The announcement this week from the U.S. Fire Administration and the International Association of Fire Fighters about their new online Emergency Vehicle Safety Program is welcome, isn't it?

The press release states that the program is designed to "instill firefighters with a greater awareness of safety issues when riding on fire apparatus and operating at emergency roadway scenes." You can check out the PowerPoint presentation at the IAFF Web site.

Of the 106 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2005, 26 died as the result of emergency vehicle accidents. The majority of those deaths were volunteer firefighters responding in their own vehicles.

Here's a tip for those of you planning to go to Indianapolis next week for the conference and exhibition: The buzzword is safety! Conference programs and exhibitors alike have the same message for attendees.

Safety officers are either sighing with relief that safety has now become Madison Avenue sexy or shaking their heads in exasperation that it took hundreds of firefighter deaths over the years to finally earn recognition that safety works! Safe procedures make a difference in training procedures, driving practices and incident response tactics. Is it time for a little more respect for safety officers?

Yep, safety will be everywhere in Indianapolis, but I suspect it won't just be the safety officers who are exasperated. A number of manufacturers have tried to build firefighter-proof apparatus years before NFPA 1901 or Annex D.

Several years ago, when American LaFrance was the first manufacturer to announce that its cabs passed the rigorous European crash test, it was met with mediocre response — did the word "European" make it seem distant? — but other manufacturers soon followed.

When Pierce Manufacturing introduced its rollover protection system in a dramatic display of how it works to save lives, it got attention. Several competitors were naysayers, until one by one they introduced their own version of this incredible safety advantage.

In 2002, FIRE CHIEF introduced the first seatbelt safety poster after a Chicago Fire Department lieutenant was thrown from his vehicle. We distributed 68,000 posters and were still receiving requests for it four years later, so we printed a new version this year. Last year we partnered with Rosenbauer America on the incredibly successful "Everyone Goes Home" seatbelt wraps; almost 40,000 were distributed.

This year at FDIC, Rosenbauer will kick off its Tech Drive '06, again driving across America to show off the latest safety innovations built into the company's new trucks, such as yellow-grip handrails. Rosenbauer also will be promoting seatbelt safety by distributing our new seatbelt poster, which is based on the story of a Colorado Springs Fire Department crew that's alive today because of seatbelts.

Rosenbauer America has embraced the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation's "Everyone Goes Home" campaign and is committed to safety, as are Pierce, American LaFrance, E-ONE, SVI and every other apparatus and vehicle manufacturer. Protective gear and equipment manufacturers also have stepped up to safer products.

As you walk around the exhibits, try to find the safety message in each booth. Why? Because safety works; it pays off by preventing injuries and saving lives.

Give your safety officer a pat on the back for looking out for your safety. It's long overdue.