Choosing to Command : Crew Resource Management Applied to Emergency Operations

The time has come for all public safety industry organizations to adopt and incorporate crew resource management or similar programs focused on making the best critical decisions at incidents. The goal of Dennis Rubin's essential new book is to urge organizations to integrate a critical decision-making model into the incident command system and use methods to improve critical decision making to bring about the next significant improvements for firefighter safety, operational efficiency, and effectiveness.

There are many tactics, strategy, and command courses available at local, state, national, and international levels. But there isn't much information included in these amazing courses that addresses critical decision making. This book aims to change that. Here you will find a discussion of the history and current science of crew resource management as well as invaluable information on:

• Leadership and teamwork
• Communicating under stress
• Task allocation
• Applications to operating conditions, such as abandoned buildings, aviation fires, and more

Crew resource management uses the basic philosophy that to err is human, and that's never truer than in stressful situations. Building on the successful work of such organizations as the Federal Aviation Administration and the US Armed Forces in developing crew resource management, this book focuses on making the best decision at an incident the first time - every time.