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The Heat of the Moment: Life and Death Decision-Making From a Firefighter
In the face of urgency and uncertainty, would you respond analytically or trust your instincts? How would you decide who lives and who dies?
Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton has been a firefighter for eighteen years. She decides which of her colleagues rush into a burning building and how they confront the blaze. She makes the call to evacuate if she believes the options have been exhausted or that the situation has escalated beyond hope. This is her astonishing account of a profession defined by the most difficult decisions imaginable.
Taking us to the very heart of firefighting, Sabrina uses her award-winning research to reveal the skills that are essential to surviving – and even thriving – in such a fast-paced and emotionally-charged environment. And she immerses us in this extraordinary world; from scenes of devastation and crisis, through triumphs of bravery, to the quieter moments when she questions herself and the decisions made in the most unforgiving circumstances.
Here is the truth about how we respond in our most extreme moments.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2020
112 people are currently reading
851 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
March 29, 2020
A refreshing change from other blue light memoirs flooding the book market lately; this is one woman’s story of how she went from homeless teen to one of the most senior female firefighters in the UK.
I think the fire service is wonderful but criminally overlooked when we think of the other emergency services. The author demonstrates her skills and commitment to becoming an expert in her field. As both a firefighter and a psychologist, the author is fascinated by how and why we make complex decisions under stress and exceptional circumstances. It was intriguing to read how psychology plays a major role in the fire service.
This book contains a lot of scenarios and descriptions of training exercises; I would have liked to read more of the real life situations the author has been a part of. However, this is still an incredibly worth while read and a shining example of women in the fire service.
I think the fire service is wonderful but criminally overlooked when we think of the other emergency services. The author demonstrates her skills and commitment to becoming an expert in her field. As both a firefighter and a psychologist, the author is fascinated by how and why we make complex decisions under stress and exceptional circumstances. It was intriguing to read how psychology plays a major role in the fire service.
This book contains a lot of scenarios and descriptions of training exercises; I would have liked to read more of the real life situations the author has been a part of. However, this is still an incredibly worth while read and a shining example of women in the fire service.
October 20, 2019
THIS BOOK WILL SAVE LIVES
I read this book, cover to cover, within 24 hours of purchasing it. Every page held my attention as Sab transported me to the fire grounds, incident scenes and briefing rooms which are part of her daily life. I was constantly asking myself how I would have acted in the most challenging of scenarios Sab described in such rich detail. What would my leadership and decision making be like in situations where there’s not a best outcome, just a least worse one, where getting it right can often mean the difference between life and death? Decision making in Sab’s world has to be fast and agile. Get it wrong and that split second decision with be examined and judged in minute detail by the most learned in our society. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but foresight is better. Chapter 5 - ‘Trust Your Guts’ particularly resonated with me.
This book made me think, it encouraged me to explore my own decision making in stressful situations, and provided some simple, yet robust guidance which I know will be of tremendous value to me (and no doubt many others) both professionally and personally. Sab’s guidance has proven value, it will help you get things right the first time, as in her world you rarely get a second chance.
The importance of empathy, kindness, and mental wellbeing are sensitively covered by the author. Sab’s pathfinding work is making a positive difference. There is no doubt in my mind that her research has helped save many lives, and minimised risks to people and property. The wider transfer of knowledge from this book has the potential to improve the decision making of individuals in any organisation, not just the emergency services. I would love to see this book as a standard text in schools as I’m sure it would help motivate and inspire our future firefighters and leaders.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sab’s story. Her book will be a most useful reference source to help further inform the Security Management Systems (SeMS) development work I’m involved with, particularly the threat assessment, risk management and incident response components. Getting the culture right is key in Sab’s world and equally applicable to the security environment, and indeed any organisation wishing to get the best from its people. Growing positive cultures can be a herculean task but Sab and other thought leaders like her are tipping the balance and changing mindsets for the better.
Sab’s rise to the top has clearly been a tough, yet rewarding journey. The term role model is often overused, but Sab has well and truly earned the title. She ‘walks the talk’ as opposed to those leaders in name only who simply ‘talk the talk’ to appease others.
I’m so pleased that Sab is now the Chief Fire Officer of West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. I know we are in very safe hands. Thanks Sab, you are inspirational.
Andy Blackwell
I read this book, cover to cover, within 24 hours of purchasing it. Every page held my attention as Sab transported me to the fire grounds, incident scenes and briefing rooms which are part of her daily life. I was constantly asking myself how I would have acted in the most challenging of scenarios Sab described in such rich detail. What would my leadership and decision making be like in situations where there’s not a best outcome, just a least worse one, where getting it right can often mean the difference between life and death? Decision making in Sab’s world has to be fast and agile. Get it wrong and that split second decision with be examined and judged in minute detail by the most learned in our society. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but foresight is better. Chapter 5 - ‘Trust Your Guts’ particularly resonated with me.
This book made me think, it encouraged me to explore my own decision making in stressful situations, and provided some simple, yet robust guidance which I know will be of tremendous value to me (and no doubt many others) both professionally and personally. Sab’s guidance has proven value, it will help you get things right the first time, as in her world you rarely get a second chance.
The importance of empathy, kindness, and mental wellbeing are sensitively covered by the author. Sab’s pathfinding work is making a positive difference. There is no doubt in my mind that her research has helped save many lives, and minimised risks to people and property. The wider transfer of knowledge from this book has the potential to improve the decision making of individuals in any organisation, not just the emergency services. I would love to see this book as a standard text in schools as I’m sure it would help motivate and inspire our future firefighters and leaders.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sab’s story. Her book will be a most useful reference source to help further inform the Security Management Systems (SeMS) development work I’m involved with, particularly the threat assessment, risk management and incident response components. Getting the culture right is key in Sab’s world and equally applicable to the security environment, and indeed any organisation wishing to get the best from its people. Growing positive cultures can be a herculean task but Sab and other thought leaders like her are tipping the balance and changing mindsets for the better.
Sab’s rise to the top has clearly been a tough, yet rewarding journey. The term role model is often overused, but Sab has well and truly earned the title. She ‘walks the talk’ as opposed to those leaders in name only who simply ‘talk the talk’ to appease others.
I’m so pleased that Sab is now the Chief Fire Officer of West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. I know we are in very safe hands. Thanks Sab, you are inspirational.
Andy Blackwell
August 15, 2019
Absolutely brilliant book.
Highly recommended to medics as well as emergency services personnel. Gives insight into how life and death decisions are made, some analytical some gut decisions, most a mixture.
Gives help in sorting best decisions - which have to be made quickly with insufficient detail.
Written with very accessible style from a woman who has an amazing life
A must read!
Highly recommended to medics as well as emergency services personnel. Gives insight into how life and death decisions are made, some analytical some gut decisions, most a mixture.
Gives help in sorting best decisions - which have to be made quickly with insufficient detail.
Written with very accessible style from a woman who has an amazing life
A must read!
October 13, 2020
I am a firefighter and this book has been passed around most of my watch. When it was my turn to read it, I expected a memoir with lots of different incidents discussed. So I was surprised when it actually turned out to be a book focussing more on leadership and psychology and how things affect our decision making process. Whilst I was a little disappointed that there weren't many real-life incidents discussed, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book and learnt from it.
Being a firefighter on the ground, I take my instructions from the Incident Commander and do what's asked of me so it was really interesting to read about what kinds of thoughts could be running through my Incident Commander's mind as they're giving my crew tasks. Being in the Fire Service I was also familiar with ranks and how incidents are run as well as all of the terminology but Cohen-Hatton explains it all so even those who have no knowledge of how the fire service runs will be able to access this book. It doesn't entirely focus on firefighting incidents; Cohen-Hatton refers to common every day things so this book would still be interesting to people that aren't in the service and I have recommended it to a few of my friends.
A few niggles I had with it is that Cohen-Hatton jumps around quite a bit and will drop in a reference to an entirely different incident whilst in the middle of discussing another one so it does feel scatty at times. Additionally at the end of the book I wanted to do some further reading on some of the incidents she'd discussed, however a lot of the links listed at the end of the book don't work so that was a little annoying.
It was a great book and look forward to the rest of my watch reading it.
Being a firefighter on the ground, I take my instructions from the Incident Commander and do what's asked of me so it was really interesting to read about what kinds of thoughts could be running through my Incident Commander's mind as they're giving my crew tasks. Being in the Fire Service I was also familiar with ranks and how incidents are run as well as all of the terminology but Cohen-Hatton explains it all so even those who have no knowledge of how the fire service runs will be able to access this book. It doesn't entirely focus on firefighting incidents; Cohen-Hatton refers to common every day things so this book would still be interesting to people that aren't in the service and I have recommended it to a few of my friends.
A few niggles I had with it is that Cohen-Hatton jumps around quite a bit and will drop in a reference to an entirely different incident whilst in the middle of discussing another one so it does feel scatty at times. Additionally at the end of the book I wanted to do some further reading on some of the incidents she'd discussed, however a lot of the links listed at the end of the book don't work so that was a little annoying.
It was a great book and look forward to the rest of my watch reading it.
December 5, 2019
I'll start by saying this was a 100% me issue and not the book.
I came into this expecting it to be more of a memoir style book like This is going to hurt or Working Stiffs that follows someone through their working day/week/month/year etc. What it is a cross between a memoir and a journal article.
Due to the disclaimer that the events didn't always happen as represented in the book (some were actual training scenarios rather than real life situations and vice versa, some were composites of multiple events and experiences) I found it difficult to really connect with some things that were happening as I didn't know if they were true or if they were representations of things. I would say that some of the scenes were absolutely horrific and I was genuinely trying to fight back tears at the though of what the victims of such events but also the firefighters themselves must go through.
Overall I think it was a good book that is definitely worth a read but I just approached it wrong when I started.
Thank you for the brave men and women across the board of emergency service workers who are selfless beyond belief in their drive to help others.
I came into this expecting it to be more of a memoir style book like This is going to hurt or Working Stiffs that follows someone through their working day/week/month/year etc. What it is a cross between a memoir and a journal article.
Due to the disclaimer that the events didn't always happen as represented in the book (some were actual training scenarios rather than real life situations and vice versa, some were composites of multiple events and experiences) I found it difficult to really connect with some things that were happening as I didn't know if they were true or if they were representations of things. I would say that some of the scenes were absolutely horrific and I was genuinely trying to fight back tears at the though of what the victims of such events but also the firefighters themselves must go through.
Overall I think it was a good book that is definitely worth a read but I just approached it wrong when I started.
Thank you for the brave men and women across the board of emergency service workers who are selfless beyond belief in their drive to help others.
March 8, 2020
Part of my 2020 Reading Challenge: A book about firefighting.
It is difficult to describe the emotions I felt while reading this book. I cried, I laughed, I was afraid, I was empathetic. This book is a perfect piece for anyone interested in firefighting and in the many challenges that comes with the job. As someone who has a background in psychology and a major interest in firefighting, I connected a lot with Dr Cohen-Hatton. The stories hit me personally which is why I took so long to finish it - I really had to take in everything that was said. It was brilliantly written, and a perfect gateway into the everyday life of these heroes.
Will be reading this again and again.
It is difficult to describe the emotions I felt while reading this book. I cried, I laughed, I was afraid, I was empathetic. This book is a perfect piece for anyone interested in firefighting and in the many challenges that comes with the job. As someone who has a background in psychology and a major interest in firefighting, I connected a lot with Dr Cohen-Hatton. The stories hit me personally which is why I took so long to finish it - I really had to take in everything that was said. It was brilliantly written, and a perfect gateway into the everyday life of these heroes.
Will be reading this again and again.
March 4, 2020
Fascinating insight into what happens when we make decisions under pressure. The examples from the author’s career as a firefighter really bring the science to life, but she writes with great respect for the victims and her colleagues. As well as being a warts and all look at what it means to be a firefighter, the theories can be applied to our everyday lives. Loved the fact it was also written in a really accessible style rather than being too academic.
This woman is a true inspiration!
This woman is a true inspiration!
August 24, 2022
3.5 stars. Not my favourite sort of genre but an insightful read. It’s a really important book to be out there and I enjoyed learning about the research that she did into decision making, and how it was then implemented.
October 3, 2021
An extremely good read from start to finish.
June 17, 2022
I'm giving the book 4 stars only because she is an inspirational woman and because the book starts out pretty interestingly. However, most of the books appears to be aimed at fellow fire-fighters who are striving to be commanders or incident chiefs and she mostly talks about how each chief or commander responds under pressure. The book would have been more interesting if she had spoke more about her rise up through the ranks and some more fire fighter stories.
September 19, 2025
Yeah, this was kind of random for me to listen to, but I liked her?
October 6, 2020
I live with an ex-firefighter so it is entirely possible that my perspective on this book will be somewhat different from the majority of readers. Contrary to the 'Brave Hero' stereotype my experience of Firefighters is that they are highly sensitive caring individuals who often deny what they perceive as the 'weaker' side of themselves. Since the inception of the Fire Service, the 'big strong bloke' stereotype has dominated and if one is asked to imagine a firefighter the picture in ones head is usually a good looking strong young man.
My husband was the recruiting officer for some of the first women in his brigade, indeed Fleur Lombard, the first female firefighter to die in peacetime was one of that intake. I remember at the time asking "Why do you think this is a good idea" given that I would have imagined a white boy brought up in the 1950's to find it hard to entertain such a dramatic move.
His reply "Women will bring a whole new, much needed, dimension to the Fire Service"
By Golly, how right he was!
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton influences the men and women around her with her compassion, sensitivity and intellect. She also commands them with her ability to stay focused and cool in the most dramatic of incidents. Despite her diminutive stature (which in my day precluded me, along with my gender, from so many occupations including firefighter) she has risen through the ranks to now change the perception of the entire Service. From a macho "nothing bothers me" attitude, the inner strength and understanding that women have always brought to society has allowed this male bastion to mature by allowing its sensitivity to show and be discussed. It is no longer a sign of weakness to admit suffering mentally and emotionally from the terrible incidents that all firefighters witness. All of them will benefit from the contribution of this truly amazing woman and everyone should read her inspiring story.
My husband was the recruiting officer for some of the first women in his brigade, indeed Fleur Lombard, the first female firefighter to die in peacetime was one of that intake. I remember at the time asking "Why do you think this is a good idea" given that I would have imagined a white boy brought up in the 1950's to find it hard to entertain such a dramatic move.
His reply "Women will bring a whole new, much needed, dimension to the Fire Service"
By Golly, how right he was!
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton influences the men and women around her with her compassion, sensitivity and intellect. She also commands them with her ability to stay focused and cool in the most dramatic of incidents. Despite her diminutive stature (which in my day precluded me, along with my gender, from so many occupations including firefighter) she has risen through the ranks to now change the perception of the entire Service. From a macho "nothing bothers me" attitude, the inner strength and understanding that women have always brought to society has allowed this male bastion to mature by allowing its sensitivity to show and be discussed. It is no longer a sign of weakness to admit suffering mentally and emotionally from the terrible incidents that all firefighters witness. All of them will benefit from the contribution of this truly amazing woman and everyone should read her inspiring story.
April 6, 2020
An inspiring woman with a phenomenal story - though I wish we'd gotten to hear more of it. There are elements of this book I really liked, and elements that dragged and were a bit repetitive.
The author tells interesting anecdotes from her time as a fire fighter that relate to the theme of decision-making. However, I feel that a lot of the points she was making were rehashed a lot and I can't help thinking the balance between her stories and her analysis could have been better..
I've watched her interviews and find her really articulate and inspiring, so I hate to give this book 2 stars, but it just wasn't as enjoyable as I wanted it to be.
That being said, I'm not sad I read it. I learned a lot about firefighting and decision making. I might recommend it to people who have a vested interest in the theory of decision making, but probably not in general.
The author tells interesting anecdotes from her time as a fire fighter that relate to the theme of decision-making. However, I feel that a lot of the points she was making were rehashed a lot and I can't help thinking the balance between her stories and her analysis could have been better..
I've watched her interviews and find her really articulate and inspiring, so I hate to give this book 2 stars, but it just wasn't as enjoyable as I wanted it to be.
That being said, I'm not sad I read it. I learned a lot about firefighting and decision making. I might recommend it to people who have a vested interest in the theory of decision making, but probably not in general.
September 16, 2020
The memoir market is becoming crowded with authors writing about their professions - there's doctors, police workers, forensic psychologists and more out there. I have read the vast array of these types of books and really enjoyed them, hence why I thought this would fit well into the category. Unfortunately, this book was a slight let down and at times I found it hard to read. In comparison to other books of this type, I found it hard to connect with it, as it often didn't describe real events. The author is no short of a hero, also considering her background, so this is no fault to her. At times the book feels dragged out and I found it hard to continue. Overall however it does give an interesting insight into the firefighter world and it did add to my general knowledge
June 2, 2019
What an incredible book!
As a person looking to join the UK Fire and Rescue Service, this provided an invaluable insight and information about my dream job and motivated more to join the FRS. Written so fluently with easy language, it still held all the relevant depth and details within each chapter.
Humbling too, reminding all of us that the emergency services aren’t superheroes and that we are all human but some go to extraordinary measures to help others, especially behind the scenes of a scenario.
Thank you Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, amazing read!
As a person looking to join the UK Fire and Rescue Service, this provided an invaluable insight and information about my dream job and motivated more to join the FRS. Written so fluently with easy language, it still held all the relevant depth and details within each chapter.
Humbling too, reminding all of us that the emergency services aren’t superheroes and that we are all human but some go to extraordinary measures to help others, especially behind the scenes of a scenario.
Thank you Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, amazing read!
April 6, 2020
Sanctimonious self congratulating book. This author has obviously worked very hard to get where she is today and she started out in adverse circumstances, but the narrative is corny, too many mentions of the word 'jigsaw' and 'commander' and lots of detail about how well she has done with the application of her research in the fire service. Would be more interesting to a firefighter, if that's not you then you may be bored and frustrated by this book, as I was.
June 27, 2020
This was 50% firefighting anecdotes and 50% behavioural theory, although the latter didn't go very deep. It was interesting to hear how Cohen-Hatton tried to implement her decision theory findings into daily firefighting; there are some interesting links to Gawande's Checklist Manifesto. Content notes: a lot of gore
June 19, 2019
I was hoping for a more personal memoir and less of the technical research- but then I'm not in a related profession, more of a general reader looking for the human aspects of being a firefighter and achieving so much from such a difficult childhood.
January 10, 2023
I quit this book after a few chapters. I just could not get into it. I was hoping for a more personal memoir account. I did not personally like the style of this and found it boring.
July 24, 2021
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The heat of the moment
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Sabrina Cohen-Hatton
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Memoir/autobiography
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Hardback
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Doubleday
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 11 April 2019
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 304
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5 ★
𝐓𝐖: trauma, road traffic collisions.
𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.
firstly thank you @bookswithapup for sending me this! i thought it was an apt book to read during the current surge of hot weather (that obviously has ended since i started it, as per england)! this book is a mixture of firefighting “cases” and the complex psychology of decision making (mainly why our body and brains react to risk and stress the way they do) told via harrowing real life situations and training exercises.
let me start by saying i was already in awe of this career and my respect has only grown through reading this. the writing style was easy and conversational and i liked that hatton wove her own upbringing and struggles into the story— this woman literally started a phd the day she gave birth then somehow balanced full time work and writing a DOCTORATE whilst being a new mum? hello, superwoman? it was undoubtedly a fascinating read but was definitely more psychology based, rather than situational based, than i was expecting going into it and i think that reflected my enjoyment.
this book really made me think about my own decision making and reaction to stress when it comes to my own job, taking 999 calls. so much of what hatton described made sense— when she spoke about the pavlovian response to a noise, all i could think of were the palpitations and spike of adrenaline at hearing that beep go in my ear when a call comes in and not knowing what it’s going to be. overall this was a hugely fascinating read but i personally think it may have benefited from being two separate books— one leaning more towards the firefighting side and one covering the psychology.
side note: i also really appreciated chapter eight where hatton speaks about mental health, particularly relating to the trauma blue light workers are exposed to on the daily. this chapter really resonated with me and is such an important topic to open up about.
𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙛: you have a keen interest in either firefighting or psychology.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Sabrina Cohen-Hatton
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Memoir/autobiography
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Hardback
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Doubleday
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 11 April 2019
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 304
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5 ★
𝐓𝐖: trauma, road traffic collisions.
𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.
firstly thank you @bookswithapup for sending me this! i thought it was an apt book to read during the current surge of hot weather (that obviously has ended since i started it, as per england)! this book is a mixture of firefighting “cases” and the complex psychology of decision making (mainly why our body and brains react to risk and stress the way they do) told via harrowing real life situations and training exercises.
let me start by saying i was already in awe of this career and my respect has only grown through reading this. the writing style was easy and conversational and i liked that hatton wove her own upbringing and struggles into the story— this woman literally started a phd the day she gave birth then somehow balanced full time work and writing a DOCTORATE whilst being a new mum? hello, superwoman? it was undoubtedly a fascinating read but was definitely more psychology based, rather than situational based, than i was expecting going into it and i think that reflected my enjoyment.
this book really made me think about my own decision making and reaction to stress when it comes to my own job, taking 999 calls. so much of what hatton described made sense— when she spoke about the pavlovian response to a noise, all i could think of were the palpitations and spike of adrenaline at hearing that beep go in my ear when a call comes in and not knowing what it’s going to be. overall this was a hugely fascinating read but i personally think it may have benefited from being two separate books— one leaning more towards the firefighting side and one covering the psychology.
side note: i also really appreciated chapter eight where hatton speaks about mental health, particularly relating to the trauma blue light workers are exposed to on the daily. this chapter really resonated with me and is such an important topic to open up about.
𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙛: you have a keen interest in either firefighting or psychology.
January 6, 2020
The heat of the moment is memoir of a firefighters decisions on the job. Decisions resulting in the difference between life and death.
It is very detailed in regards to the variations of life experiences and how this can impact the brain in making critical decisions on job. Added with stress, anxiety and pressure contributing to further effecting the decision making, which then effect outcome.
The author goes into detail of her research and how the results have changed the standards, legislation and impact within the fire and rescue service. Moreover, her research also identifies the various types of decision and give context to the brain function and relates this back to each scenario outlined within the book.
On a more pertinent criticism, the book doesn't give any details regarding the lesson and skills developed within the fire and rescue service and how those developments are undertaken and applied within the real world.
Overall, a really thought provoking read. Self reflection happens during and after completion.
It is very detailed in regards to the variations of life experiences and how this can impact the brain in making critical decisions on job. Added with stress, anxiety and pressure contributing to further effecting the decision making, which then effect outcome.
The author goes into detail of her research and how the results have changed the standards, legislation and impact within the fire and rescue service. Moreover, her research also identifies the various types of decision and give context to the brain function and relates this back to each scenario outlined within the book.
On a more pertinent criticism, the book doesn't give any details regarding the lesson and skills developed within the fire and rescue service and how those developments are undertaken and applied within the real world.
Overall, a really thought provoking read. Self reflection happens during and after completion.
August 9, 2020
This was a fascinating book. I had been expecting stories of firefighting but it is very much more. The author works on decision making and examines how decisions are made, with what information and what consequences during all kinds of incidents. As a serving firefighter she has much to draw on and her insight is intriguing. Her own story as a young person living rough then achieving entry to the fire service is an interesting backstory, especially since as a woman this was particularly difficult. The concepts of decision inertia, confirmation bias and situational awareness, along with other areas are explored with the examples used being exercise or real life incidents, you never know which at the beginning which in itself is a mechanism which draws you into the subject. There is much more. This book will appeal to anyone who has an interest in decision making under pressure, blue light services, psychology and human behaviour. Highly recommend. It's not a slim volume but I became so absorbed read this over 3 days.
November 4, 2024
What an amazing and inspirational lady and a superb book!
This book was unexpected- in a really good way. I thought it would be stories of dramatic rescues and huge fires. Alas no, it’s about leadership, decision making and the story of one brave, strong and determined lady.
It’s proof that anyone can become anything they want, all you need is a dream, grit and a will to succeed.
It’s a book about how various physical and emotional stresses and pressures directly affect your ability to make good decisions or indeed any decision at all. Utterly fascinating, it deals with complex ideas and theories in a way one can easily understand. Engaging and insightful, not dry or simplistic. Actually I’m left reassured to know that our emergency services commanders and senior responders are trained to understand the importance of good decision making.
I would happily be in the audience of a talk given by this author.
This book was unexpected- in a really good way. I thought it would be stories of dramatic rescues and huge fires. Alas no, it’s about leadership, decision making and the story of one brave, strong and determined lady.
It’s proof that anyone can become anything they want, all you need is a dream, grit and a will to succeed.
It’s a book about how various physical and emotional stresses and pressures directly affect your ability to make good decisions or indeed any decision at all. Utterly fascinating, it deals with complex ideas and theories in a way one can easily understand. Engaging and insightful, not dry or simplistic. Actually I’m left reassured to know that our emergency services commanders and senior responders are trained to understand the importance of good decision making.
I would happily be in the audience of a talk given by this author.
February 11, 2020
What a great book this is, and what an inspirational read. I first heard of Sabrina Cohen-Hatton when listening to her moving story on Desert Island Discs, and realised I needed to read her book. In this book, she does an excellent job of explaining why her work to improve decision making in the fire service is so important (spoiler: it saves more lives), while documenting all the mountains she's had to climb along the way in order for her, and her work, to be accepted, in an environment that was at times old-school, at times misogynistic, and often rated intuition more highly than scientific research. All of which could, perhaps, be said to be a pretty dry subject to write about. Except that it's not. Cohen-Hatton is an entertaining writer, and has given us a book which is highly informative, thought provoking, and never once boring. Highly recommended.
December 17, 2021
A challenging look at how life and death decisions are made in literally the heat of the moment. There's been an explosion in a tunnel. You're an Incident Commander. You've got injured and dying members of the public and emergency workers inside. You then hear there may a second device due to go off. Do you take a chance and continue working or order the evacuation of all emergency workers and walking wounded in case of a second blast? How long do you wait while you know people you could be treating are dying in the tunnel. But you don't want to risk the lives of everybody on scene.
Sabrina Cohen Hatton delves into the decision making processes we go through, how minds, preconceptions, behaviour and inter personal relations all affect decisions. An excellent and thorough study which would help anybody make important decisions in their jobs or indeed life.
Sabrina Cohen Hatton delves into the decision making processes we go through, how minds, preconceptions, behaviour and inter personal relations all affect decisions. An excellent and thorough study which would help anybody make important decisions in their jobs or indeed life.
June 30, 2019
The Heat of the Moment is an incredible memoir of the author’s experiences and groundbreaking work into decision-making in the fire service.
For non-fiction, this is an extremely fast-paced read as the author skilfully weaves the academic psychology with real-life stories of the horrific scenes that emergency service encounter on a daily basis and autobiographical snippets of her own life.
Just as importantly, it talks about the role of inclusion and empathy in decision making, which makes this book a must read for all leaders in any arena.
I am neither a psychologist, an academic nor a member of the emergency services. I dip in and out of non-fiction, preferring the escapism of pure trashy fiction, but found this book captivating and read it in a day.
For non-fiction, this is an extremely fast-paced read as the author skilfully weaves the academic psychology with real-life stories of the horrific scenes that emergency service encounter on a daily basis and autobiographical snippets of her own life.
Just as importantly, it talks about the role of inclusion and empathy in decision making, which makes this book a must read for all leaders in any arena.
I am neither a psychologist, an academic nor a member of the emergency services. I dip in and out of non-fiction, preferring the escapism of pure trashy fiction, but found this book captivating and read it in a day.
September 26, 2020
The author tried to combine simultaneously two topics: everyday life of firefighters and a delve into decision-making from the scientific point of view. Each chapter contains one incident and thoughts of the author about it. Sometimes the story becomes very private; sometimes it slips into a formal scientific language; that's why it is 4/5. But the overall impression is positive and as I found out from the book, the author had been doing a great job formulating new rules of front-line workers' decision-making in the UK. I like the tv series about emergency crews or firefighters, the intensity and pressure, and often lives saved. It was interesting to have a peek into the real background of incidents.
October 2, 2022
Not actually sure how I came to find this book as I am not really a big non-fiction/diary/biography reader. However I am so glad this popped up on my Kindle suggested as it was such a great read!
For me it was such a good insight into what it is like to be a firefighter and I loved that the author is a female firefighter which added a whole new aspect and interpretation into what she had to deal with on not only getting into the service, but also on her day-to-day basis.
I gave this 4 stars as, for me, there was just a tad too much psychology/science for my liking. Don't get me wrong it is an important part of the book and intersting when it came up - however I think for my personal preference I came in for the firefighting stories more than anything else!
For me it was such a good insight into what it is like to be a firefighter and I loved that the author is a female firefighter which added a whole new aspect and interpretation into what she had to deal with on not only getting into the service, but also on her day-to-day basis.
I gave this 4 stars as, for me, there was just a tad too much psychology/science for my liking. Don't get me wrong it is an important part of the book and intersting when it came up - however I think for my personal preference I came in for the firefighting stories more than anything else!
November 8, 2019
I heard Dr Cohen-Hatton on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs - run to the BBC website now and listen to it. She was so interesting and inspiring and I was delighted to find her book at my local library.
Although Cohen-Hatton mentions her extraordinary background, this is not an autobiography. Rather it looks at leadership and decision-making, particularly under pressure, with her firefighter colleagues as the subjects of her studies.
Few of us must face the extreme circumstances of firefighters and other first responders, but we could all benefit from engaging both the analytical and emotional parts of our brains in our decision-making. Fascinating.
Although Cohen-Hatton mentions her extraordinary background, this is not an autobiography. Rather it looks at leadership and decision-making, particularly under pressure, with her firefighter colleagues as the subjects of her studies.
Few of us must face the extreme circumstances of firefighters and other first responders, but we could all benefit from engaging both the analytical and emotional parts of our brains in our decision-making. Fascinating.
April 13, 2020
A superb reflection on an extraordinary life lived so far. Cohen-Hatton reflects only briefly on her homeless teenage years I suspect because she has no room for self-pity even though the rise from this to one of the UK's foremost and seniormost firefighters is an extraordinary testimony to her grit and determination.
A book about how and why we make the decisions we do, and particularly what we can learn when the circumstances are such that the outcome of these decisions could change lives. A wild-card option for those not normally interested in such issues, but written in such an engaging and informative style that its target audience is as broad as it could get.
A book about how and why we make the decisions we do, and particularly what we can learn when the circumstances are such that the outcome of these decisions could change lives. A wild-card option for those not normally interested in such issues, but written in such an engaging and informative style that its target audience is as broad as it could get.
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