Firefighter Life Safety
Initiatives
How Can We Make it
Better?
Make Everyday a Training Day…So 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 Duty—many
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
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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 difference—be
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”

Don’t 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.
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Risk a lot to save a lot; risk a little to save a little
Review every call
Develop Command Teams
Follow SOPs…Follow SOPs
Know the function and status of every firefighter on
the incident scene…Everyone 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

Don’t smoke / Don’t 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 won’t 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 spent—urge 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 delay—learning
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
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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Help to adopt safe driving rules and enforce them.
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Secure loose objects in cabs and on vehicles.
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Respond to emergencies using emergency response
SOPs; no red lights and sirens to routine calls.
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Make sure all vehicles meet current safety standards.
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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 department’s 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.
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Don’t “tough it out”; this could lead to bad results for
you and your family.
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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.
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Make communicating the fire prevention message to
the community a priority.
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Utilize USFA resources and materials—they are free
and excellent.
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Become an ambassador for community safety in your
church, children's’ schools, volunteer groups, etc.
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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.
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If you build a home, consider the installation of a
sprinkler system—lead 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
department’s policies on equipment and
apparatus purchases.
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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?
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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 YOU’RE 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 Safe…So Everyone Goes Home
program
www.everyonegoeshome.com