The why of critical decision making is evident daily in fire and emergency services. Incident scenes are dynamic, ever changing, nonroutine, and dangerous.
- Recognition Primed Decision Making: Saving Precious Time for First-In Crews on the Fireground
- Decision Making with Limited Staffing: Lessons Learned
- The Effects of Staffing Levels on Critical Decision Making
- Observe, Orient, Decide, Act: The OODA Loop
Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department Chief (Ret.) Steven R. Cover states: “Despite outfitting each of our members in absolutely the best gear money can buy and putting them in fire apparatus that is second to none, and in spite of a safety and wellness program that is considered cutting edge … firefighters continue to lose their lives in the line of duty. Why? Because we ask these individuals to interject themselves into situations that are deteriorating beyond comprehension to most people. From a raging structural fire to a building collapse, to a vehicle accident or a working medical emergency, firefighters are asked to make a positive impact on a negative situation that is rapidly growing in complexity by the second.”1
Book: Critical Decision Making: Point-to-Point Leadership in Fire & Emergency Services
The how of critical decision making is a challenge that you won’t find in a checklist, chart, or algorithm. The delta, or gap, that exists between the how and the why is performance and execution. To measure fire service leadership, effective performance and execution are the usual benchmarks. Here are questions to consider:
- How are the performance and execution of firefighters and paramedics deemed effective?
- How can you measure what is effective?
- To be effective, firefighters, paramedics, officers, and command staff must deliver a successful output or result. How can you gauge success?
- When do actions produce a desired or an intended result?
Every incident action plan (IAP) is measurable. Incident objectives identify the necessary resources to meet the decision maker’s goals. The resources, such as the individuals, crews, task forces, and more, are provided specific work assignments to execute the assigned objectives. However, execution isn’t as easy as the IAP is designed.
Certain factors influence the results of a directive, order, or assigned objective. For example, on the fireground, you may be assigned to ventilate the structure, which meets the objective of locating the fire, and rescue occupants. To do this, you need to make a variety of critical decisions, such as understanding fire behavior, building construction, and fire travel and dynamics. You’ll need to read smoke conditions, note the apparatus placement, which tools are available, and more. Once you accomplish the result of opening the roof or horizontal ventilation, and the desired output can be measured, you’ll see that the actions to achieve the assignment were much more involved (photo 1).
1. The decision to ventilate a structure is not that simple. The cause and effect of ventilation are just as important as the training, tools, equipment, and wisdom of the firefighters who execute the task of ventilation. (Photo courtesy of Suffolk Fire and Rescue.)
A Closer Look at Critical Decision Making
Consider the methodology of point-to-point decision making. The closest distance between two points is a straight line. Under normal circumstances, decision making may seem as simple as just connecting two points with the proverbial straight line. Critical decision making is more complex.
You need to make critical decisions in cases where the incident scene could become nonroutine, disastrous, or a crisis. That said, the decisive actions you make as part of your decisions are crucial because the outcome is either success or failure. Further, critical decision making is always challenging, even when there is time to process the problem and consider alternatives. So, what happens when time is particularly constricted and the emergency responder can’t process the problem and consider alternatives?
How Do You Become Successful When Making Critical Decisions?
- Critical decision making is not innate. It’s a process that can be learned, refined, and improved.
- Critical thinking is a discipline.
- This is an intellectual process of active and skillful conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information that is gathered, generated, observed, experienced, or communicated.
- Critical thinking is an action.2
- To these ends, point-to-point decision making is a process that allows the decision maker to do the following:
- Identify the problem.
- Process the problem.
- Visualize the solution.
Then, with the tools, practice, and experience, you will be prepared to choose the most direct line to connect the two.
Avoid the Elements of Demise
One point is the problem. The other point is the solution. The area in between the two contains elements of demise. They are the variables and stressors that inhibit you from progressing from one point to the other. Depending on time constraints and other stressors, the problem and solution points may change. This may occur instantaneously, or it may take minutes, hours, or days. Point-to-point decision making is challenging when variables and stressors are placed on the decision maker.
Point-to-Point Decision Making on the Fireground
Point-to-point decision making is nonsystematic but, rather, an evolution of training, experience, wisdom, successes, and failures. Emergency responders need to progress from the problem point to the solution point with ease and precise execution. You need to weigh the risks and benefits. Positive outcomes are the result of clear and well-communicated incident objectives delivered to trained, equipped, and experienced responders who understand that the quickest and most efficient way to solve a problem may not be to go directly from one point to another point.
Figure 1. The Process to Make a Critical Decision
Point-to-point decision making is required by all the responders at an incident scene, from the pump operator to the firefighter on the nozzle. This figure demonstrates the process responders use to progress through a critical decision so they end with a desired result. (Figure courtesy of author.)
Real-World Example: Ventilating
Ventilating a building is a critical decision. The simple task of ventilating a window or roof is not the benchmark of success. The effectiveness of the action, the why of performing ventilation, and the result of the opening need to be evaluated and considered prior to delivering the order.
The training, experience, tools, and wisdom of the firefighters and officers assigned to the task of “ventilation” are the how by which the critical decision will be executed. The why is the effect of the action. Decisions can appear simple. The effect can be life changing.
From the first-arriving officer to the shift commander, competent, individual decisions that support the mission’s objectives will produce a favorable result or product. Understanding the how and the why is important as firefighters, paramedics, officers, and incident commanders execute effective fire service leadership.
Endnotes
1. Barakey, Michael J. Interview with Steven R. Cover. Virginia Beach Fire Department Memorial Service for Fallen Firefighters, 26 September 2014.
2. “Psychology: Critical Thinking.” Critical Thinking – Psychology – LibGuides at Vancouver Community College, 21 May 2024. Vancouver Community College Library, bit.ly/4bRJGtL.
MICHAEL J. BARAKEY, CFO, is a 31-year fire service veteran and the chief of Suffolk (VA) Fire & Rescue. He is also a hazmat specialist, an instructor III, a nationally registered paramedic, and a neonatal/pediatric critical care paramedic for the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. Barakey is the participating agency representative and former task force leader for VA-TF2 US&R team and an exercise design/controller for Spec Rescue International. He has a master’s degree in public administration from Old Dominion University and graduated from the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program in 2009. Barakey authored Critical Decision Making: Point-To-Point Leadership in Fire and Emergency Services (Fire Engineering Books), regularly contributes to Fire Engineering, and is an FDIC International preconference and classroom instructor.
