Gut Feeling...

"You Know Normal...and When Something is Off."

Good afternoon. It has been a busy couple of weeks and these next two weeks are no different. Keep listening, keep learning, keep moving - that's my rhythm. Life is short, make it sweet.

I finished my third listen of the one hour and 40 minute interview with two first responders here in Colorado as they talked through the questions I listed in a previous blog here. To recap, one individual was with the "red" team (Fire and Rescue) - an experienced, super talented fire and rescue veteran who has also served as a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) medic. SWAT medics are usually paramedics who have received specialized training in tactical medicine. They provide tactical medical care in situations that are often too dangerous for regular paramedics or ambulance workers. 

In addition to the "red" team member, we also honored to have a very seasoned and skilled member of the "blue" team (Law Enforcement) who is currently serving as a SWAT team member here in Colorado.

When the recording was over I couldn't help but remember a statement from David Smith, The Guardian journalist who was embedded in the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (my son's unit) during combat operations in Iraq in the fall of 2007. David said in his article Apprehensive? Oh Yes "The confidence of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment platoon was infectious. If you had to trust your life to anyone, these professional men with their hi-tech weapons would be high on the list. Yes, they said, they still feel fear, but with routine they learn to control it: fear breeds alertness, and is better than getting cocky or casual."

Needless to say, I would trust my life to any of the first responders I've interviewed...and their teams. That's how good they are especially when it matters most. They leave nothing to chance and are constantly leaning in with their training to stay sharp and ensure they maintain an edge, regardless of the adversary or challenge. 

If you listen to them talk about their individual and team situational awareness (SA) it becomes clear just how important the human dimension is as they take in and process information during the initial call, en route, when they arrive on-scene and as the incident dynamically unfolds. Do they have computers in their vehicles displaying the latest information? You bet. Is it accurate? Is there an algorithm running that connects it all and makes sense of the puzzle pieces before they arrive? Is there an algorithm running that adjusts to new information, shares implications and updates them with what will happen next? Not a chance...

From the time a call comes in from dispatch these first responders are thinking, talking and working to form a mental SA picture of what to anticipate, while maintaining the ability to adapt. Take a look at the graphic below that my former Collaboration Operations team put together to highlight and contrast what machines do well...and the human piece.

Both individuals spoke to most, if not all of the items in the human list above as they processed what they were hearing from dispatch as well as what they observed when they arrived on scene. It was interesting to hear them describe the initial information received and more importantly how they factored in their experience and training with subtle indicators such as the language used to describe the incident, number of calls received for the incident, etc. 

Once on-scene, and especially if the incident reportedly involved an active threat, their awareness and sensing of sounds, smells, movement, human behavior, etc. was at a heightened level. Risk and threat were constantly being assessed - "...you know normal and when something is off."

None of what they and their team were doing is tech-driven. None of it. The same holds true for why the Human Net in collaboration is not about the tech. It is about the human dimension and leveraging those capabilities that tech cannot bring to the fight when ambiguity and chaos is overwhelming.

Technology is easy to talk about and deploy. The human dimension? That's what we typically overlook.

Humbly,
Collabman