Firefighter Podcast

#472 The Art of Decision Making: Incident command, Cognition & Chaos on the Fireground

Firefighter Podcast

Show Notes

In this episode of The Firefighters Podcast, we explore incident command, cognition and the art of decision making on the fireground. This is not just a conversation for commanders. It is for every firefighter, because every person on the incident ground is making decisions that shape outcomes. From situational awareness and recognition primed decision making to THINCS, decision controls, stress, fear, ego, culture and command mindset, this episode looks at how firefighters think under pressu...

More from Firefighter Podcast

Oct 22, 2026

Six firefighters. A rapidly advancing wildfire. And an escape route that suddenly disappeared. On 19 August 2018, firefighters working on California's Mendocino Complex were conducting a tactical firing operation designed to stop the spread of a major wildfire. But as conditions deteriorated, a sudden wind shift and explosive fire development cut off their planned escape routes. We explore: The background to the Mendocino Complex wildfire and the challenges facing responding crews.The tactica...

Oct 19, 2026

Are We Training Firefighters Wrong? | Chris Gott & Justin Brunner Are we genuinely developing better firefighters, or are we simply getting better at ticking boxes, completing assessments and documenting competence? In this episode of The Firefighters Podcast, I sit down with Chris Gott and Justin Brunner for a fascinating conversation about the future of firefighter training, operational competence, leadership, artificial intelligence and how we can develop better decision-makers. Connec...

Oct 15, 2026

Why does meaningful change remain so difficult when decades of research, inspections and cultural reviews have already identified so many of the problems? In this episode, Im joined by Janette Morris, former senior fire and rescue leader and HMICFRS inspector; Dave Baigent, former firefighter and long-standing researcher of firefighter culture; and Leanne Allen, operational firefighter and researcher with experience internationally. Together, they challenge assumptions around leadership, incl...

Oct 12, 2026

Recorded at the World Fire Congress 2026 in London, I sat down with Dr Lori Moore-Merrell, former US Fire Administrator and founding Chair of the World Fire Congress, and Phil Garrigan, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), to explore some of the biggest challenges facing fire and rescue services around the world. We discuss the growing threats of wildfire, extreme weather, operational pressures and funding challenges, alongside the importance of international collaboration and le...

Oct 9, 2026

Lithium-ion batteries are now embedded in almost every part of modern life, from mobile phones and power tools to electric vehicles, public transport and large-scale energy storage systems. But as this technology becomes more widespread, are fire and rescue services keeping pace with the risks? Recorded live at the World Fire Congress 2026 in London, this episode of The Firefighters Podcast features Dr Stephen Kerber of UL Research Institutes and the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), one...

See all episodes →