Episode 186 is Richard Gasaway. Richard talks to us about the importance of situational awareness in EMS. Our discussion takes a look at the science behind situational awareness and what influence a dispatch to an incident may influence in our thinking. Richard will take us through the process and provide a few tips on how to be better prepared. Richard is widely considered a trusted authority on human factors, situational awareness and the high-risk decision-making processes used in high-stress, high consequence work environments. He served 33 years on the front lines as a firefighter, EMT-Paramedic, company officer, training officer, fire chief, and emergency incident commander. His doctoral research included the study of cognitive neuroscience to understand how human factors flaw situational awareness and impact high-risk decision making.