ABSTRACT
Both official reports (United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service 2001) and informal accounts indicate that stress is often associated with wildland firefighter safety-compromising incidents. This chapter discusses the findings from the stress and human performance research literature concerning fear/anxiety and cognitive abilities and points out their relevance for understanding the behaviour of firefighters under imminent threat from wildfire. The term stress refers to the totality of an individual's negative psychological experiences associated with a wildfire threat as the stressor: fear and anxiety in particular; but also worry, frustration and anger. Other potential stressors discussed include: fatigue and heat; operational responsibility; and complex team interactions. The chapter acknowledges that individuals differ, both in tendencies to experience negative mood states such as anxiety and fear in the face of threats, and in the kinds of impacts their fear and anxiety might have on safety-related decision making.
