They say that nobody minds change as long as they don't have to change themselves. But it's time for the fire service culture to change. According to one popular fire chief, it takes generations to change a culture. Well, we don't have the luxury of waiting any more.

Dell, Microsoft and Apple aren't sitting around waiting for the culture to change; neither should the fire service. Sept. 11, 2001, changed the culture of FDNY. If losing a firefighter because of an unbuckled seatbelt doesn't change a fire department, what will?

In the 10 months since the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's Line-of-Duty Death Symposium, there have been meetings, news releases, articles and Internet blogs, and the momentum is growing. The bottom line: The culture must change from tolerating irresponsibility in training and on the fireground.

When Chief Larry D. Trujillo of the Denver Fire Department attended this year's Fire-Rescue International, he couldn't help but notice one recurring phrase during discussions: “Everyone Goes Home.”

Returning to his department, Trujillo asked for the support of his division chiefs and 900 firefighters to adopt the Everyone Goes Home slogan. When one of his chiefs asked about the image to their customers, he replied, “If we're healthy and physically and mentally fit to do our job, the customer will reap the rewards.”

Trujillo asked each of his division heads to apply the slogan to safety and training, fire prevention, administration and operations. The program will go into effect Jan. 1, 2005.

We say the fire service lacks a unified voice, but, there is unification in Everyone Goes Home. The IAFC's new Safety, Health and Survival Section recently adopted the LODD symposium's 16 initiatives, available at www.firehero.org, instead of creating its own list. You'll read more about suggested action plans in the January issue and throughout 2005.

As the fire chief, you are accountable for your department. You have a responsibility to train your firefighters and enforce safety rules and regulations. If the fire service is a brotherhood, then stop the preventable deaths and injuries of your brothers.

A disregard for rules and regulations in the name of duty is insubordination. Stop it. No firefighter should die in a training accident. No firefighter should be driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Heart-attack survivors should not be on the front lines. No corporation would tolerate such risks, and most would terminate those who took them.

According to the NFPA's firefighter fatality report, of the 47 heart-attack victims in 2003, 11 were known to have had previous heart problems, usually heart attacks or bypass surgery, and medical documentation showed that another nine had severe arteriosclerosis, two were hypertensive and one was diabetic.

One of the toughest jobs my brothers had — with the chief's support — was to convince my father he should stop responding to fire calls. It wasn't easy, and there were hurt feelings, but eventually Dad realized he couldn't keep up with the younger guys. He didn't want to jeopardize their lives by getting in their way or because they were looking after him. If they had to worry about him, the firefighters could not do their jobs effectively.

A firefighter or officer with diminished response capability endangers other people on the road. It's time to have a discussion in every department on when to stop responding to fire calls. Find other ways for them to offer support or experience, but don't let a passion for firefighting kill one more firefighter.

Don't start citing laws, regulations or hardships; I'm suggesting some common sense. If you are diagnosed with a potential or serious health condition, don't get upset when someone tells you it's time to contribute in another way. My brother says, “It's more fun to go to a retirement party than a funeral.”

Take advantage of the New Year and change the culture of your department by adopting “Everyone Goes Home.” Commit to safe, healthy behavior, ask every person in your department to do the same, and hold each one accountable for that commitment.