Protocol Analysis of Expert/Novice Command Decision Making during Simulated Fire Ground Incidents

Abstract

Abstract : This research is part of a series of studies that investigate how decisions are made in operational settings by trained personnel. The focus is on environments in which strategic and tactical decisions must be made under conditions of uncertainty, risk, and time pressure, such as urban firefighting. Verbal protocols were obtained from professional urban firefighters during simulated incidents in which they were asked to assume the role of fire ground commander. This approach afforded an opportunity to examine decision making in an ecologically valid way and to obtain a rich source of data for addressing issues of inference, expectancies, and tacit knowledge that are part of decision making in real-world settings. Keywords: Reasoning, Expertise.