ELEC-712: How Culture Can Save Our Own Lives

How cultural change can save our own lives: Fireground Safety Through a New Lens
The critical juncture at which life-saving decisions are made often occurs in moments of unprecedented pressure and risk. One might assume that such decisions, especially in professions like firefighting, are made solely on the basis of rigorous training, strict safety regulations and tested protocols. But digging a little deeper reveals the profound impact of culture and inherent value s on such decisions.
This session aims to illuminate the often unseen hand that culture plays in guiding decisions, actions, and behaviors in the fire service. There seems to be a discrepancy in Line Of Duty Deaths (LODDs) and injuries on the fireground, especially between countries like the U.S. and Germany, the question that begs to be asked is: Why?
To address this question, we will:
1. Review safety cultures: Understand the ingrained safety cultures in both countries and their impact on fireground behavior. Are there underlying cultural beliefs that encourage or discourage the adoption of safety practices?
2. Examine psychological underpinnings: Examine the psychological factors that influence risk-taking behavior. Why might a firefighter in Germany make a different split-second decision than his counterpart in the United States?
3. Emphasize training and regulations: Before attributing all differences to culture and psychology, we need to examine the tr aining standards, safety regulations and medical requirements in both countries. Is the training in the two countries so different?