Everyone Goes Home - Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Program

July 2006 EveryoneGoesHome.com Newsletter

Reducing Firefighter Injuries and Deaths: It's About Attitude

This past October I was invited to participate in a session on improving firefighter safety in structure fires. This session was conducted at the NOIRS (National Occupational Injury Research Symposium) conference in Pittsburgh. NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) was the other sponsor for this event.

Creating the "New" Fire Service Safety Culture: Root Causes of Fireground Deaths at Structure Fires

The process of reducing non-cardiac-related fireground line-of-duty deaths should begin with the acceptance of certain truths, including: Most fireground line-of-duty deaths are preventable. It's understood that that firefighting is an inherently dangerous occupation, and there are, in fact, times when you can do everything right and still meet tragedy.

USFA Releases Report on Firefighter Fatalities in the U.S. in 2005

With deep regret, the United States Fire Administration announced today that 115 on-duty firefighter fatalities occurred in the United States in 2005, plus four additional fatalities resulting from injuries sustained while on duty from previous years. "One of the most difficult elements in this job is to hear that annual number of on-duty firefighter deaths," Acting United States Fire Administrator Charlie Dickinson said. "Across the country, over one hundred more families are struggling with the terrible losses of loved ones, from an 18-year old firefighter in training to the 55 firefighters who suffered fatal heart attacks."

News

Renton Firefighters Local 864 were able to welcome our new fire chief, I. David Daniels, during 2nd annual Safety Stand Down Day

Chief I. David Daniels, former chief of the Fulton County (GA) Fire Department, is now the Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director for the City of Renton, Washington. Chief Daniels is a strong promoter of firefighter safety. He serves as a member of the IAFC Safety Section and represented the state of Georgia as Advocate for the Everyone Goes Home Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Program. His leadership and guidance were clearly evident in his motivational interview captured for the Firefighter Life Safety Resource Kit.

We wish Chief Daniels the best in his new position and look forward to his continued dedication to promoting the 16 initiatives so Everyone Goes Home!

NFPA Study Finds Increased Proportion Of Firefighter Training Deaths - 100 Firefighters Died In Training Over The Past 10 Years

NFPA's report finds that 100 firefighters died while engaged in training-related activities from 1996 through 2005, accounting for 10 percent of all on-duty firefighter deaths.

Millburn, N.J. Bravest Eating For Life, and For Everyone Going Home

The Everyone Goes Home Program congratulates the Millburn (NJ) Fire Department which has developed a voluntary dietary program designed to promote health hearts and bodies.

Fresno Adopts Residential Sprinkler Ordinance

On May 16, 2006 the City of Fresno City Council adopted amendments to the municipal code that will require the installation of a sprinkler head in the kitchen of all new residential homes, which are built in the city of Fresno.

Federal Fire Sprinkler Update

In recognition of the clear benefit that sprinklers provide, Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) have introduced legislation to encourage owners to retrofit their buildings with sprinklers. The Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2005 (H.R. 1131 and S. 512) would create a federal tax incentive to retrofit automatic fire sprinkler systems in existing buildings. Specifically, the bill would classify automatic fire sprinkler systems as five-year depreciable property. Current federal law allows depreciation over a much longer period of time – more than thirty-nine years in commercial buildings and twenty-seven years in residential rental buildings.

Preventing Enclosed Structure Line-of-Duty Deaths

As a guide to prevent Firefighter Line-of-Duty-Deaths sixteen Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives were developed at a Firefighter Life Safety Summit in the spring of 2004. These initiatives targeted six major categories including: Structural Firefighting, Wildland Firefighting, Training and Research, Vehicle Operations, Health-Wellness-Fitness, and Reduction of Emergency Incidents and Risks. The ultimate goal of the initiatives however, is their implementation, so that injuries and fatalities can in fact be prevented in each category. Reaching this goal for the Structural Firefighting category in part, will require learning the real causes of fatalities and carefully modifying strategy, tactics, and tasks to increase safety on the fireground.

Meet the Advocates

William R. Mora
Captain, San Antonio Fire Department
Capmora@aol.com

Click Here to Find the Advocate for Your Area or Learn How You Can Become an Advocate

William R. Mora
Advocate, State of Texas
William R. Mora has dedicated 31 years to the San Antonio, Texas, Fire Department as a Firefighter, Paramedic and Training Officer. He both chairs and serves on several committees, the longest running being the San Antonio Fire Department Equipment Evaluation Committee for ten years. Captain Mora is currently assigned to the Firefighting Division. He is a certified instructor with a degree in Business Administration and has studied Hazardous Materials in depth at the National Fire Academy.
Captain William Mora is a fire consultant with a concentrated interest in Firefighter Safety, Structure Fire Studies and Strategy and Tactics. He has been published on the topic of Firefighter Disorientation in Fire Chief magazine, Fire Engineering magazine, and Firehouse.com. Captain Mora has given lectures on the prevention of Firefighter Disorientation and safer management of Enclosed Structure Fires for the Fire Department Instructors' Conference, Texas Volunteer Fire Departments and for the Maryland State Firemen's Association.
The problem of Firefighter Disorientation has compelled Captain Mora to provide assistance to fire officials, safety educators, grant writers, and fire industry professionals with valuable researched information. He has been active in the effort to reduce structural firefighter fatalities. Working towards that goal, he served as a delegate at the 2004 National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Life Safety Summit. Captain Mora is the author of the United States Firefighter Disorientation Study 1979-2001 which appears in the U.S. Fire Administration's annual report: Firefighter Fatalities in the U.S. in 2003 and 2004.

"I joined this worthy effort to help reduce firefighter fatalities as quickly as possible and because I feel the EGH website and advocacy program will be able to actually make it happen."

Firefighter Life Safety Events

September 11, 2006
Fire Rescue International - Dallas
8-Hour Pre-Conference Workshop

Instructors: Richard Marinucci, Chief, Farmington Hills (MI) Fire Department
Cathy Hedrick, Director of Survivor Programs, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Part 1 - Taking Care of Our Own®
A fire department does not know when it will have a line-of-duty death or serious injury. Does it have a plan in place? Are personnel records current? Does the department know how to make timely and proper notification to the survivors? Fire chiefs and survivors tell us that most fire departments are not prepared for a line-of-duty death. "Taking Care of our Own" provides senior fire officers specific information and valuable insights. This course is designed for senior fire officers, career or volunteer, chief officers and senior deputies of federal and state government, honor guard commanders, chaplains, and officials of national and state fire organizations.

Part 1 - Courage to Be Safe
This provocative and moving presentation is designed to change the culture of accepting the loss of firefighters as a normal occurrence. Building on the untold story of LODD survivors, it reveals how family members must live with the consequences of a firefighter death and provides a focus on the need for firefighters and officers to change fundamental attitudes and behaviors in order to prevent line of duty deaths. The central theme promotes the courage to do the right thing in order to protect yourself and other firefighters and ensure that "Everyone Goes Home" at the end of the day.

Instructors who are passionate about the need to have the Courage to Be Safe and the importance of the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives in reducing Line of Duty Deaths should attend this program.

September 16, 2006
Courage To Be Safe - Train-the-Trainer
Bismarck, ND Radisson Inn
For more information email us at info@everyonegoeshome.com.

November 16, 2006
Courage to be Safe/Train-theTrainer
California Fire Chiefs Association 2006 Training Officers Fall Symposium - Radisson Hotel, Fresno, CA
For more information email us at info@everyonegoeshome.com.

For other Firefighter Life Safety Events in your area visit our events page.

In Support of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Program

Demonstration of support submitted by:
Larry Brassard, CFEI, CCFI-C CMMIII
Fire Chief, Milton (Ontario) Fire Department