Courage to Be Safe ® So Everyone Goes Home ®

1. Courage to Be Safe®So Everyone Goes Home®

3. Coping Tradition Culture Crew Integrity

4. Perception • Saving lives generally involves a burning building, a mass casualty event and / or significant heroic actions.

5. National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Created 1992 Funded through private donations and grants. Partners with USFA, FEMA, DHS and others.

6. Why here, why today? • Why are you here today? • What did you give up to be here today? • What are your primary safety concerns? • What are the most important things in your life?

7. Who’s is In Your Wallet

8. Heart Attack Vehicle Fatalities Photographs: NFFF Situational Awareness

9. Summits 2004 Tampa, Florida 2007 Novato, California

10. Reduce Accidents, Injuries, Fatalities

11. Summit Established Domains • Prevention • Structural Firefighting • Wildland Operation • Health, Wellness & Fitness • Vehicles • Training Photographs: NFFF Education & Awareness … Standards & Regulations Research & Technology Issues … Psychological Barriers Leadership & Personal Development … Professional Responsibilities

12. Our Mission Ensure that every fire department in the United States is aware of the 16 firefighter life safety initiatives and to work in conjunction with fire department organizations to ensure fire departments have the resources to implement the initiatives.

13. Presentation Objectives • Understand and describe the primary causes of firefighter fatalities – nationally and locally. • Recognize the impact of firefighter fatalities on survivors and associated groups. • Understand and describe the 16 Life Safety Initiatives. • Develop strategies for turning the 16 Initiatives into action steps. • Provide critical follow up in support of the goal that Everyone Goes Home.

14. Turnout For Life Series Meet Harry Mulcahy

15. Mr. Charles DickinsonDeputy Assistant Administrator, USFA (retired)

16. Belief + Misconception = Consequence Photographs: NFFF

17. Discussion Theory Conception Misconception Consequence BELIEF Adequate Resources Support Variables Incident Command Accountability Knowledge Visualize Empower Determine Flexibility Adjust What made it right Decision Modification Do You Share Experiences Accidently Successful

18. Discussion Theory Conception Misconception Consequence BELIEF Adequate Resources Support Variables Incident Command Accountability Knowledge Visualize Empower Determine Flexibility Adjust What made it wrong Decision Modification Do You Share Experiences

19. Belief & Misconception Belief – Pulling a dry line into a burning structure is efficient. Belief – When the low air alert sounds I have plenty of air to exit safely. Belief – My health is my business. Belief – Slowing down at intersections is good enough.

20. Outcomes Over time minor safety issues escalate to moderately significant safety violations. Moderately significant safety violations escalate into near-misses, serious injures and or firefighter fatality.

21. INSANITY • We do not invent new ways to kill firefighters • We keep on doing the same things over and over “ The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

22. USFA Firefighter Fatality Report 2008 • Median Age for heart attack death: 53 years • Median age for traumatic death: 37 years

23. LODD – Impacts Everyone • Family • Friends • Your Department • Your Community Photographs: NFFF • The Public you served

24. Survivor Untold Stories Photographs: NFFF

25. Mrs. Margaret Brick

26. Reverend Bevon Smith

27. Causes What are "Root Causes” of line-of-duty injuries & deaths?

28. Ineffective Policies & Procedures. • Ineffective Decision Making. • Lack of Preparedness – Training. • Ineffective Leadership. • Lack of Personal Responsibility – Accountability. • Extraordinary Unpredictable Circumstances. LODD Root Causes Firefighterclosecalls.com

29. LODD 2010 One firefighter dies every three to four days in the United States.

30. Select Initiatives 16. Safe Apparatus & Equipment 14. Champion Education Efforts 15. Advocate Code Enforcement 13. Access Mental Health Services 3. Risk Management 2. Personal Accountability 4. Stop Unsafe Practices 1. Culture Change 7. National Research Agenda 6. Medical & Fitness Standards 8. Utilize Technology 5. Encourage Certification 12. SOP Response to Violent Incidents 11. Align Response Policies 10. Seek Grants Supporting Safe Practices 9. Investigate Fatalities & Near-Misses

31. Initiative #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.

32. Culture – What it means • Cultural change has to begin with informal leaders, managers, supervisors. From top to bottom: the culture of the fire service must change. Is firefighter safety and health a primary value of the organization? Does every member understand the organizational emphasis on health and safety?

33. Did Oscar Have To Die?

34. Leadership We Make A Difference – Lead The Way! You don’t have to be an officer to be a leader.

35. Be a Leader • Examine your own attitudes and behaviors. • Start with a personal commitment to firefighter safety and health. • Leadership requires introspection. • What do you need to change about yourself to effect change in others? • Make the commitment to be a leader.

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

37. What Initiative #2 Means Each fire service organization must promote safe practices; each individual must have the tools to be safe and adhere to safe practices at ALL TIMES.

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

39. What Initiative #3 Means Learn the concept of “Risk Management”; Ensure everyone understands the difference between an acceptable risk and an unacceptable risk

40. Risk Management Model We should begin our response with the assumption that we can save lives and/or property. We MAY risk our lives a lot in a calculated manner within a structured plan - to protect savable lives. We MAY risk our lives a little in a calculated manner within a structured plan- to protect savable property. We WILL NOT risk our lives at all to save what is already lost. We MUST remain focused on Risk Vs. Benefit.

41. Initiative #4 All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.

42. What Initiative # 4 Means • Firefighters must be allowed to identify and report unsafe practices and / or stop activities that present imminent harm to themselves or others, without fear of penalty or reprisal.

43. Real Empowerment • Be aware of safe practices and look for unsafe ones. • Take the initiative to develop and implement procedures to enable and empower firefighters to stop unsafe conditions in training, on the fire ground and during routine operations. • Never question integrity of those who speak out for safe fire ground operations. • Fire Service leaders must encourage the concept of crew resource management.

44. Initiative # 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.

45. What Initiative #5 Means Fire service departments are recognizing national certification standards as a way to measure the competency of their members. National standards encourage departments to operate at higher levels of effectiveness. Fundamentals of Firefighting Professional Skills Development and Certification

46. Initiative # 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.

47. Indiana University Study Exertion – Blood Pressure – Firefighting

48. Exertion & Blood Pressure are critical to your bodies reaction to firefighting activities. • Hydration is critical to your bodies reaction to firefighting activities. • Toned and strong muscle allow the heart to pump less - Lower Blood Pressure • Weight reduction and cardio exercise allows the heart to strengthen and pump less. • Respiratory conditioning and healthy lungs provide the appropriate mixture of air and blood to keep the body functioning properly.

49. Firefighter Cancer Support Network www.firefightercancersupport.org Firefighter Cancer Foundation Cleaning the Air – August 2009 Author Sara Pyle - www.ffcancer.org • Firefighters are 53% more likely to develop multiple myeloma and twice as likely to develop testicular cancer. • Strength training cuts risk of cancer death by 40% Cooper Institute Aerobic Center Longitudinal Study

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