Company LOGO High Reliability Organizing Implementation in Fire Crews

U.S. Wildfire Situation Since 1970 large wildfires (> 1,000 ac.) have changed in U.S. –Frequency increased 300 % –Area burned increased 500% –Event average length increased from 1 week to 5

Recent Learning (40 Years) Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI) –FIREWISE Communities –MAST –Land Use Planning Effective Incident Management –Incident Command System –NIMS

Performance & Reliability Organizational Learning High Reliability Organizing

Wildland Fire an HRO? “High Reliability Organizations –Nuclear power plants –Aircraft carriers – Wildland firefighting crews

The past settles its accounts “…the ability to deal with a crisis situation is largely dependent on the structures that have been developed before chaos arrives. The event can in some ways be considered as an abrupt and brutal audit: at a moment’s notice, everything that was left unprepared becomes a complex problem, and every weakness comes rushing to the forefront.” Preventing Chaos in a Crisis, Lagadec, p. 54

Mindfulness To be mindful Mindful updating

1. Tracking Small Failures Tracking & Reporting

2. Reluctance to Simplify Complexity See More

2. Reluctance to Simplify Our Expectations

3. Sensitivity to Operations HROs are sensitive to everywhere the work gets done.

Leadership: Encourage others to speak up Check for comprehension “Over Learn” new routines 3. Sensitivity to Operations

4. Commitment to Resilience HROs are not error-free, but errors do not disable them. They keep errors small and improvise workarounds that allow the system to keep functioning. They develop skills in their people long before the brutal audit comes.

4. Commitment to Resilience Build dynamic thinking skills Develop creativity Value different perspectives

5. Deference to Expertise HROs push decision-making down and around. Authority migrates to the people with the most expertise, regardless of their rank. –(Not necessarily the “most experience,” which is too often the same experience over and over again.)

In low tempo times the more traditional hierarchal structures may work just fine. Create flexible decision structures for high tempo times. 5. Deference to Expertise

Continually Ask Yourself Scanning questions: –Can I see weak signals of failure and make sense of them? –How many different slides do I have that apply to this situation? –Am I aware of the unfolding situation? –Do I have the skills to make do? –Who knows how to do what?

Questions? We have people! Paula Nasiatka, LLC Manager –(520) , David Christenson, LLC Asst. Mgr. –(520) , Brenna MacDowell, LLC Editorial Asst. –(520) ,