Evidencing and developing the reach and sustainability of a tool for assessing psychological skills in firefighters (THINCS)

THINCS is an established system, co-produced with the National Fire Chiefs Council, for assessing the psychological skills of firefighters, including decision-making and resilience in high-pressure situations. It supports safe and effective incident command.

This project focused on evidencing its impact and ensuring it remains relevant as operational demands evolve.

The team created a database of THINCS assessments to track use and build an evidence base for its impact. Working closely with fire and rescue services across the UK, they co-produced a review of the system through workshops with incident commanders, identifying opportunities to refine how these critical skills are assessed in practice.

IAA funding enabled the development of a robust evidence base and supported in person engagement with fire and rescue services across the UK.

This allowed THINCS to be reviewed and refined in response to real world needs, strengthening partnerships and positioning the system for continued use, wider adoption and future international development.

If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts about their project, please contact them at: Prof. Rob Honey ([email protected])  School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK.