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The Second Firefighter Life Safety Summit: TAMPA2. Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki Metropolitan Fire Chiefs June 4, 2014. Everyone Goes Home ®.
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The Second Firefighter Life Safety Summit: TAMPA2 Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki Metropolitan Fire Chiefs June 4, 2014
Everyone Goes Home® In 2004, the NFFF expanded its mission to include the prevention of firefighter injuries and line-of-duty deaths through the Everyone Goes Home® program and the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives. 3
1st National Firefighter Life Safety Summit Tampa - March 2004 Objective: Produce a consensus agenda among the leadingfire service organizations to reduceLODDs 248 participants from the United States and Canada.
What are the 16 Initiatives? A set of building blocks designed to help individuals and organizations establish benchmarks regarding a culture of safety. 5
16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating to safety; incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and personal responsibility. Enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health and safety throughout the fire service. Focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities. All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices. Develop and implement national standards for training, qualifications, and certification (including regular recertification) that are equally applicable to all firefighters based on the duties they are expected to perform. 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. Create a national research agenda and data collection system that relates to the initiatives. Utilize available technology wherever it can produce higher levels of health and safety. Thoroughly investigate all firefighter fatalities, injuries, and near misses. Grant programs should support the implementation of safe practices and/or mandate safe practices as an eligibility requirement. National standards for emergency response policies and procedures should be developed and championed. National protocols for response to violent incidents should be developed and championed. Firefighters and their families must have access to counseling and psychological support. Public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire and life safety program. Advocacy must be strengthened for the enforcement of codes and the installation of home fire sprinklers. Safety must be a primary consideration in the design of apparatus and equipment.
Reduce Accidents, Injuries, Fatalities What the NFFF is doing to make this occur. Initiatives in action. 7
Firefighter Line of Duty Deaths in the US Source: National Fallen Firefighter Foundation Total 1981-2011: 3,612
2nd National Firefighter Life Safety Summit (aka TAMPA2) • To note a milestone in fire service history • To revisit what was produced in 2004 • To renew the mission • To inspire the next generation of leaders
More than 330 participants Attendees represented 43 states plus the District of Columbia and Canada 47 up and comers invited to participate via scholarships More than 2,500 combined years fire service experience
The Assessment Idea In 2010, the NFFF accepted a request from United States Fire Administrator Kelvin Cochran to oversee the development of a Risk Assessment Tool—the Vulnerability Assessment Program or VAP—that will reduce firefighter line-of-duty deaths and injuries. U.S. Fire Administration
The Vision • A fire chief or firefighter will answer questions online about his or her fire department. • The VAP tool will assess the vulnerability in that fire department to firefighter injury and death. • The VAP tool will prioritize and summarize the vulnerability and provide the user with actionable information and resources to address these vulnerabilities. • The results of this survey will give chiefs the actual data they need when they identify needs and seek resources. THE VAP IS FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL
VAP Support The VAP has been awarded support and citations from: • Center for Public Safety Excellence • The United States Conference of Mayors • CFSI National Advisory Committee
10 Breakout Groups 330 Delegates Composed of NFFF Survivor Representatives Rural, Suburban and Urban Fire Chiefs Academics Government Representatives Fire Service Associations Corporate Representatives Rural, Suburban and Urban Firefighters and Fire Officers Breakout Groups Managed by NFFF Facilitator CSU Facilitator Scribe NFFF Staff Support
Charge to the Breakout Groups • Review the 16 FLSI for relevancy • Identify new and changing issues • Focus on specific HOT TOPICS • Produce Recommendations
Headlines • Retain the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives • Still very relevant • Need to be more targeted in terms of messaging to the fire service and individual firefighters • Work on definitions and explanations • Closer connection to wildlandcommunity
Headlines Increase the emphasis on occupationalillnesses – particularly cancers Promote the rapidintegration of advances in firedynamicsintofire suppression operations Fire prevention and automatic sprinklers have to becomehigherpriorities Significant efforts have to bedeveloped and delivered to support the CompanyLevelOfficer and their leadership needs
Behavioral Health • Integrate behavioral health training into recruit training • Stigma attached to behavioral health issues • Emphasis on peer to peer interventions • Behavioral health data • Case studies • Personal testimonies
Company Officer • Develop a toolbox for company officers • Develop mentorship programs • All tools need to be scalable for department type and size • Emphasize importance and use of data
Training and Education • Certification & Recertification at all levels • Update Professional Qualifications Standards • All firefighters trained to national certification standards within 10 years
Mandatory training to qualify for Fire Act grants • ZERO tolerance for training-related injuries and fatalities
Leadership • High level commitment is essential in every fire department • Company officers must institutionalize a personal commitment to safety, survival, health & wellness • Challenge the image of the firefighter as a risk taker • Promote risk management
Open Space Fires • Work on the relationship of the 16 FLSI to wildland firefighting • Wildland and structural communities must have common core beliefs • Consistent firefighter medical standards must be followed by all agencies engaged in open space firefighting.
Physical Health • Develop and promote methods to reduce exposures to carcinogens • Identify measurable outcomes for firefighter health improvement • Mandatory medical and physical fitness standards for all firefighters
Community Risk Reduction • Integral role in the duties and responsibilities of all firefighters • All fire service members should be advocates for codes – especially sprinklers
Roadway Safety • Seatbelts • Promote and enforce move over laws • Risk-based emergency response policies - national best practice guidelines • Mandatory driver training and licensing • Vehicle safety standards for fire apparatus
October 11-12, 2014Visit weekend.firehero.org for more information
Questions????? • Thank You.