SAMatters Radio

What can you learn from someone who has survived close call? The answer is... A LOT. When I launched this show in April 2014, the purpose was, as it remains, to help first responders improve situational awareness and decision making while operating in high stress, high consequence environments. This mission has been supplemented by the real-life experiences of close call survivors, sharing INCREDIBLE stories about how they nearly died and, in some cases, how their comrades did die.

This episode reviews some of the most incredible interviews conducted with close call survivors, including:

Episode 17: Indianapolis Fire Department Health & Safety Chief Doug Abernathy sharing his close call survival story at the Athletic Club Hotel Fire that claimed the lives of two firefighters.

Episode 18: Aurora Fire Lieutenant Sean Dolan sharing his close call survival story from being caught in a flashover while operating a hose line to provide protection to a truck company crew conducting a primary search.

Episode 35: Winnipeg Firefighter Lionel Crowther sharing his close call survival story from a flashover event at a residential dwelling fire that claimed the lives of two firefighters.

Episode 42: Raleigh Fire Captain Steven Page sharing his close call survival story from being lost, disoriented and alone inside a commercial building fire and how he narrowly escaped with his life.

Episode 45: Yakima County Fire District #5 Captain Dave Martin sharing his close call survival story from being caught in a fast moving wildland fire that almost claimed the life of a fellow firefighter.

Episode 55: Cypress Creek Lieutenant Jason Corthel sharing his close call survival story resulting from a structural collapse that trapped him and a fell firefighter at an apartment building fire.

Episode 57: Speedway Fire Lieutenant Jeff Cheshire sharing his close call survival story from being caught in rapidly changing conditions during a fire in an apartment building.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

Firefighters and addiction. It’s not something we like to acknowledge or talk about. On this episode, we both acknowledge the problem and I have two guests from the American Addiction Centers here to give first responders advice about how to get help.

I’m really excited to have as my guests Mark Lamplugh and Mike Healy, both first responders and both committed to helping first responders with addiction issues.

Assistant Chief Michael A. Healy is a forty -four year member of the Rockland County, NY fire service. He has served two prior terms as a chief. He is a NYS Fire Instructor, the Coordinator of Fire Education at the Rockland County Fire Training Center, a hands on fire instructor for the NYS Association of Fire Chiefs, and a member of the Rockland County CISM team.

Mike retired in 2008 from he NY Transit Authority as the Clinical Director of the NYC Transit / TWU Local 100 Union Assistance Program. He is a Certified Employee Assistance Professional, Substance Abuse Professional, and a Labor Assistance Professional – Certified. In 2011 he teamed with Mike Blackburn, (Battalion Chief Providence FD, retired) to build a program to offer help to firefighters throughout the country suffering from behavioral health issues. Teaming with the NVFC and American Addiction Centers we offer a national hotline number for firefighters and EMS personnel.

Mark Lamplugh, Jr. is a 4th generation firefighter and former Captain with the Lower Chichester Fire Company. He is now a national treatment consultant with American Addiction Centers specializing in First Responder Services. Mark has placed and referred 100’s of firefighters nationwide. He currently working towards his degree in applied psychology from Florida Institute of Technology and is a member of the American Academy of Experts of Traumatic Stress.

In this episode Mark and Mike talk about the growing issue of firefighter addiction and provide solid advice about how to get help.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire MidwestFire.com

Intro music

Safety Dance (1982)

Men Without Hats

GMC - Virgin Records

Guest Contact Information American Addiction Centers

888-731-3474

http://americanaddictioncenters.org

National Volunteer Fire Council

Share the Load Program

http://www.nvfc.org/hot-topics/share-the-load-support-program-for-fire-and-ems

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

On this episode I interview retired Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Investigator Steven Hough. Steven was shot three times by a suspect and the return fire mortally wounded the assailant. In this gripping interview, Investigator Hough shares:

1.How his training paid off under the stress of gunfire.

2.How he experienced the Fog of War, and he explains in detail what that means.

3.How he used a combat breathing technique to keep himself calm.

4.Why it is so important to get yourself mentally and physically prepared for the fight.

FEATURE TOPIC

An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Investigator shot three times while working to take a violent fugitive into custody received the Medal of Valor from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office today. His fellow OCSO officers involved in the incident were also recognized for their bravery.

Investigator Steve Hough was working outside the suspect’s Milton home December 9th, 2011 as part of a U-S Marshals Service perimeter team. There was very little area to provide cover and the suspect, Christopher Lewis, abruptly came out of the house with guns in each hand and began firing at officers. Investigator Hough returned fire but was shot once in the face and two times in the leg. Lewis did not stop firing until all his ammunition was gone. Lewis received multiple gunshot wounds that eventually proved fatal.

Investigator Hough put himself at personal risk to ensure Lewis did not escape, knowing the threat he posed to others.

If you have experienced or witnessed a near miss and would like to be interviewed on this show, visit my companion site:

www.CloseCallSurvivor.com and click on the Contact Us link. Thank you, in advance, for sharing your lessons learned so others may live.

Press release: Officer Steven Hough received Medal of Valor

http://www.sheriff-okaloosa.org/wp-content/pdfs/newsreleases/2012/Jan.%2030%20-%20Medals%20of%20Valor%20and%20Medals%20of%20Merit.pdf

Situational Awareness Matters! website

www.SAMatters.com

On-Line Academy

http://www.samatters.com/situational-awareness-matters-academy/

Upcoming Events Schedule

http://www.samatters.com/programs-keynote/eventschedule/

Books and Videos (Store)

http://www.samatters.com/store/

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Close Call Survivor Website

www.CloseCallSurvivor.com

Contact Rich Gasaway

www.RichGasaway.com

[email protected]

612-548-4424

The IAFC’s Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System has been undergoing substantial changes in 2019 to improve functionality and provide better services to its users and stakeholders and 2020 looks to be no different. With a new technology partner, Envisage Technologies that oversees the Acadis Portal and FirstForward Training and Exposure Tracking, new deliverables are in the works to allow a better learning experience from near miss reports.

The Near Miss Program also is looking to further promote Human Performance Improvement to help fire departments at the operational level.

John Russ is an eighteen-year veteran of the fire service, currently working for the Brentwood (TN) Fire & Rescue Department as a Lieutenant/ Paramedic. He has been the Program Manager for the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System since January 2016.

John has worked in various facets of the Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System since its inception in 2005. John also has worked for numerous career and voluntary fire and emergency service providers to include prehospital emergency medical service providers, specialized technical rescue organizations, along with risk management and prevention entities.

He has a Master’s Degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Professional Studies and two Bachelor’s Degrees from Eastern Kentucky University; one in Fire & Safety Administration and one in Pre-Hospital Emergency Care. John also is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Show Notes

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www.RichGasaway.com

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Premier Sponsor

Midwest Fire

MidwestFire.com

Associate Sponsor

Chief Miller

Instagram: @Chief_Miller

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Guest Contact:

John Russ, Program Director

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System

International Association of Fire Chiefs [email protected]

(615) 207-2750

SPONSOR THIS SHOW

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us by clicking the “Contact us” tab at the top of the SAMatters.com website.

On January 06, 2018, Lt. Matthew LeTourneau, a 42-year-old male and 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD), died after becoming trapped from an interior structural collapse while engaged in interior firefighting operations. Two additional firefighters were injured during the collapse and one civilian occupant of the dwelling, who was removed during initial operations, also died. An After-Action Review (AAR) was conducted by the PFDs Health and Safety Office, at the direction of Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel, to provide insight into the event and PFD operations from the time of dispatch to the time the fire was placed under control, a time span of approximately 1 hour and 57 minutes.

A fire box assignment was dispatched at 08:51:43 for a reported dwelling fire on the 2200 block of N. Colorado Street. Responding units were forced to overcome significant impediments including: a snow and ice-covered street, temperatures of approximately 9°F with a wind chill of -10°F (NOAA, 2018) and limited apparatus access to the front of the fire dwelling. Engine 45, a crew of three firefighters supervised by Lt. LeTourneau, was the first-due engine company and the first unit to arrive on location. At approximately 08:55:05,

Lt. LeTourneau reported a two story, fifteen feet by thirty-five feet, middle of the row dwelling with fire showing on the first floor. Lt. Letourneau placed two engine companies and two ladder companies in service to begin the initial fire suppression efforts. Fire companies on scene had a difficult time obtaining a steady water supply and the fire dwelling was extremely cluttered with debris, which posed an extreme hazard and complicated interior operations. While working to overcome difficult conditions, firefighters gained access to the first floor, removed one civilian victim, and eventually accessed the second floor of the dwelling to attack the fire and complete a search for occupants. At approximately 09:33, almost 42 minutes after Engine 45’s dispatch, an interior “V” shaped collapse occurred trapping several firefighters, including Lt. LeTourneau.

Vince Mulray Bio:

VINCENT P. MULRAY is a 35-year veteran of the fire service and a retired (July 2023) Fire Deputy Chief with the Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department. He was last assigned to Division 02 and was responsible for all operations in the Northeast section of Philadelphia. He began his career in 1988 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1993. He held the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain and Battalion Chief before his promotion to Fire Deputy Chief in January of 2017. He served as the department’s Health and Safety Officer from 2017 to 2019, and also served in multiple staff units at all ranks during his career. Before joining the fire department, he worked as a Railroad locomotive Engineer for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority.

Bobby Kennedy Bio:

BOBBY KENNEDY is a 16-year veteran of the Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department, currently serving as a Fire Battalion Chief in North Philadelphia. Chief Kennedy has been assigned to both engine and ladder companies, responding to all hazard’s emergencies in neighborhoods throughout the city and has served in several administrative staff positions. He was the primary author for the Philadelphia Fire Department’s After-Action Report for the Line of Duty Death of Lieutenant Matthew LeTourneau. Chief Kennedy has degrees in Fire Science and Emergency Planning and Management.

After Action Review-Line of Duty Death

About the Host

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP is widely considered a trusted authority on human factors, situational awareness and the high-risk decision making processes used in high-stress, high consequence work environments. He served 33 years on the front lines as a firefighter, EMT-Paramedic, company officer, training officer, fire chief and emergency incident commander. His doctoral research included the study of cognitive neuroscience to understand how human factors flaw situational awareness and impact high-risk decision making.

Contact us www.SAMatters.comwww.RichGasaway.com612-548-4424 (office)

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Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.

About the Host

Richard B. Gasawa...