They forgot Lifeguards.  Rules?  1) Don't panic.  2) Don't become a victim yourself.  3) Don't make a bad situation worse.   I think about all the adrenalin junkies--the worst thing our culture has embraced--out there that are the exact opposite of what the article is describing and shake my head.  

"When life and death is on the line what methods do the pros consistently rely on?

It’s “arousal control.”

That’s a fancy word for keeping a cool head. Ever been so angry — or so happy — you can’t think straight? Exactly.

In their book, Decisive, Chip and Dan Heath identify short term emotion as one of the primary causes of bad decisions."

Good advice.  But in my world -- where hardly anything is urgent -- most bad decisions are due to cognitive delusions, not uncontrolled emotion.  Though I admit they are often correlated...

How are cognitive delusions similar to uncontrolled emotion?

Delusions are slow and thorough, whereas emotions are fast and in the moment.

I do like Greg's rule #3: Don't make a bad situation worse.

That alone could be the difference maker.

Both delusions and emotions can be outside our conscious perception, but radically shape what we are able to perceive, and thus how we act.   See also: http://apenwarr.ca/log/?m=201407#01 The Curse of Smart People

I see! Both delusions and emotions can influence our behavior by goading us into action.