The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the United States Fire Administration on Wednesday announced the release of the Firefighter Life Safety Summit Initial Report. The Report details initiatives and recommendations for dramatically reducing firefighter fatalities and injuries.

Organized by the NFFF, the Firefighter Life Safety Summit held March 10-11, 2004, in Tampa, Fla., was a first of its kind gathering of more than 200 fire and emergency service representatives from more than 100 organizations and departments nationwide. The Summit was convened to support the USFA’s stated goal of reducing firefighter fatalities by 25% within five years and by 50% within 10 years.

The Summit Initial Report identifies and provides additional background on the 16 initiatives that were formulated by the Summit participants. The initiatives are:

1. Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating to safety, incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and personal responsibility.

2. Enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health and safety throughout the fire service.

3. Focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities.

4. Empower all firefighters to stop unsafe practices.

5.  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.

6. 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.

7. Create a national research agenda and data collection system that relates to the initiatives.

8. Utilize available technology wherever it can produce higher levels of health and safety.

9. Thoroughly investigate all firefighter fatalities, injuries, and near misses.

10. Ensure grant programs support the implementation of safe practices and/or mandate safe practices as an eligibility requirement.

11. Develop and champion national standards for emergency response policies and procedures.

12. Develop and champion national protocols for response to violent incidents.

13. Provide firefighters and their families access to counseling and psychological support.

14. Provide public education more resources and champion it as a critical fire and life safety program.

15. Strengthen advocacy for the enforcement of codes and the installation of home fire sprinklers.

16. Make safety be a primary consideration in the design of apparatus and equipment.
    

“The Summit was the first step in our mission to significantly reduce firefighter fatalities,” declared Chief Ron Siarnicki, NFFF Executive Director. “The American Fire Service is now united under a common goal, and with that determination, energy, and focus we will make progress, one firefighter’s life at a time.”

“The Foundation and the USFA, working with the fire service leadership of this nation, are developing immediate, mid-range, and long-range priorities for a national campaign to stop these needless and preventable losses of firefighters,” said U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison. “In almost every case, we know what needs to be done. We now must take those steps needed to ensure every firefighter goes home, after every emergency they respond to.”