On Tuesday, June 21, fire departments across the United States will suspend all non-emergency activity and instead focus entirely on firefighter safety.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs and 17 partnering fire service organizations are calling for this “stand down” for firefighter safety beginning Tuesday, June 21. As of May 1, there have been 50 line-of-duty firefighter deaths – that is 10 more than at that time last year.

“Firefighters are being killed at an alarming rate. The fire service simply cannot continue to do business as usual when so many of its own are dying,” said IAFC President Chief Bob DiPoli. “We are conducting the stand down to raise awareness of the need for increased vigilance toward firefighter safety.”

A stand down is a method used by the military to correct an issue that has been identified as a problem throughout its ranks. Career and combination department should stand down beginning Tuesday, June 21, until all personnel and duty nights have been covered.  Volunteer department should conduct a special safety meeting the evening of June 21 or as near to that date as possible.

The IAFC has developed a recommended daily activity schedule (below). Fire departments should take the 21st to talk about the causes of line-of-duty deaths; check all apparatus and equipment; discuss health and safety regulations; review fire ground safety issues; and take stock of training exercises and fitness goals.  An entire Web page at the IAFC Web site has been devoted to this important issue and to help departments plan their activities for the stand down.

“We must call attention to the unacceptable number of line-of-duty deaths and injuries plaguing our fire departments,” said DiPoli continued. “During the Safety Stand Down, fire departments all around the nation will have thorough, honest conversations about firefighter health and safety and maybe we can do something to stop these deaths.”

Partnering Organizations

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
United States Fire Administration
International Association of Fire Fighters
National Volunteer Fire Council
National Fire Protection Association
International City/County Management Association
National Association of State Fire Marshals
North American Fire Training Directors
Canadian Fire Chiefs Association
Congressional Fire Service Institute
International Association of Arson Investigators
Fire & Emergency Manufacturers Services Association
International Fire Service Training Association
Fire Department Safety Officers’ Association
International Code Council
International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters
Canadian Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation

• For career fire departments, this should be a joint labor/management initiative, so the announcement should be jointly from chief and union president.  For combination departments, the fire chief, volunteer leadership, and union president should make a joint announcement.
• Send out a reminder to the department a few days before the event.
• June 21 (and continue until all subsequent duty days/shifts have been covered).
• Department wide radio announcement (see attached sample).
  

• Observe moment of silence for LODDs.
• Review of shift activities and explanation of purpose.
• Review LODD causes.
• Utilize NIOSH reports and recommendations.
• Entire shift focus on safety and what can be done to improve fire department safety and individual safety.
• All other activities (public ed, inspections, etc.) postponed.
  

• Address federal (as well as state/provincial) health and safety regulations and NFPA standards (1500, 1710, 1581, etc.), especially in areas where fire department is in violation or perceived violation.

• Review current fire department staffing.
• Compare fire department staffing to national standards (including NFPA 1710, 1720).
•  Review fire department accountability SOPS, RITs and equipment (locators, PASS, etc.).
• Incident management SOPs and risk management issues.
• Review fire department Standard Operating Procedures.
• Review individual knowledge of SOPs.
• Review adherence to SOPs.
• Suggest needed revisions to current SOPs.
• Review communication issues.
• Review individual knowledge of communication equipment and procedures.
• Review adequacy of current communication system as well as individual units.
  

• Review fire department personal protective equipment
• Check all PPE, including bunker gear and SCBA, for obvious defects, cleaning and maintenance needs. PPE review should be in accordance with NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Structural Fire Fighting Protective Ensembles.
• Tag all equipment with defects and remove from service.
• Discuss fire department specification for current gear and suggest revisions.
• Address respirator standards, including training, selection, use, fit testing, etc. (as required by OSHA 1910.134).
• Emphasize use of safety glasses and hearing protection.
  

• Check all fire apparatus and equipment stowed on fire apparatus.  Tag all equipment with defects and remove from service.
• Address MANDATORY seatbelt use (no exceptions).
• Allow extra time for mechanical checks.
• Review defect reports.
  

• Review department SOPs and protocols.
• Address proper PPE.
• Address proper hand washing and other universal protocols.
• Address vaccine programs.
  

• Review the IAFF/IAFC Wellness Fitness Initiative.  Has the fire department adopted it fully, at all, or in part?  This is the No. 1recommendation of NIOSH after any firefighter LODD from heart event.
• Review fire department hiring procedures. Does the fire department use CPAT for candidate physical ability requirements and does fire department use NFPA 1582 for candidate medical requirements?
• Ensure all personnel engage in some form of approved exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes. May be as simple as basic stretching and a one mile walk around a nearby fitness track or marked path.
• Address Peer Fitness Trainers and generate interest in getting fire department to certify members as IAFF/IAFC PFTs.
  

• Review minimum training requirements (fireground, driving, etc.).
• Address recruit training, both a training center and in company during probation.
• Address company training needs.
• Address company critiques after emergency events (all regardless of emergency).
• Address company officer, especially front line officer, training.
• Address specialized training. Does fire department have minimum Hazmat, WMD training?
• Address wellness-fitness training (recruit and company level)
  

• Review and address fire department EAPs, CISM, and other related programs
• Address attitudes relating to safety -- positive and negative.Includes aggression, judgment, ability to execute assigned tasks safely, age/experience/physical conditioning.
• Drill periods -- if time permits -- then actual safety drills would be an excellent way to review emergency operations.
• Conduct drills that review safety practices and principles for targeted areas. 
• Safe driving – include a practical component (e.g., road trip) 
• Fire ground operations.
• Training.
• Non-fire emergencies.
• In-station activities.
• Practical skills drills should include an enhanced safety component.
• Go to any of the Safety Stand Down Web site at www.iafc.org/standdown to select a drill topic.
  

• Prepare healthy meal selected from recipes and share as a team.  Visit the IAFF’s Food Fit Web sitefor sample recipes.

• Recap day’s emphasis.
• Second moment of silence for LODDs.
• Relax.