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HUMAN FACTOR - psychology Psychology 3.5 hours

HUMAN FACTOR - psychology • Why we do what we do…

Human Factor - psychology The Human Factor series of presentations are designed to be used with THE Driver Program. THE Driver Program is the hands on part of the

training that has been scheduled by your Chief or Training Officer with FD International. As go

through the Human Factor slide packs, please keep in mind this is part one of the training you will

receive & the Hands On is part two.

“Trust the Process”. thanks!

Thanks, Jeff

Human Factor - psychology We (firefighters) are subjected to many different stress’ just

trying to do our jobs. With the following presentations, we will look into what

those stress’ are and how to deal with them. We will examine each one, discuss the positive and

negative effects and then explore solutions. Just like learning to drive a fire truck, once we know how it

operates and why, we can control it, rather than it controlling us.

Have Fun!

Human Factor - psychology

•  3 Motivations of a driver 1.  Reasoned or Planned Behavior 2.  Impulsive or Emotional Behavior 3.  Habitual Behavior

Human Factor - psychology • Reasoned or Planned Behavior

A persons voluntary behavior is predicted by his attitude toward that behavior and how he thinks other people would view them if they performed the behavior. A persons attitude, combined with norms, forms his behavioral intention.

Human Factor - psychology Reasoned or Planned Behavior

What is Attitude? The sum of beliefs about a particular behavior weighted by evaluations of these beliefs. example: Exercise is good for you. Exercise is uncomfortable. Depending on which of these two are the most important defines your attitude towards exercise.


Norms or “normal behavior” The beliefs of people, weighted by the importance to each of their opinions. example: Friends who exercise frequently & constantly encourage you to exercise with them.


Simply stated, if we combine these two factors, we have

Reasoned Behavior.

Human Factor - psychology Impulsive or Emotional Behavior

A tendency to act on a whim, displaying behavior having little or no forethought, reflection or consideration of the consequences. Example: Reported structure fire, children trapped.


Impulse actions are typically poorly conceived, unduly risky or inappropriate to the situation. When impulse actions have positive outcomes, they are not seen as signs of being impulsive, but as indicators of boldness, quickness, spontaneity and courageousness.

Very much a contradiction, huh?


Impulsive actions can kept to a minimum with training.

Example: The impulse action to skidding in a fire truck is to slam on the brakes. If the outcome is positive and you don’t crash, then you have great reflexes. If the outcome is negative and a crash occurs, then you acted impulsively and need further training before the chief will let you drive his trucks again.

Human Factor - psychology Habitual Behavior

What is a habit?

“100 years of tradition unimpeded by progress”

author unknown


Lets try again…

What is a habit?

A routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur unconsciously.

Example: Following too close (tailgating) to the car in front of you


Habits begin with actions, that are to

achieve a specific goal

Once they are re-enforced by repetition, we continue with the habit even if there is no goal connection.

If a person has control over the behavior, then it is a habit


Example: During emergency driving, we tend to crowd or tailgate the vehicle in front of us to arrive on scene quickly. Our goal is to arrive on scene quickly. During non-emergency driving, our re-enforced tendency to crowd or tailgate the vehicle in front of us has now become habit, even though our goal is NOT to arrive on scene quickly.

Human Factor - psychology If you add up these three behaviors what do you get? A fire truck driver ! If we start out with a good attitude, we end up with positive voluntary behavior. If we train ourselves, we end up with little or no impulsive actions. If we identify our bad, unconscious habits we end up with better control of our own actions.

Human Factor - psychology INTERPRETATION OF A DRIVER’S REACTION ON A REAL CALL

• Receive a call – hear tones and “Reported structure fire”

• Go to engine, start it. Everybody on, belted in. Release parking break.

• Mash accelerator, pull out, let off accelerator and slam on brakes.

Human Factor - psychology • Right turn, mash accelerator, head for the call. • Radio traffic between officers, lots of noise, sirens going.

• Truck is going what feels like a reasonable response speed.

Human Factor - psychology • Headed toward call, see smoke, hear other sirens.

• You’re on autopilot – everybody’s jazzed, this is going to be a big one.

• You are already thinking ahead: Is there a shortcut? Could I go faster?

NOTE: You’re already working the fire,

NOT FOCUSED on operating the engine.

Human Factor - psychology IN FACT… You haven’t operated it from the start.

• The call has been in partial control of you from the first tones.

• Now that you’re on autopilot, the call itself is fully controlling you and your engine!

Human Factor PAUSE:

Review what’s happening Break down each step with 2 tools –

psychological & physical 1. Psychological •  Each step taken has been in an effort to respond quickly. 2. Physical •  We mask our actions under the “quicker is better” model. •  This stems from years of tradition and from several external

sources. •  Your officer. •  The sound of stressed voices on the radio. •  Fellow crew riding with you.


Situation Summary • All these factors contribute to a very simple phenomena: peer pressure to be “jazzed up”

• We have not even added stimulus from outside our engine: traffic, intersections, pedestrians.

Human Factor - psychology Physically… • You (the driver) are impatient: hurry up and wait • You’re yelling “Come ON, let’s go!” • You’re buying into the rush, the excitement level, the need to hurry

Human Factor - psychology Key Point for Drivers

You’re NOT controlling your own focus, energy,

and physical response

Human Factor - psychology Restart the Call with the tools learned A better way of thinking and reacting to a “real call”.

Tones drop, you automatically go to Calm Confidence: • Start your engine, then step off of the truck.

“I’ve got this.”

Human Factor - psychology Prep your body • Adjust your pulse rate down. • Stretch: bend over, stretch hamstrings 20 seconds.

• 


Prep your mind

• While stretching, look at brake pedal & accelerator.

• Give your brain the strong visual cue of what you need to control for the next few minutes of your life.

Human Factor - psychology • Get back in your engine –your crew is on board, and your head is where it needs to be

• Release parking brake. • Consciously ease into the accelerator.

• Now we don’t need to slam brakes at end of tarmac. Why?

• We’ve relieved the adrenaline rush on the ground

• Traffic is clear, take your right turn, move into traffic.

Human Factor - psychology What have you done differently? • You are on the way to the call in full control of yourself and your engine.

(We’ll work on controlling your officer in a separate class, LOL!)

• Your head space is correct: brain is in tune to operating our engine


Key Difference

• You’re not Driving Under the Influence of the FIRE.

• You are looking 15 seconds ahead of where you’re driving, not at the smoke that’s farther away.

Human Factor - psychology Human Factor Psychology Complete!

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