Whether you are an insurance adjuster or fire investigator, when out on a loss site, such as a fire scene, it is important to always be aware of your surroundings and maintain situational awareness, the conscious knowledge of the immediate environment and the events that are occurring in it.

Situation awareness involves the perception of the elements in the environment, comprehension of what they mean and how they relate to one another, and how you may need to act or react, but more than that, situational awareness is about always keeping yourself and your peers safe through mental preparation.

In the continuing saga of what can and cannot be appraised in a property insurance appraisal, the Tenth Circuit, in contrast to many other courts, has ruled appraisers can determine coverage issues.