Following the South Canyon tragedies, smokejumper trainers, smokejumper operation supervisors and base managers met in Boise, Idaho, to develop standard operating procedures that would improve efficiency, effectiveness and safety.

In creating those SOPS, it was decided that all smokejumpers would be issued a programmable radio; all fires would be debriefed; a qualified red-carded jumper, whose name would be communicated to all involved, would be in charge of each fire where jumpers were in use; and the “first in the door” concept would no longer be used for establishing the incident commander.

At the same time, the Missoula Smokejumper supervisory group developed a concept called Situation Check to allow firefighters to approach leaders tactfully when their sixth sense was telling them something wasn't right. This was a way to call a leader's attention to changes that were seen on the fireline, such as those environmental changes at South Canyon that were talked about indirectly, without standing up and calling the leader an idiot.

Just like the events of July 6, 1994, there can be fatal consequences when people don't speak up after feeling that something isn't right. Although a situation check is just one way to help voice such concerns, the concept was adopted nationally and discussed at every smokejumper base.

When a leader is asked to do a “situation check” on the fireline, it triggers a timeout to listen to the person's concern or observation, reassess the situation, and gain better awareness of the situation. The concern could be nothing, it could be something that wasn't communicated down the line or it might be an observation that could change the events for everyone on the line.

COPE WITH CHANGING SITUATIONS

The Situation Check concept provides more open communications and an avenue for better situational awareness, which is the gathering of information so that perception matches the reality of what's happening. In the wildfire world, the situation is constantly changing. Consider weather, fire behavior, resource needs, logistical support or one of many other variables — the more information that you can gather as these things change, the more opportunity you have to develop plans with current information. A situation check helps match perception to reality and gives everyone an opportunity to provide information that updates situational awareness.

Performing a situation check requires a review of trigger points, which are built-in indicators that help reassess the incident. For example, the combination of 90° temperatures, 15% relative humidity and 20mph winds should trigger a fireground leader to take another look at the surroundings and observe what's happening. Other trigger points include a lack of air resources to adequately reinforce the ground troops and a lack of sufficient personnel on the fire.

If the fire intensity has exceeded the capabilities of the resources at hand, then an already-developed contingency plan should be activated or firefighters should be told to disengage from the fireline. Situation Check was a very good concept, but it lost momentum over time as the players in wildland firefighting changed.

In 2001, I became a consulting instructor for a company that develops leadership classes for high-risk occupations like wildland firefighting. Since then, I've better understood the need for greater situational awareness by everyone at a fire, as well as the need for a means to approach fireground leaders with concerns.

STOP AS SIGNAL

Situational awareness is a team effort. Although I feel that we, as a firefighting culture, have done a better job of encouraging people, both experienced and inexperienced, to speak up since 1994, other tools to do that are still necessary.

One such tool is included in the updated 2002 Incident Response Pocket Guide, which addresses “how to properly refuse risk.” It states that individuals have the right and obligation to report ty problems and contribute ideas regarding their safety.

I discovered another tool in “Land of the Lost,” an article on wilderness survival by Laurence Gonzalez that appeared in the December 2001 National Geographic Adventure Magazine. This tool, symbolized by an acronym, has merit and application toward gaining better situational awareness and can be used to call attention to changing conditions. That acronym is STOP.

STOP is meant to be used in conjunction with the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders; Lookouts, Communications, Escape routes and Safety zones, or LCES; and the 18 Situations that Shout Watch Out. STOP stands for stop, think, observe and plan.

• Stop

  As events happen, stop what you're doing to step back and see the big picture. Avoid tunnel vision. Although this is especially important for the leader, it applies to everyone involved.

• Think

  Time is a crucial element. Take the time to arrange your thoughts before acting. Determine what's happening, what you can control and what is out of your control.

• Observe

  Situational awareness is critical to decision-making. Observe with your eyes, ears and other senses, and use the resources available to gather information. Always try to match your perceptions with reality.

• Plan

  Initiate a plan. Create contingencies and update the plan as situations change. Always use trigger points when necessary.

STOP can be used in two ways. If you're a firefighter or other subordinate who sees that a situation is changing enough to get your guard up, STOP and communicate your observations or concerns to your incident commander or supervisor. Use the word “STOP” to trigger awareness.

If you're a leader on the fireground, once you have established a plan, communicate it to everyone involved to ensure that situational awareness and your intent are understood. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Ask for feedback.

AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

So put the 10 standards in place as well as LCES. Use the 18 situations as indicators of changing situational awareness. Then STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan. As someone with concerns or observations, use STOP to voice them to your leader and initiate a dialogue. As a leader, engage the word and concept to further your situational awareness and reassess the plan.

A mechanism to alert others to concerns has always been needed. Individuals have always had the right to speak up, but they may have been reluctant to do so because of peer pressure, their supervisor's attitude or the feeling that whatever they're doing worked before, so why rock the boat?

The word STOP is universal and has the same meaning wherever you go. We all were told stop many times as youngsters growing up, and we see it every day on streets and highways. It's easy to remember — now we just need to apply it to our fire situations as another tool to update leaders' situational awareness.

Doug Houston is an instructor with Mission-Centered Solutions in Parker, Colo. He has 28 years of smokejumping experience, 11 of which were spent as the smokejumper base manager for the North Cascades Smokejumper in Winthrop, Wash. A former Okanogan National Forest aviation unit officer, Houston has worked with Type I and II teams and has served in several single resource positions.