Bias for Action

Leaders in the wildland fire service are not only empowered but also duty-bound to act on a situation that is within their power to affect, even without direction from above.

This empowerment is not intended to encourage freelancing. In a high-risk environment, freelancing is a dangerous and unpredictable element, causing more harm than good. Ultimately, leaders are always accountable for their actions.

• A bias for action acknowledges wildfire as an environment where events do not always go according to plan.
• At times during an incident, one person may be the only individual to see what needs to be done and to make it happen.
• Time may not permit gathering all of the information that one might like to have; if you wait until you have all the facts to be 100% sure of your decision, it will almost always be too late.

In these time-critical situations, fire leaders use judgment, act within the intent of their leaders, work in unison with others, develop and communicate a plan, then inform superiors of actions as soon as safely possible.

On a chaotic and rapidly developing wildfire, one person taking the initiative can make all the difference in taking advantage of an opportunity. Being hesitant, risk-averse, or indecisive can expose firefighters to greater long-term risks and translate into a waste of time, opportunity, energy, and money.

Discussion Points

• Discuss the difference between freelancing and a bias for action.
• Describe and discuss instances of taking appropriate action and of indecisiveness or non-action.
• What are some ways we train for situations requiring a bias for action?