File attachment:
| Title | Networked Fire Chief: A Research and Training Tool that Targets the Human Factors Causes of Unsafe Decision Making in Wildfires |
| Publication Type | Conference Proceedings |
| Year of Conference | 2005 |
| Authors | Omodei, M, Elliott, G, Walshe, M, Wearing, AJ |
| Conference Name | Eighth International Wildland Fire Safety Summit |
| Date Published | April 26-28, 2 |
| Conference Location | Missoula, MT. |
| Abstract | A case is presented for the use of computer simulated wildland firefighting scenarios (rather than only relying on field exercises, prescribed burns, and naturally-occurring incidents), for the targeted investigation of underlying causes of unsafe decisions in the context of wildland firefighting. We outline a set of requirements for a computer-based wildland firefighting simulation tool to be adequate for the systematic investigation of human factors underlying safety-compromising decisions. In introducing these requirements, we draw particular attention to: (a) the need to distinguish between the concepts of physical and psychological fidelity in simulation design; and (b) the relative importance of each type of fidelity for investigating human decision making. Networked Fire Chief (Omodei, Taranto and Wearing, 2003) is introduced as a proven research tool for meeting the identified requirements. Networked Fire Chief is a wildland fire fighting scenario generator specifically designed for research into psychological processes involved in decision making under conditions of complexity, time-constraint, risk, and uncertainty. In addition to use in human factors research, the program can also be used to generate training scenarios ranging from training in fire behaviour to training in large scale incident management skills. |
