This Research Brief summarizes findings of a Joint Fire Science Program project focused on understanding radio communications as part of risk communication and sensemaking in wildland fire operations. Through observation of live and simulated radio conversations, analysis of training materials, and interviews with a variety of incident personnel, it became apparent that the current perception of radio communications – from training model to training curricula – vastly over-simplifies the complexity of communicating in actual work conditions. This brief first describes these simplifications, then presents a series of concrete, immediately useful ideas and practices drawn from the data that could be used to update current training and practice.