Firefighter Life Safety

Initiatives
How Can We Make it
Better?
Make Everyday a Training DaySo that Everyone Goes Home
Additions Made By: Matthew Thorpe
c. 2006 NFFF

In April of 2004, fire service leaders from

across the United States gathered in
Tampa, Florida.
At this summit meeting these leaders began to
design a new fire service culture.
This new culture is built on the
16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
so that
Everyone Goes Home.

Life Safety Initiatives Program Goal

Since 1984, 3175 firefighters have
died in the Line of Dutymany
thousands more have been injured.
We accept 100 deaths every year as normal

Ten Years
50% Reduction

2004
Five Years
25% Reduction

2009
2014

The Initiatives Address Six Focus Areas

Prevention
Structural Firefighting

Wildland Operation
Health, Wellness & Fitness

Vehicles

Training

The initiatives Address Six Root Causes of LODDs

Ineffective Policies & Procedures

Ineffective Decision Making
Lack of Preparedness
Ineffective Leadership
Lack of Personal Responsibility
(inappropriate behavior)
Extraordinary & unpredictable circumstances

Initiative # 1

Define and advocate the need for a cultural

change within the fire service relating to safety;
incorporating
leadership, management, supervision,
accountability
and personal responsibility.

What Initiative #1 Means

Cultural change has to begin with informal leaders,
managers, supervisors. From top to bottom: the
culture of the fire service must change. You can
change your behavior TODAY.

Be part of the NEW Fire Service Safety Culture

Examine your attitudes & behaviors regarding safety

Realize that change is not a threat to the organization

Embrace Health & Wellness programs & practice them

Lead by your own example & make the differencebe

an agent of change

Initiative # 2

Enhance the personal and

organizational
accountability for health
and safety throughout
the fire service.

What Initiative #2 Means

Each fire service organization must promote safe practices;
each individual must have the tools to be safe and adhere
to safe practices at ALL TIMES.

Follow SOPs at all times

Train / Learn / Teach everyday

Utilize the Incident Command System

Adhere to Vehicle Inspection Schedules

Schedule and stick to equipment checks

Strap in and Stay In

Dont take the environment for granted

Initiative # 3

Focus greater attention on the

integration of risk management
with incident management at all
levels, including strategic,
tactical,
and planning responsibilities.

What Initiative #3 Means

Learn the concept of Risk Management; Ensure everyone
understands the difference between an acceptable risk and
an unacceptable risk.
Develop and implement a system to pre-identify
unacceptable risks.

Risk a lot to save a lot; risk a little to save a little

Review every call
Develop Command Teams
Follow SOPsFollow SOPs
Know the function and status of every firefighter on
the incident sceneEveryone must be accounted for
at all times

Initiative # 4

All firefighters must

be empowered to
stop unsafe
practices.

What Initiative #4 Means

Firefighters must be allowed to identify and report unsafe
practices. They must be able to stop activities that present
imminent harm to themselves or others, without fear of
penalty or reprisal.

Be aware of safe practices and look for unsafe ones

Take the initiative to develop and implement

procedures to enable and empower firefighters to
stop unsafe conditions in training, on the fire ground
and during routine operations

Never question the integrity of those who speak out

for safe fire ground operations

Initiative # 5
Develop and implement national
standards for training, qualifications,

and certification (including regular

re-certification) that are equally
applicable to all firefighters based on the
duties they are expected to perform.

What Initiative #5 Means

Fire service departments are recognizing national certification
standards as a way to measure the competency of their
members. National standards encourage departments to
operate at higher levels of effectiveness.

Seek state and national certifications at all levels of

your fire department employment

Support efforts toward mandatory re-certification or

refresher training; refreshing teaches new methods
and improves skills which are used infrequently

Initiative # 6
Develop and implement
national medical and
physical fitness standards
that are equally applicable
to all firefighters, based on
the duties they are
expected to perform.

What Initiative #6 Means

In this profession, health and wellness are non-negotiable.
Departments should establish and enforce SOPs which support
wellness. Individuals must embrace wellness as a strategy for
successful fire service careers or seek employment elsewhere.

Adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle, including making

healthful food choices and regular exercise

Dont smoke / Dont do drugs

Follow all health and wellness SOPs

Be a Good Example

Understand the impact your death would have on

your family, co-workers and community

Initiative # 7

Create a national research agenda

and data collection system that
relates to the initiatives.

What Initiative #7 Means

We wont know if we are living the initiatives if we do not
collect data. Data analysis is the key to making any course
corrections regarding the Life Safety Initiatives. It will also
provide important corollary data.

Encourage your department to participate in national

data recovery systems such as NFIRS

Support data gathering at the local level

Be vocal with local politicians about where your tax

money is spenturge them to support our national
agenda for firefighter safety

Initiative # 8

Utilize available
technology
wherever it can
help produce
higher levels of
health and safety

What Initiative #8 Means

It is irresponsible not to use technology when it can
improve safety outcomes. Technological solutions should
be a leverage and a tool for improving fire ground safety.

Attend conferences to keep abreast of new

technologies and take this knowledge back to your
department

Encourage your department to employ Command

and Rescue vehicles on scene which are equipped
with technological advance systems that can be
integrated into the command system

Become the technology geek of your department

Initiative # 9
Thoroughly investigate
all firefighter fatalities,
injuries, and near
misses.

What Initiative #9 Means

Even if your organization is uncomfortable with sharing
information about a fatality, injury, or near-miss incident, it
is a moral obligation to do so. Knowing what happened can
prevent it from happening again.

Implement investigations without delaylearning

can begin immediately

Be familiar with NIOSH, FEMA, USFA, CDC, NFPA

reports. They can be studied to increase safety

Encourage the collection of near-miss data. Nearmiss incidents provide excellent learning / training
tools

Look for the Fatal Chain of Errors

Initiative # 10

Grant programs should support the

implementation of safe practices and / or
mandate safe practices as an eligibility
requirement.

What Initiative #10 Means

There is grant money available for you to begin
implementing the initiatives. Grants should
however, be tied to increasing safety measures.
No safe practices / no grant.

If you ask for a grant to improve health and wellness

for example, recommendations should be made and
implemented as a condition of future grants.

Take time to learn how to write grants

professionally beginning with the identification of
granting sources.

Initiative # 11

National standards for emergency response

policies and procedures should be developed
and championed.

What Initiative #11 Means

National Standards for emergency response policies and
procedures should be developed. At the local level,
departments may have to increase response times to arrive
alive.

Help to adopt safe driving rules and enforce them.

Secure loose objects in cabs and on vehicles.

Respond to emergencies using emergency response

SOPs; no red lights and sirens to routine calls.

Make sure all vehicles meet current safety standards.

MOST IMPORTANT: MANDATE SEAT BELT USE!

Initiative # 12
National protocols for response to violent
incidents (including terrorism) should
be developed and championed.
Ky. Firefighter Killed, Second
Wounded in Shooting at Scene
of Domestic 'Worst Nightmare':
Domestic Dispute Call Turns to Tragedy
Memphis: Firefighting Presents More Dangers
Than Just Fire
Six Firefighters Shot, Injured in Indiana Violence
All Remain Hospitalized, One Seriously

What Initiative #12 Means

Fire and EMS workers deserve to have policies
which will reduce their exposure to all threats of
violence.

Promote policies to stage violent incident

responses, removing the pressure to react
immediately. SOPs should include GO and NoGO criteria.

Learn all you can about responding to terrorist

incidents, regardless of your departments size or
proximity to predicted targets.

Initiative # 13

Firefighters and their

families must have access
to counseling and
psychological support

What Initiative #13 Means

Firefighting is a high-risk occupation which, from time
to time, can put the employee and his or her family
under extreme stress. They deserve access to mental
health care.

If you are feeling stress (depression / anxiety or

physical symptoms) seek help from physicians, EAP
counselors, and religious or other sources.

Dont tough it out; this could lead to bad results for

you and your family.

Stress-awareness should be part of firefighter

training at all levels.

Help a buddy you see struggling with stress-related

problems.

Initiative # 14

Public education must

receive more resources
and be championed as a
critical fire and life safety
program

What Initiative #14 Means

Public Education is a responsibility of all fire service
personnel. It should not be reserved for one week in
October. Increased civilian awareness will decrease
firefighter risks.

Make communicating the fire prevention message to

the community a priority.

Utilize USFA resources and materialsthey are free

and excellent.

Become an ambassador for community safety in your

church, children's schools, volunteer groups, etc.

Become an advocate for code adoption &

enforcement .

Initiative # 15

Advocacy must be
strengthened for the
enforcement of codes and
the installation of home
fire sprinklers

What Initiative #15 Means

The widespread use of residential sprinklers will
improve outcomes for civilians and decrease
firefighter injuries and LODDs.

Ensure all firefighters understand how sprinkler

systems operate and the value they bring to reducing
Line of Duty Deaths.

Actively advocate for residential sprinkler laws and

widespread adoption.

If you build a home, consider the installation of a

sprinkler systemlead by example.

Initiative # 16
Safety must be a primary
consideration in the

design of apparatus and

equipment.

What Initiative #16 Means

Encourage your department to make safety the highest
priority in equipment and apparatus purchases as high
as design and price.

Form an apparatus committee and help set your

departments policies on equipment and
apparatus purchases.

Read professional journals and attend

conferences where new innovations in apparatus
and equipment are demonstrated.

Learn NFPA standard 1901 regarding apparatus

safety standards.

Self-Evaluation Summary

Is Your Department on the

path to a Line of Duty
Death ?

Do you know what the path

looks like ?

Does it Look Like this?

More Accidents
Criminal Charges
Incarceration
Civilian casualty
Firefighter casualties

Older & Heavier

Stiff versus Flexible
High Cholesterol versus Low
Insulin versus Non Insulin
Experience Exchange versus Early Death

IF YOUR DEPARTMENT IS ON THE ROAD TO A

LINE OF DUTY DEATH YOU CAN BEGIN TODAY TO
CHANGE THE ROAD YOURE ON:

Watch the videos in the Firefighter Life Safety

Resource Kit

Conduct an organizational assessment and

implement changes

Encourage and reward positive changes

toward safety

Make a Commitment TODAY

Become an ADVOCATE for the
16 FIREFIGHTER LIFE SAFETY INITIATIVES
For more information on the
Courage To Be SafeSo Everyone Goes Home
program
www.everyonegoeshome.com