Social media amplifies emotional anchoring: dramatic images paired with comments like “This should never happen again” or “Ban that tactic” create an emotional echo chamber. Over time, this can shift culture, training, and even SOPs—driven more by emotional memory than evidence.
Tag Archives: Bill Carey
Emotional Anchoring Through Images: How Visuals Shape Perception and Risk in Firefighting
Emotional anchoring happens when a powerful image becomes tied to a strong feeling, leaving a lasting imprint on memory and shaping how we see future events. A rescue photo may anchor admiration, while a tragic image may embed fear, regardless of actual risk.
North Carolina Firefighter Suffers Fatal Medical Emergency
The firefighter experienced a medical emergency while on duty.
The Picture Superiority Effect, Fear and Firefighters’ Perception of Risk
Add in social media, a culture of decision-shaming and institutional decision-making shaped by fear, and you begin to see how firefighting is being silently reshaped—not by what is happening, but by what is seen happening.
Data Not Drama 