Advocacy must be strengthened for the enforcement of codes and the installation of home fire sprinklers.
The term “fire prevention,” as used here, means preventing accidental fires from starting and, when they do start, minimizing their growth or extinguish them prior to human intervention. A successful effort in fire prevention will mean fewer fire responses by firefighters because of a reduction in fires, and less dangerous working conditions on the fire ground as a result of smaller, contained fires. With fewer fire responses and smaller, contained fires, and a better protected public, it is clear that there will be fewer firefighter injuries and fatalities – which is the goal of our overall efforts. The 15th Initiative asks us to advocate for stronger codes and laws which will decrease the number and severity of structural and residential fires to keep our firefighters out of harm’s way.
Initiative 15 Resources
Initiative 15 Research
- Leading and Living Life Safety Lessons Learned
- Lessons Learned From Unsatisfactory Sprinkler Performance: An Update on Trends and a Root Cause Discussion from the Investigating Engineer’s Perspective
- Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems: What do you know?
- Fire Sprinklers Save Lives–And Firefighters
- Fire Sprinklers
Latest Initiative 15 News
- Are you part of a High School Fire or EMS Cadet program? – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is planning the 2019 High School Fire and EMS Cadet Program Symposium and have developed a survey to identify specific areas of interest.
- CFSI and NFFF Accepting Nominations for the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award – Co-sponsored by CFSI and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award was established in 2009 to recognize public safety organizations for outstanding contributions to the advancement of firefighter health and safety. Deadline for nominations is Dec. 6, 2018.
- Wildland Firefighters Want to be Sure Everyone Goes Home® – Wildland firefighters from around the country say the status quo about safety must change. Too many wildland firefighters are dying and getting hurt. This is the key message from a series of listening sessions the NFFF held across the country.
Learn More:
» A Conversation with Vicki Minor & Ron Siarnicki
» 16 Initiatives for the Wildland Firefighter
» Everyone Goes Home® in the Wildland - Make Health, Safety and Wellness Your Department’s Priority – The September issue of Firehouse Magazine features the 2018 Fire Service Health and Safety Report. This 32-page supplement emphasizes the value of a progressive, safety-focused fire service culture, and provides information and resources to help firefighters implement the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.
- Working with fire sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems – To help firefighters prepare for these incidents, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) launched a new training module, Automatic Fire Sprinkler and Alarm Systems, on the Fire Hero Learning Network (FHLN).
- Strategic Vision Helps Ensure Firefighter Safety and Enhance Service – To help fire departments around the nation adopt the 16 initiatives, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has created a new handbook, The Strategic Vision Guide: An Action Plan Using the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.
- PIOs: New NFFF App Helps Keep Community & Firefighters Safe – The new Be a Hero, Save a Hero® mobile app from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) can help your community stay safe with valuable fire prevention information, special weather and seasonal notifications, and more. It’s available now for you to share with the public as you remind them to change their smoke alarm batteries… Read more »
- Fire Organizations Applaud Florida Governor Scott for Veto HB 653 – HB 653 would have allowed high–rise buildings in Florida without adequate fire and life safety systems to forego the retrofit of fire sprinklers and/or engineered life safety systems in these buildings that are currently required to come into compliance by 2020.
- Common Voices, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors Champion Fire Sprinklers After New Year’s Day Fires in Massachusetts – On New Year’s Day morning two apartment fires raged in Massachusetts. Fire ripped through a Holyoke apartment building claiming the lives of three residents and displaced over 50 others.
- Call to Action for Holiday Safety Following Tragic Maryland Fire – Sher Grogg talks about how she lost her brother, sister-in-law, and their four grandchildren in a devastating Christmas tree fire in 2015. She offers holiday safety tips so that other families do not have to experience this tragedy.
