When was the last time you saw someone throw a candy wrapper or piece of paper on the ground, or followed a car and watched somebody throw paper out the window? It has probably been quite a while because people don't litter the way they used to.

How did the extermination of the litterbugs come about? The message was all over the media and directed at young and old alike. Garbage bins were everywhere, but more important, people were fined for littering. Signs warned of $50 to $100 fines for littering. Did it change the culture? You bet! It was all about personal responsibility.

Last week I received an interesting e-mail from Safety Officer Gary McGinnis of Sykesville-Freedom District Fire Department in Sykesville, Md. He was concerned about line-of-duty deaths, and particularly about the lack of use of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's 16 Life Safety Initiatives.

"I have been personally troubled that the Life Safety Initiatives do not get more notice," McGinnis wrote. "There is a PowerPoint CD available, but that is not enough. These initiatives need to be out and in the fire service's face. There are all kinds of ways to get a message out to people."

McGinnis was in a VIP safety class at the National Fire Academy last year and was surprised the Life Safety Initiatives didn't get more exposure. "Not one of the slides was ever shown at any time during my classes," he wrote. "How hard would it be for an instructor to use a slide during break or to develop a five-minute discussion? I found this very frustrating."

This year, McGinnis said he attended Maryland Fire Rescue Institute's Fire Officer I and II programs, and none of the Life Safety slides were mentioned there either. "The fire service needs to embrace these initiatives and make them part of every training program," he said.

While McGinnis plans to develop these slides into signs for his fire station, he questioned whether other departments were taking advantage of these free safety programs.

Are you? Check them out! A good way to begin a meeting, seminar or conference could be by going through the LSI slides. (Right after the Pledge of Allegiance, right?)

Every month, in FIRE CHIEF, a member of the IAFC's Safety, Health & Survival Section is contributing a column on one of the 16 Life Safety Initiatives and how to implement them into your department.

So as spring approaches, it's time for a reminder on where to find this information and to make it part of your upcoming training, safety programs or meetings. The best part is that you can download this info for FREE.

"The fire service needs to be blasted with these initiatives everywhere they go," said McGinnis. "Please put these messages in your magazine and urge the others to do the same thing. You can help the NFFF make a difference and help change the future of the fire service."

To the naysayers who doubt we can change a culture quickly, listen up: The more we demand the change, the sooner it will come. Change begins with every one of us. Remember the litterbugs.

Janet Wilmoth, Editor