WICKED PROBLEMS
and
EVIL PEOPLE
Hank Clemmensen
IAFC President
and
Chairman of the Board
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
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.
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.
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?
Wicked Problems in
the Fire Service
•
•
•
•
•
Cost-Efficiency
Data
Deployment and Staffing
Culture
Political Acumen
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?
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
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
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
• Can’t push fire from outside
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
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
Wicked Problems
• What’s next?
– Create dialogue and discussion
– Put issues out for debate
– If we don’t solve them or part of them,
someone will solve them for us
EVIL PEOPLE
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
Active Shooter System Approach
• Fire/EMS must engage in a different way
• Leadership matters
• Must be a consistent level of training for all
responders
Active Shooter Systems Approach
• Must know counterparts in law enforcement
and EMS
• Train and exercise together
• Must establish clear protocols on multiagency responses
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
So What’s Next for
Active Shooter Incidents?
WICKED PROBLEMS
and
EVIL PEOPLE
Hank Clemmensen
IAFC President
and
Chairman of the Board