FRI session outlines firefighter safety initiatives

By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Editor

Photo Jamie Thompson Billy Hayes discusses the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.

Related Resources: FRI 2009 Special CoverageNFFF

DALLAS — FireRescue1 columnist Billy Hayes outlined the "A-B-C's" of safety leadership at Fire-Rescue International, saying the fire service is already moving in the right direction to reducing LODDs.

During an interactive session at the conference in Dallas, Hayes and Chief Ron Dennis outlined how the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives can be a blueprint for setting leadership examples and achieving success.

"I really believe that we are getting better within the fire service," said Hayes, Director of Community Public Information and Community Affairs at DC Fire & EMS.

"We've heard firefighters saying I had my seat belt on because of the Seat Belt Pledge and we were in a MVC and it saved my life."

Attendees at Saturday's session at the conference in Dallas were encouraged to voice the things they think are hampering firefighter safety, citing accountability, fitness, driving and culture as some of the main factors.

Hayes and Chief Dennis, advocate manager and regional advocate respectively for the NFFF's Life Safety Initiatives, encouraged participants to focus on the "A-B-C's" of the right Attitude, appropriate performance Behaviors and sincere organizational and personal Commitments.

"If every leader within the fire service — and I don't necessarily mean just the formal leaders — were to demonstrate a true safety attitude and lead by example with their behaviors, they would show a commitment to safety that would spread through the organization in a positive way," said Chief Dennis, Assistant Chief (ret.) of Avondale, Ariz., Fire-Rescue.