(dramatic music playing)
- [Narrator] There's no substitute for field experience.
However, tactical decision games delivered
through sand table exercises will provide firefighters
with the opportunity to practice
the decision making process,
as well as communicate their intent.
Tactical decision games, or TDG's
as they're commonly called are a logical step in blending
the skills and tactics taught
in conventional fire courses and lessons learned
in the leadership and human factors curriculum.
The sand table exercise is a tactical decision
game that employs a three-dimensional terrain model
with various props to represent assets or liabilities.
Tactical decision games focus on intuitive decisions
because the dynamic environment we work in
requires you to be able to make decisions quickly.
Was five seconds enough time to make your decision?
The essential factor
in intuitive decision making is experience.
- Copy that, time 1200.
- [Narrator] That experience
allows recognition of similarities to previous situations,
a pattern of typical cause and effect develops
to allow a decision that does not
require analysis or reason.
It's essential that TDG's are set up with specific training
objectives in mind.
It's the facilitator's responsibility
to ensure that the exercise and discussions do not stray
from the purpose of the training.
It's usually better to start with a problem
and allow role players to create the solutions.
The problem you start with must lead players directly
to the decision making
and training objectives you've identified.
- And knowing the great basin conditions,
it will definitely get hotter and the RH will go down.
- Okay, today's scenario, you're gonna be a hall attack crew
of exclusive use.
We're gonna have helicop foreman
of one second year firefighter.
- [Narrator] A facilitator presents the scenario
to the group by explaining the conditions,
situation and features on the table.
The facilitator should answer questions about
the scenario that the players would reasonably
have knowledge of
but the facilitator should not eliminate all uncertainties.
- You'll have a chainsaw on board.
One five gallon QB, one radio between a handheld
and pretty much any of the hand tools you want to utilize
to actually put out this fire that will be referred to
as the Telephone Creek Fire.
It's 10 o'clock temperatures, 87 degrees, RH 21%.
And of course it'll be temperature going up, RH dropping
down as temperatures move on.
Also in the scenario
we'll have tanker tanker, two, three, that...
- [Facilitator] Action.
- Let's go ahead and do a safety briefing.
You guys know the name of this fire is the Telephone Creek.
It's 94 degree.
- [Narrator] The players are then put in the role of leader.
They should be encouraged to be decisive
and communicate their decisions in the form of briefings.
Following the briefing format found in the incident
response pocket guide or in clear text instructions.
- A lot, but heads up
we'll use the helicopter for an eye in the sky,
as well as bucket drops.
I'll go ahead and run the bucket drops, but
I'll come down the hill with you because we'll use the
the helicopter for our eyes.
Guys got any questions?
- At this time, tanker two, three
just dropped a load of foam retardant
right on top of your crew.
- [Narrator] The scenario puts players
in tactical situations requiring some sort of a decision.
A problem requiring a solution.
- Okay, is everybody okay?
How about we pull on up outta here and go to the top
of the hill and I'll call dispatch and see what's going on.
- So why did we land up here?
What about over here?
What were you thinking over here?
- [Narrator] In the after action review,
players analyze or discuss their solution
as a means of drawing out the lesson].
There are no school or facilitator solutions.
In fact, creativity is a prized trait in technicians.
Unusual solutions should be encouraged and recognized.
In the series of video segments that follow,
we'll break down some key elements
of tactical decision games
and how to utilize a sand table as the delivery platform.
The different video segments will focus
on the involvement of the participants
as role players, facilitation techniques
and the use of after action reviews.