts of listening and struggling to hear and comprehend multiple conversations at the same time. When multiple people are talking your ability to comprehend any conversation is diminished unless you intentionally concentrate on one person to say
Just because someone is talking doesn’t mean you are always listening –
Chapter 7: Communications p1119
Missing radio communications from operating on multiple radio channels – decreased situational awareness
Operating an incident on two separate channels and expecting supervisor to monitor communications on both channels, when they can’t, causes problems.
Chapter 7: Communications p120
Communications can also be hindered when the responder is unable to communicate by radio – decreased situational awareness
Could be that the sender is in a pocket not assessable/not available for all personnel/whatever other reason.
Regardless of the call, responders in hazardous environment without a means to communicate is in a dangerous predicament.
Situational awareness will be impaired.
