“6 Minutes for Safety” and the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center Announce “Lessons Learned This Day in History”

Beginning July 3, and approximately one every month thereafter, the 6 Minutes for Safety discussion topic will be a “Lessons Learned This Day in History”. The Lessons Learned will be presented on the anniversary of an historically significant event in wildland fire and aviation, including large fires and fatalities, operational firsts, inventions and developments, policy and law, research, education and public awareness.

The Lessons Learned will offer a summary of the event and relevant discussion points to spark a conversation about what happened, the lessons that were learned, and how those lessons can be applied to you, your crew and your unit.

Each lesson will tie in with a 6 Minutes for Safety topic, and references such as the Incident Response Pocket Guide. The facilitator can use the following tips for leading a productive and meaningful discussion.

How to Effectively Facilitate a Discussion:

• Maintain a neutral role — prompt others to discuss their ideas and suggestions.
• Maintain a balanced flow of ideas among your crew or unit— don’t let a few dominate the discussion.
• Ensure that everyone participates.
• Keep the discussion focused on the topic at hand.
• Summarize the key points, and learning opportunities covered.
• Try to frame it in a way that will allow your crew or unit to realize the impact this event had on how they do their work today, and how they can continue to learn from it.