The National Fallen Firefighter Foundation has been awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Program grant of $750,000 to conduct its national Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives projects in 2005. Fireman's Fund Insurance has pledged to add $329,000, bringing total funding for the project to more than $1 million.

According to NFFF, the funds will support the following projects:

• Developing "ready to use" training packages for distribution to about 30,000 fire stations across the United States. Each package will contain audiovisual materials, lesson plans and additional materials to carry the message directly to the greatest possible number of firefighters.
• Developing the "Everyone Goes Home" Web site, which will provide timely information and downloadable materials for training and education.
• Four mini-summit meetings, each focused on a particular aspect of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Project.
• Establishing two university-based research centers to develop projects relating to the 16 initiatives.
• Establishing a technology transfer effort to identify existing technology from the federal laboratory network that can be adapted to address firefighter safety priorities.
• Establishing a speakers bureau to provide presentations to as many fire service audiences as possible.
• Establishing the Firefighter Life Safety Seal of Excellence Award to recognize outstanding contributions to our efforts.
• Funding to participate in fire service trade shows and meetings to promote the initiatives and to work with fire departments conducting demonstration projects relating to the initiatives.
  

The NFFF has held the first two of the planned mini-summit meetings in San Diego on Feb. 1 and in Indianapolis on April 13. It plans to conduct the third minisummit on July 29 in conjunction with Firehouse Expo in Baltimore.

On June 2-3 the National Fire Service Research Agenda Symposium will be conducted at the National Emergency Training Center with funding from a grant from the National Institute for Science and Technology.

For updates on the NFFF Life Safety Initiatives, see the NFFF Web site.