By Freddy Howell
Fire Chief, NSB Kings Bay, GA
Over the past several months, the members of my department have engaged in a verbal survey relating to a particular slogan. This slogan is clearly posted in the department and is familiar to the members. The idea for a survey about the slogan developed during the hiring interview for an Assistant Fire Chief of Operations. One of the goals of that interview was to learn the extent of the knowledge of the applicant concerning firefighter safety, or "safety-consciousness." After learning that this particular applicant, along with several other applicants, were not familiar with the slogan, the verbal survey then became a regular interview question. Given that our department often hires firefighters who have previously worked for other local departments, their lack of familiarity with the slogan demonstrated that we have not expressed the importance of this slogan and more importantly, its message of safety.
Let's start with asking the question; what is a slogan? According to Wikipedia, a slogan is "a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose." The American Heritage Dictionary© defines slogan as "a phrase expressing the aims or nature of an enterprise, organization, or candidate; a motto or as a phrase used repeatedly." Similarly, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary© defines slogan as "a word or phrase used to express a characteristic position or stand or a goal to be achieved" or "a brief attention-getting phrase used in advertising or promotion." After reviewing these definitions, I am sure everyone would agree for the purpose of this article, that a slogan can be summed up as a phrase that is repeated to promote a purpose.
In applying the above definitions to this slogan, it is clear that it exemplifies a simple phrase that has great purpose! This slogan should be as common in the fire service as water! I am sorry to say, as our potential employees made clear, this slogan is not as common as we would hope.
Is it the slogan? Maybe people do not understand the full extent of what it really means. Let's take a deeper look at the slogan and break it down into simpler form by returning to the dictionary to define each word.
- Everyone - Every person; everybody.
- Goes - plural for go- 1.) To move on a course, 2.) To move out of or away from a place expressed or implied, leave or depart.
- Home - 1.) One's place of residence, 2.) A place of origin, 3.) The social unit formed by a family living together.
So, what does the slogan Everyone Goes Home® really mean? Of course, the simple answer is that every person departs from the fire house or home, responds to a fire or emergency call, and then returns to the fire house or home.
That is the basic answer. Let's talk about what Everyone Goes Home® really means. For starters, it means that safety is the highest priority on the job, that every firefighter should be properly trained in accordance with NFPA regulations, and should know the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives; the Life Safety initiatives that are designed to ensure that each and every day, Everyone Goes Home®. To sum it up: this slogan means your life.
The question we had to ask ourselves after our survey was, "Why?" Why doesn't every firefighter in the fire service know it? Why are there still fire officers and firefighters who have never heard of this life saving slogan? Why isn't it taught and discussed in every recruit class and in every training exercise? Why isn't it posted in every fire house just like the map of the community?
The question to ask yourself is...What are you doing to help promote firefighter safety? Are you promoting and displaying the Everyone Goes Home® attitude? If someone walked in your department would they see anything that related to Everyone Goes Home® or the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives? For that matter, would they even see any prominently displayed safety messages?
In order for us to change our culture we have to set the example that safety is the top priority and that Everyone Must Go Home!