WICKED PROBLEMS

1

• WICKED PROBLEMS
• and
• EVIL PEOPLE
• Hank Clemmensen
• IAFC President
• and
• Chairman of the Board

2
Wicked Problems

• We must all hang
• together or most
• assuredly we shall hang
• separately.
• Benjamin Franklin

3
Wicked Problems

• A Good Hockey Player Plays Where The Puck Is.
  A Great Hockey Player Plays Where The Puck Is
  Going To Be.
• Wayne Gretzky

4
Wicked Problem Defined

• Wicked problems" is a term used to describe a
  problem that is difficult or impossible to solve
  because of incomplete, contradictory, or changing
  requirements.

5
Wicked Problem Defined

• The term wicked is not used to denote evil, but
  rather its resistance to finding a solution.
• Solving one aspect of a wicked problem may reveal
  or create other problems.

6
Wicked Problems

• Problems have we been avoiding?
• What makes these problems so uncomfortable?
• Do we solve those problems now or wait until they
  grow larger?
• Can we solve these problems alone?
• Are the solutions sustainable?

7
Wicked Problems in the Fire Service

• Cost-Efficiency
• Data
• Deployment and Staffing
• Culture
• Political Acumen

8
Wicked Problem

• Cost Efficiency
• What is effective vs. efficient?
• What community defines it?
• Some get really low cost, and some get really
  high service is there a correlation?
• Who is responsible for defining it?
• Whose model do you follow?
• Do we really save the building?
• Is EMS effective?

9
Wicked Problem

• Data
• Who has the model system?
• Who uses it to make decisions?
• How accurate is the data?
• Who do you compare yourself to?
• How do you determine what to capture?
• Automated alarms?
• Outcome-based research
• San Jose IBM Study

10
Wicked Problem

• Deployment and Staffing
• 1710/1720 and NIST study gives decision
  information. Local leaders?
• How much is four-person staffing worth to a
  community?
• Dynamic staffing models? Peak Activity Units
• Volunteer vs. POP vs. Overtime vs. full-time
  staff
• One-fire fire department

11
UL Ventilation Study

• Rapid flashover modern 3.5 minutes, legacy
  29.5 minutes
• Ventilation to untenability
• 100 seconds/1 story
• 200 seconds/2 story
• 10 seconds to flashover
• Opening the front door is ventilation
• Cant push fire from outside

12
Wicked Problem

• Culture
• Swing from fire to EMS/all-hazards
• How many test for EMS vs. fire skills?
• Generational differences
• Diversity and inclusiveness
• What skills are needed now?
• 24 and 48 hour shifts
• Image issues
• Age requirements / changes

13
Wicked Problem

• Political Acumen
• How much training does a chief get in politics?
• Grey areas abound
• Political appointees
• Working with the elected body
• Working with the citizenry
• Working with labor
• Being a part of local and state government
• Ethics

14
Wicked Problems

• Whats next?
• Create dialogue and discussion
• Put issues out for debate
• If we dont solve them or part of them, someone
  will solve them for us

15
EVIL PEOPLE
16
Active Shooter Working Group

• IAFC
• Metro
• EMS
• VCOS
• Terrorism/Homeland Security Committee
• IAFF
• IACP
• FOP

• FBI
• DHS
• EMS Physicians
• Secret Service
• ATF
• EMS Administrators
• State EMS Officials

17
Factoids

• Active shooter incidents are occurring about once
  each week
• Police are on scene in avg of 3 minutes
• Average active shooter incident lasts about 12
  minutes
• 20 involve the use of IEDs
• 50 of police officers in Newtown have not
  returned to work
• 75 of IAFC survey respondents have no active
  shooter plan

18
Active Shooter System Approach

• Fire/EMS must engage in a different way
• Leadership matters
• Must be a consistent level of training for all
  responders

19
Active Shooter Systems Approach

• Must know counterparts in law enforcement and EMS
• Train and exercise together
• Must establish clear protocols on multi- agency
  responses

20
Active Shooter Systems Approach

• Equipment options and sharing tricks of the trade
• Legal responsibilities
• ICS/NIMS must be consistently used and reinforced
• Effort by some law enforcement to not have ICS
• What is the alternative?
• Terminology Issue
• PTSD Program

21
So Whats Next for Active Shooter Incidents?
22

• WICKED PROBLEMS
• and
• EVIL PEOPLE
• Hank Clemmensen
• IAFC President
• and
• Chairman of the Board