Improvising and being creative in real time under pressure is a skill
that we appreciate in the arts such as music and theatre. We also
admire athletes who develop an ability to ‘read the game’- especially a
fast paced sport such as basketball or hockey. However, when I started
researching improvisation for business applications I came across
applications of its use in other professions as well.

One of the earliest and most interesting stories is Mann Gulch; where
there was a very large forest fire in Montana in 1949. An experienced
wilderness Firefighter, Wagner Dodge (great name for a firefighting
hero), found himself and his crew surrounded by a wildfire. Conventional
training at the time would have suggested that their best method of
escape was to try to outrun the fire (some did try this- without success
unfortunately). Dodge, however, improvised a solution to save his men:
He started a new fire and he and his men took refuge in the burned away
area as the larger fire raged past them and they managed to survive
thanks to his quick thinking.

This is just one of many examples of how improvisation is utilized in
non-traditional, non-arts environments. Corporations, for example, also
often use an improvisation based process called ‘Wild Card Theory’
[Frank Ruff 2004] to prepare for unforeseen disasters like contaminated
food, scandal, etc. In my opinion, of all the applications of
improvisation out there, the most crucial is in the emergency services. I
recently spoke with Dwayne Macintosh the Deputy Fire Chief of the Fire
and Emergency Services Training Institute (FESTI) at Toronto Pearson
International Airport about how improvisation plays a part in how they
train firefighters to use the Jaws of Life when they face the challenge
of extrication at a crash scene. 

Personally I never wanted to be a fireman ‘when I grow up.’ When I
was young, my mother was the secretary to the Fire Chief and it was the
stories of bravery and destruction that affirmed my decision that
whatever I ‘grew up’ to do I did not want to have life or death be the
consequence of my decisions or actions. It takes a special kind of
person to risk their life for a stranger, and as an adult with a family I
appreciate all the more the selfless acts of firefighters, policemen,
soldiers and EMS workers. I do still feel a rush of anxiety before a
workshop begins, or when I’m about to go on stage to perform, but at
least no one’s life is at stake if the projector doesn’t illuminate as
planned.

The modern firefighter faces an incredible amount of challenges when
he or she arrives at a vehicle accident scene. No two situations are the
same, the amount of cars, the number of people involved, environmental
factors, stability etc always differ. It is a combination of good
training, communication and solid procedure that allows firefighters to
quickly evaluate the situation and engage in the procedures that will
lead to an effective solution. According to Dwayne Macintosh everyone
has a job to do; whether it is to stabilize the vehicles, determine the
mechanisms of injury, or to ascertain extraction options, everyone has a
specific part to play to ensure that the team functions quickly and
effectively.

The designated expert in charge of the Jaws of Life faces a twisted
wreck of metal and has the task of safely removing a person. The
assignment has life and death implications. As an added challenge, the
vehicle itself presents a formidable test; each model and year have
different airbag configurations and pretension systems. These pose a
very real danger for both the passenger and the firefighter. If a line
is cut or an air bag triggered the blast from the shotgun like mechanism
or the air bag itself can seriously injure either party. And if that’s
not enough, hybrid and electric automobiles contain high voltage lines
embedded in the car frame.

No matter what their job, when it comes to creating a solution, the
firefighters rely on other members of the team, and on their training,
creativity, and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Essentially,
the firefighter is improvising under an enormous amount of pressure. I
wanted to explore how Dwayne Macintosh and his team prepare these
rescuers to improvise under such circumstances. Throughout our
conversation, I was struck by the amount of times Dwayne mentioned
improvisation and creativity, as being vital tools both during the
training process and at the scene of an accident.

Training at the Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute
(FESTI) addresses improvisation and creativity in four basic areas.
First, being creative with the tools; second, being sufficiently calm to
think creativity and act confidently; thirdly, being able to assess the
situation and finally; having the ability to shift focus between narrow
and broad depending on the task at hand.

Being Creative with the tools. Understanding the
capabilities and limitations of the Jaws of Life and other rescue tools
is critical. Firefighters train extensively so that at a scene they know
what the tools at hand are capable of and how best to use them. During
the advanced training at FESTI, trainees chop and mangle wreck after
simulated wreck to better understand the capabilities of the tools. From
a creativity and improv perspective, when training and functionality
become second nature, more options are available because the focus is
not wasted on how the tools work, but rather is used for more creative
problem-solving.  From a neuroscience viewpoint, the ability to use the
tools move from short term memory to longer term memory as the neuropath
ways are reinforced with training. Again, this frees up cognitive space
for situation evaluation, seeing creative solutions and then executing
them.

Being sufficiently calm to think creativity and act
confidently. Once a firefighter understands the tools and has
learned to use them, they face the challenge of being emotionally
affected by the accident scene. The strategy here is focusing on the
process. Dwayne Macintosh trains firefighters to focus their attention
on the job at hand, the next step in the process is so ingrained that
even under tremendous pressure the firefighters do not overlook safety
factors, possible solutions or hidden dangers. Strategies to remain calm
like breathing exercises, centering techniques and small routines to
focus are also taught. This step is especially important when a scene is
first being evaluated. It is dangerous to make assumptions or act
without a strategy; Macintosh calls this action without thought
‘free-lancing’ and it is extremely dangerous to the individual and the
team. Trainees at FESTI are constantly challenged by random drills and
tests to simulate the real pressure they will face at an accident scene,
so that when a real-life situation arises, they know how to stay in the
moment and focus on the next step in the process.

When we let pressure, panic or fear override our response, our body’s
reaction becomes our greatest barrier to success. In a stressful or
‘fight or flight’ situation our body releases adrenaline which triggers a
long list of physiological responses which include; a reduction of
blood flow to the brain, auditory exclusion (loss of hearing), and
tunnel vision (loss of peripheral vision).  Research also shows that
even if the circumstances do not push us as far as ‘fight or flight’ we
can easily assume a ‘avoid or threat’ frame of mind. Overall executive
brain functions decrease, perception is reduced (which is required for
non-linear thinking, effective problem-solving, insight and discovery)
and a decrease in the willingness to collaborate is exhibited [David
Rock 2008]. Through training and experience, firefighters develop
strategies to keep calm so that they can think clearly enough to use all
of the tangible and psychological tools at their disposal.

Assess the situation. Clear and concise
communication is paramount to assessing the accident scene. The first
arriving Officer will assume control of the situation and assign tasks
to team members. The Officer will assess the scene by doing an outer and
inner circle walk around. The team relies on each for information about
the mechanisms of injury, safety conditions, and stability. The
firefighter assigned to the extraction process relies on the team for
input inside the vehicle as well; such as which airbags have been
deployed amongst other potential safety or medical concerns.

Often in business we find it hard to accept situations as they are.
Manipulation of the facts is often the pathway to trouble. A great case
in point is the recent US bank failures. Anton Valukas, the examiner
hired by a US court to probe the Lehman Brothers collapse into
bankruptcy, states in his report that ‘Lehman and some affiliates were
already insolvent at various times in 2008 leading up to its bankruptcy
filing.” Their refusal to accept reality lead to the exclusion of high
risk investments in its risk usage calculation.

I have witnessed this denial or re-shaping of reality in
organizations time and time again. “If we just tell our clients how
great our product is, they will jump at the chance to buy.” In
improvisation terms the ‘yes and’ premise helps improvisers on stage to
accept what is being presented to them in the form of an ‘offer’ and
equips them with the ability move the scene forward. In both
improvisation and firefighting, a high level of team trust is paramount
to accept the current state reality and to advance the situation toward a
solution.

The ability to shift focus between narrow and broad depending
on the task at hand. Assessing the accident scene also
includes the ability to shift focus from the big picture view (broad
external awareness) to a more narrowly focused attention to a specific
action. Everyone has this ability, however some people are faster at
switching between attentional channels than others are- and we all have
our preferred channels [Bob Nideffer 1976]. Much of the training is
focused on simulations that require this shift in focus, so that
firefighters can experience in practice what it is like and are more
ready to apply this attention shifting ability to real life situations.

When the long hours of training are complete and a firefighter
accepts the challenge presented by the wreck to save lives, Dwayne
Macintosh has one last piece of advice. “You are only limited by your
imagination”.