Barriers to Refusing Risk - 2024 Week of Remembrance

Day six is about barriers to refusing risk, once again the NWCG site for this does a perfect job of discussing the topic. Looking over the interviews for the FLA of the Mendocino Complex Entrapment it was noticed that there were several common themes concerning day six’s topic, specifically urgency and speaking up. There’s not much I would change, nor really could change, about how they wrote it. With that, come along with us once again as we read about today’s topic.

“During the burnout operations, a sudden wind shift and explosive fire growth occurred, and personnel were cut off from their escape routes. Most of the firefighters moved back to their vehicles to exit the area. However, six individuals farther down the dozer line were forced to run in front of the advancing flame front, through unburned fuels to a nearby dirt road for approximately one mile before they were picked up and transported for treatment.”
— Mendocino Complex Entrapment Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA).

URGENCY: Real and Perceived
“What are we doing here? Why are we burning? Where are our escape routes? I have a really bad feeling.  This is not good. What is the fire doing? It’s dicey but it might be doable.” Resources assigned to DIV H burnout, Mendocino Complex Entrapment FLA.

SPEAKING UP: Creating an environment that promotes safety
“I should have spoken up sooner. When I drove up, I should have voiced more that this was not a viable plan.” Overhead, Mendocino Complex Entrapment FLA.
 

If you would like to see more resources click here, and we have more discussion questions for you. Feel free to engage in the comments or use them to engage others in your unit.

• Operating in the wildland fire system is inherently risky on its own. When we add a sense of urgency to the system, how might that affect one’s decision-making processes [with regards to risk]?
• What conversations need to occur prior to/during an operational tempo increase to manage our assumption of risk?
• How do you ensure your instructions and assignments are clear? (18 Watchout Situations, #6)
• How can a leader encourage their followers to speak up and contribute to the good of the crew even when using a directing leadership style? How does a follower do so when their thoughts or observations contradict their leader?