By Chief David Daniels, MHRH, MIFireE, CFO
International Director, IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section
The original goal of what is now known as Safety, Health and Survival Week was to use the military concept of the “safety stand down” to focus the attention of the fire service to the on-going issue of injury and death in the industry.
However, this, like all other fire service-based activities, tends to devolve into a description of “what the firefighters need to do to be safe.”
This leaves out the responsibility of the fire chief in the effectiveness of the safety support concept. This year’s theme for the Week, “Protect Yourself: Your Safety, Health and Survival Are Your Responsibility,” is not just for firefighters; it is, after all, a proposal by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Chiefs should…
Become personally engaged in safety and make it part of your strategic vision for the department
Fire chiefs cannot expect their department to make substantial safety progress without their involvement. There is a need for the fire chief to personally get involved in developing processes that specifically and consistently reinforce safety practices that address the safety challenges that organizations face.
The first step should be focusing a portion of the department’s strategic plan on the importance of safety.
Next, those strategies should be implemented tactically through standard operating procedures.
When the members of the organization see that safety is not just another task to be delegated to a deputy or assistant chief, but something in which the fire chief is wholeheartedly involved to include, if necessary, actually authoring the SOP, it helps members of the organization see its importance.
In my department, I have personally authored a number of our department’s most crucial safety SOPs and in a “straw man” fashion, circulated them to the members of the organization for their feedback.
Be willing to make the tough decisions regarding safety policies and practices and the implementation thereof
When the subject of safety comes up, this is not the place where the fire chief should lose his or her nerve. Sometimes fire chiefs, fearing the reaction of certain members of the department, compromise on basic safety standards and compound that compromise by an unwillingness to make the tough decisions necessary to keep members safe.
There is NEVER a legitimate excuse for a department member to respond to an incident without a seat belt. The easy decision is to threaten and punish the firefighter who was not wearing the seat belt. The tough decision is deciding how to create a system that does not put a firefighter in the position to have to decide to wear the seat belt, but ensures that they are worn all of the time.
Hold members of the organization accountable for their safety and the safety of those with whom they work.
The accountability begins with you holding yourself as a chief officer accountable to do your part to ensure that yours is a safety philosophy that you not only preach but that you also practice.
Next, those who report directly to you should be under no illusion that they are not a full partner in the safety efforts of the organization. Deputy and assistant chiefs must be the first and best examples of how the safety culture of the department is played out.
Ensure that resources are available to accomplish activities safely and effectively
“Resources are only an issue in the absence of value.” Though some would argue that departments around the country are in a fiscal crisis, this is actually a “crisis of prioritization.” The biggest issue facing jurisdictions with multi-million dollar budgets is establishing priorities for the resources that they have.
Fire chiefs have similar challenges. There is a tremendous amount of pressure to continue doing the work despite resource limits. The safety, heath and survival of members of a fire and emergency services department should never be compromised. This perspective should guide resource allocation within the organization, especially when times are tight. If you cannot do it safely, you shouldn’t do it at all!
Fire chiefs need to take their rightful place as leading the efforts during the Week. It’s not just a week to “talk about safety – it’s a time to be about safety.”
David Daniels is a 25-year fire service veteran who has served in more than 20 different capacities as a firefighter, company officer and chief officer. His career began with the Seattle Fire Department and he is now the Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director in the City of Renton, Washington.