Focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical and planning responsibilities.
This initiative incorporates a range of components that relate to our ability to safely conduct emergency operations in a high-risk environment. There is no question that firefighters are expected to work in environments that are inherently dangerous, however most risks and most of the specific dangers are well known.” The 3rd Initiative asks us to function safely in high-risk environments by implementing risk management controls wherever they can help reduce injuries and line-of-duty deaths.
Too many lives are lost in situations where the risks were not justified. The fire service understands risks, yet the same accidents, injuries and fatalities keep happening. Incidents must be managed with a constant awareness and balance between risks and desired outcomes. High risk is only acceptable when there is a real possibility of saving a life. Fire command must carefully measure and control risks to save valuable property that can be saved. It is not an acceptable risk to attempt to save lives or properties that are already lost. The fire service should remember that if something bad happens it miscalculated, and that we should never use “that’s the way it’s always been done” to ever except a line-of-duty injury or death.
Initiative 3 Resources
Initiative 3 Research
Latest Initiative 3 News
- FireRescue1 launches What Firefighters Want 2024 survey – FireRescue1 launched its annual What Firefighters Want survey, with this year’s theme focused on strengthening fire department leadership at all levels, plus how firefighters are taking ownership of their career development even amid a perceived lack of leadership at their agency.
- Lt. Nathan Flynn & BC Josh Laird Combined Training Program – On Thursday, August 3, 2023, the Frederick County and Howard County Departments of Fire and Rescue hosted the first combined training program to bring the findings from the fire to the fire service’s attention.
- Fire Stop Tour, January 10-12, 2023 – The U.S Fire Administrator and principal leaders from the American fire service, in partnership with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the Philadelphia Fire Department, and the Washington, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, will stand together on Jan. 10‑12 to speak with one voice to address the fire problem facing our nation.
» Watch the Summit Replay - The Life and Death of FDNY Firefighter Carmelo Puccia: A New Podcast from NFFF – FDNY Firefighter Carmelo “Carmine” Puccia was killed tragically on January 6, 1970, when he was struck by a subway train while investigating a trash fire on the tracks. The podcast is a two-part installment and tells Firefighter Puccia’s story through the recollections of the two groups most affected by his loss: his family and his department. Viewers and listeners will gain insight into Firefighter Puccia as a husband, father, and firefighter—and witness FDNY’s solid determination that we will never forget.
- Boyd Street: NFFF’s Compelling New Documentary – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation announces the release of Boyd Street, created in partnership with the Los Angeles City Fire Department and Full Vision Productions.
- New Health & Safety at Wildland Fires Course Now Available on Fire Hero Learning Network – This timely new training discusses the unique characteristics of wildland fire responses, the known hazard categories and safety practices that mitigate these hazards, and how to practice effective risk management. As the demand for service and exposures increase, so do the health and safety hazards to all firefighters who operate in the wildland urban interface.
- NFFF Announces 4th Firefighter Life Safety Summit – This important gathering builds on the advances from previous Life Safety Summits in Tampa (FL) and Truman Fire Forums (2019 and 2022) to move firefighter health and safety strategies forward. A keynote speaker for the event is Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, whose in-depth work on command decision-making revolutionized the British Fire Service’s approach to incident command.
- National Fire Service Research Agenda Report Released – Researchers and fire service practitioners met virtually last year for the 4th National Fire Service Research Agenda Symposium resulting in the National Fire Service Research Agenda Report with nearly 300 recommendations.
- National Firefighter Life Safety Summit 2022 Postponed – The National Firefighter Life Safety Summit 2022 Planning Committee has postponed the Summit due to the current impact of the coronavirus pandemic on fire departments across the country. A new date for the Summit will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
- FSRI Releases New Online Training – Fire Service Considerations with Lithium-Ion Battery ESS – This online course focuses on a deflagration incident at a lithium-ion battery energy storage system facility in Surprise, Arizona. We will share our analysis and recommendations to improve codes, standards, and emergency response training to protect first responders, maintenance personnel, and nearby communities.
