Part 2 (Barriers to Commander Situational Awareness) Chapter 7: Communications

Question 1

This is a universal issue to any domain where high risk/consequence and high-stress decisions are made

Answer 1

communications

Question 2

Some problems of communication on a fireground are

Answer 2

• The sender delivers a message and doesn’t wait for acknowledgment by the receiver and assumes the message was received
• Lack of progress reports by crews inside
• Incomplete communications loop
• too much radio traffic or radio equipment problems

Question 3

There are several ways to improve communications. A few examples are

Answer 3

• never miss communications from your most at-risk personnel
• ensure the use of a complete communication loop
• use commonly understood terminology, words, and phrases and practice them

Question 4

The sender transmits a message. The receiver then formulates a confirmatory message and transmits it back to the sender. If the message is correct, the sender confirms it. If the message is incorrect, the sender can make the correction. After the receiver confirms the common understanding of the intended message, the communication is complete. This describes

Answer 4

the communications loop

Question 5

When a large amount of radio traffic is transmitted, it can have an impact on situational awareness

Answer 5

true

Question 6

Just because someone is talking, doesn’t mean ______

Answer 6

you are always listening

Question 7

As a general rule, assume you cannot listen to and comprehend multiple conversations at the same time and take steps to ensure that you are not in a ______ to have to do so

Answer 7

position

Question 8

Gasaway hypothesizes that dispatchers are not actually multitasking the act of listening, instead they are concentrating on the act of listening and the dispatcher can learn to pick up on ___ words and ____ inflections that tip them off to listen to one conversation or the other

Answer 8

key, voice