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Firefighter Cohesion and Entrapment Avoidance
Discussion Questions

Discussion of Problem 4
Can't Trust Other Firefighters

Story 1: This Person Was Dangerous

  • What work practices did the leader use to deal with the cohesion problem caused by the overly aggressive squad boss?

  • How did the actions of the squad boss possibly damage confidence in the leader and situational awareness, thus creating a dangerous situation for the entire crew?

  • The leader had to remove the squad boss from the crew. What cohesion problems might this create for the leader? What work practices would you use to deal with these potential cohesion problems?

Story 2: We Had Spot Fires Behind Us

  • How did one crew not watching another crew's back create a cohesion problem?

  • What actions did the crew boss take to create minimal cohesion with the other crew to reduce the chances of both crews getting entrapped?

  • How could his actions increase confidence in the leader and improve situational awareness?

  • Talk about other situations when you had to work with crews on fires you didn't trust. Discuss the work practices you used to deal with the problem.

Photo of a large crown fire in dense forest on a steep slope.