Red Card Incident Investigation & Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following BEST describes 'normalization of deviance' as it applies to wildland fire accident investigations?
- Firefighters refusing to follow orders during extreme fire behavior
- Gradual acceptance of risky practices as normal when negative outcomes don't immediately occur (Correct answer)
- The tendency to blame unusual weather for all fire fatalities
- Deviation from standard suppression tactics during initial attack
Correct answer: Gradual acceptance of risky practices as normal when negative outcomes don't immediately occur
Normalization of deviance occurs when repeated rule violations without immediate consequences cause crews to treat unsafe practices as acceptable.
Question 2: When preserving a wildland fire accident scene for investigation, which action is MOST critical?
- Immediately mop up all remaining hot spots
- Photograph the scene before disturbing any evidence (Correct answer)
- Remove all equipment to prevent further damage
- Interview witnesses before allowing them to leave the ICP
Correct answer: Photograph the scene before disturbing any evidence
Photographic documentation before any disturbance preserves the scene's evidentiary integrity for investigators.
Question 3: An investigation reveals firefighters were not briefed on the day's Incident Action Plan. Under which investigation category does this finding fall?
- Equipment failure
- Environmental hazard
- Administrative or management failure (Correct answer)
- Individual human error
Correct answer: Administrative or management failure
Failure to brief personnel on the IAP is a management and administrative breakdown, not an individual firefighter error.
Question 4: The 'Swiss Cheese Model' of accident causation is relevant to wildland fire investigations because it illustrates that:
- One safety barrier is sufficient to prevent any accident
- Multiple layered defenses each have gaps, and accidents occur when gaps align (Correct answer)
- Human error is always the primary cause of accidents
- Only physical barriers can prevent fire fatalities
Correct answer: Multiple layered defenses each have gaps, and accidents occur when gaps align
The Swiss Cheese Model shows that accidents result when holes in multiple safety layers align simultaneously, allowing hazards to pass through.
Question 5: A Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA) differs from a formal Serious Accident Investigation primarily in that an FLA:
- Is used only for fatality incidents
- Focuses on learning rather than determining fault or liability (Correct answer)
- Requires an outside agency to lead the investigation
- Must be completed within 24 hours of the incident
Correct answer: Focuses on learning rather than determining fault or liability
FLAs are designed as non-punitive learning tools that encourage open discussion, unlike formal investigations which may determine liability.
Question 6: During a post-incident review, a crew member states they felt pressured not to voice safety concerns. This relates to which human factors concept?
- Crew Resource Management breakdown and psychological safety failure (Correct answer)
- Overconfidence bias in incident commanders
- Situational awareness loss due to fatigue
- Failure of the incident communication plan
Correct answer: Crew Resource Management breakdown and psychological safety failure
When crew members feel unable to speak up about safety concerns, Crew Resource Management has failed and psychological safety is absent.
Question 7: What is the significance of identifying 'contributing factors' versus 'root causes' in a wildland fire accident investigation?
- Contributing factors determine legal liability while root causes do not
- Root causes are the deepest systemic failures while contributing factors are surface-level conditions (Correct answer)
- Contributing factors apply only to equipment failures
- Root causes are determined only by external investigation teams
Correct answer: Root causes are the deepest systemic failures while contributing factors are surface-level conditions
Root cause analysis seeks the deepest systemic reason an incident could occur, while contributing factors are the more immediate conditions that enabled it.
Red Card Incident Investigation & Analysis 3
Which of the following BEST describes 'normalization of deviance' as it applies to wildland fire accident investigations?