Psychology of Incident Command

This session allows delegates to explore how the impact of stress affects our ability to take rational, informed decisions and seek to understand how to improve the outcomes of decisions we make when responding to any time critical, high risk situation, such as a HAZMAT incident. We aim to delve into the mind of the HAZMAT responder when faced with an incident and aim to leave delegates with an understanding of their reaction to stress and pressure and equip them with tools and knowledge to improve their decision making. Our session explores the role of non-technical skills, that is; situational awareness, decision making, leadership and teamwork, communication and the ability to cope with stress and mental fatigue. We introduce and explore these skills and understand how they can enhance our technical performance in a HAZMAT incident.

Our highly interactive session has received critical acclaim from organizations including the London Fire Brigade, the UK Fire Service College, and in the US, feedback from our pilot course delivered to over 40 delegates in December 2021 was outstanding with quotes including "best training I have attended" and "we need more of this, to understand ourselves is essential to understanding how to improve our response" coming from a range of first responders including Fire Department Chiefs, FBI officers and HAZMAT professionals.