Firefighter Safety 1

Introduction Fire service knows what injures and kills firefighters. Firefighting profession carries significant risk. Risk Risk management Firefighter safety is grounded in understanding risks and risk/benefit thinking. 2

Safety Issues Understand what events and circumstances lead to injury or death. Creation of standards, procedures, and initiatives Efforts directly affect training and tactics. Awareness of safety and injury-prevention habits helps the fire service address safety issues. 3

Firefighter Injury and Death Trends 70 percent of all duty deaths and injuries in Canada and the United States occur during emergency activities. Heart attacks Fire-related causes Understanding historical data helps reduce deaths and injuries. Firefighter deaths hover around 100 per year. 4

Safety Standards and Regulations Health and Safety Acts and Regulations Firefighting fatalities and injuries have not noticeably decreased. Workplace Safety and Health/NFPA alliance NIOSH Recommendations based on investigations of firefighter fatalities 5

An example of a NIOSH Alert issued to address disturbing trends in firefighter injuries and deaths. 6

Firefighter Safety Initiatives In 2004, USFA and NFFF developed 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives. In 2005, organizations agreed that a collective time-out was needed. In 2007, the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives were revisited. Time and more focused preventative energy 7

Firefighter Safety Initiatives (cont.) 8

Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation partnered with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation recognizes Canadian-made approach to safety issues. 9

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Canadian Firefighter Life Safety Canada honours fallen firefighters on an annual basis in Ottawa, Ontario at Parliament Hill. Pays tribute to the over 940 Canadian firefighters Names of firefighters added to the honour roll 11

Preventive Actions Goal of exploring safety issues is to reduce potential for injury and deaths. Safety triad All firefighters should be empowered. Those whose actions are stopped should view the intervention as positive. 12

The safety triad includes (A) procedures, (B) equipment and (C) personnel. (Photo courtesy of Richard W. Davis) (A)(B) (C) 13

Basic skills must be practiced on a regular basis. 14

Personnel Critical incident stress management (CISM) Member assistance programs (MAPs) 15

Developing a positive safety attitude and practicing safe habits will demonstrate safe examples to others. 16

Personnel (cont.) Attitude is the hardest to address. Factors affect safety attitudes: Fire department’s safety culture Fire department’s history Example set by others Take steps to create a positive attitude. Practice good habits. Learn from others. Be vigilant. 17

Firefighter Safety Responsibilities Dependent on the efforts of everyone Responsibility for firefighter safety rests in one of three areas: Department Working team Individual 18

Firefighter safety is dependent on all partners holding up their responsibilities: (A) administration, (B) teams, and (C) individual firefighters. (A) (B) (C) 19

The Department Fire chiefs must create and enforce: Rules Procedures Expectations Health and safety committee Develop standard procedures Implement risk management plan Research and purchase appropriate equipment Awareness training

The Team Holds up its part of the safety partnership Utilize ICS “Buddies” Look after each other 21

The Individual Firefighter Readiness Each individual must fill a role. Perform as trained. Freelancing Incident engagement checklist Use safety when riding apparatus. 22

Freelancing endangers individuals and the team. This firefighter is working alone in a collapse zone—for what gain? 23

Firefighters should perform a mental incident engagement checklist for every response. 24

Lessons Learned Firefighter safety dependent on many factors 70 percent of injuries and deaths in the U.S. occur during emergency activities. Fire departments required to follow Workplace Safety and Health Acts and Regulations in their province or territory. Accident prevention Safety triad between administration, working teams, firefighter Individual safe habits and attitudes 25