By FireRescue1 Staff
FAIRFAX, Va. — Safety proponents are hailing the 2,000th report received by the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System as a milestone in changing fire service culture.
The reporting system — which receives reports of firefighter near misses and posts them in a searchable database on www.firefighternearmiss.com. — achieved the total on October 14.
Fire service leaders are taking this milestone as an opportunity to recognize the Near-Miss Reporting System as a valuable resource for keeping firefighters safe.
“Although mistakes are inevitable, the key is to learn from them,” IAFC President Chief Larry Grorud said, “The Firefighter Near-Miss System provides an excellent forum for individuals to share their experiences so we can all learn from them and be safer if faced with similar situations.”
Ed Mann, Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner, said, “The fact that we now have 2,000 near misses reported means many things to many people.
“In my eyes it means the fire service is talking and taking action regarding safety. This is a shift in our culture and will no doubt assist in obtaining the goal of reducing line of duty deaths.”
The 2,000th report is a particularly useful reminder of the system’s goal of improving firefighter safety. In that report, crews demonstrated situational awareness and followed best practices to avoid injuries.
The author of that report, #08-511, writes, “Preparation and knowing how and where to position and what the created safety zones are leads to going home the next day… Even if you are tired or just woke up, train yourself to notice all you can and place yourself in the best spot for a good outcome.”
FireRescue1 partnered with the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System to redesign the site earlier this year to give users easier access to a number of key safety and training resources.