By Philip C. Stittleburg
Chairman, NVFC
Every year the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) releases a report of firefighters who died while on-duty during the previous year. Looking at the report, I am deeply saddened by the loss of our fellow responders and my heart goes out to their family and friends who are left behind to grieve.
But I also feel another emotion — anger. Yes, I am angry when I see that firefighters have died or are injured because my mind immediately asks the question: “What, if anything, could we have done to prevent this?”
As first responders, our calling is clear. We face great dangers in order to protect our communities and keep our neighbors safe. There is an inherent risk we accept as part of our duties, and that is unavoidable. But there are things we can do to lessen the risks and proactively combat the dangers we face.
In 2008, 118 firefighters died while on duty. Fifty two of these firefighters died from stress or overexertion, most of which resulted from a heart attack. Vehicle collisions claimed another 28 lives. Twelve firefighters died while engaged in training activities, eight of which were from heart attacks.
So far this year (as of December 17), USFA has released fatality notices for 87 firefighters that have fallen in the line of duty. While hopefully this means the total number of firefighter fatalities are down this year from last, any firefighter death is too many. It has to be the priority of the entire fire service to do everything we can to keep our personnel safe and strong and make sure we avoid future losses and injuries.
So what can we do? For one thing, health and safety has to be a primary focus for all personnel. Firefighters are getting killed and injured during training exercises, or because they aren’t wearing their seatbelt, or because they don’t follow proper SCBA protocol. Year after year, heart attack remains the number one cause of firefighter fatalities and vehicle crashes are the second leading cause. Many first responders forget to take care of their own health and engage in lifestyle habits that increase the strain on their hearts.
As firefighters, there is a lot expected from us. Like everyone else, we juggle family, work, economic pressures, and limits on our time. But unlike everyone else we are also called upon to throw ourselves into life-threatening situations, put an enormous amount of pressure on our bodies, and face stress factors that most people can’t understand. If we don’t focus on our health and safety, we are adding unnecessary risks to an already dangerous job.
To address critical health and safety issues and bring them to the forefront of the fire service’s attention, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) released the Volunteer Firefighter Health and Safety Priorities in 2009. While our focus is on the volunteers, these priorities are just as applicable to any member of the fire and emergency services.
The key to running a safe and healthy department and reducing the number of fire service deaths and injuries is to make sure to adhere to healthy and safe practices every time. The Health and Safety Priorities are divided into a series of what we call B.E.S.T. Practices, which reminds fire service leaders and personnel of the policies they need to consistently follow.
The B.E.S.T. Practices are:
Behavior
• Support the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of all personnel.
• Operate all emergency apparatus and privately owned vehicles to conform to the highest road safety standards and enforce the use of seat belts.
• Develop, practice, and enforce recommended health and safety standards for all personnel.
• Monitor and ensure that all active emergency scenes maintain the utmost level of safety and fireground accountability.
Equipment
• Provide and require the proper use of full personal protective equipment.
• Maintain all equipment based on established safety recommendations.
Standards and Codes
• Encourage the use of all smoke, fire detection, and fire suppression devices, including fire sprinkler systems, in all structures.
• Vigorously enforce all fire safety codes and ordinances.
• Obtain apparatus and equipment that meet national safety standards.
Training
• Utilize fire training programs that conform to the highest professional standards.
• Operate a safe fire training ground at all times.
• Establish, maintain, and deliver fire safety programs for all age groups.
Fire service officers must lead by example for these to work. There must be no exceptions to following safe practices every time. First responders often think about the safety of others and forget to take care of themselves. As a group, we must change the mindset of the fire service and focus on our own health and safety. If we are not strong, how can we be there for those that need us — our families, our fellow personnel, and our communities?
The NVFC offers many resources to help you make health and safety a priority for your department and for yourself. The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program offers tools and resources for becoming heart-healthy and keeping your heart strong. New in 2009, you can adopt the program within your department to access special health and wellness resources including the Fired Up For Fitness Challenge, meal planners, and guides for establishing and funding a department health and wellness program. Learn more at www.healthy-firefighter.org.
The NVFC also offers further information and resources on each of the priority focus areas at www.nvfc.org/health_safety. This includes the Emergency Vehicle Safe Operations for Volunteer and Small Combination Emergency Service Organizations program, a guide for overcoming barriers to department health and wellness programs, and much more. In addition you can download the B.E.S.T. Practices poster to hang up in your station and keep the priorities in the minds of your personnel. Printed copies of the poster can be ordered from the NVFC by calling 1-888-ASK-NVFC (275-6832) or emailing nvfcoffice@nvfc.org.
So let’s make 2010 the year we focus on our health and safety. Let’s avoid the heartache and devastation caused by losing one of our own from something that could have been prevented. Let’s avoid injuries that result from not following safety policies. Let’s make a resolution to put health and safety first.
About Philip C. Stittleburg
Phil Stittleburg joined the volunteer fire service in 1972 and has served as Chief of the LaFarge Fire Department (WI) since 1977. He has served as Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) since 2001. He is also legal counsel to the NVFC, the LaFarge Fire Department, and the Wisconsin State Firefighters Association. Chief Stittleburg has represented the NVFC on numerous NFPA standards making committees, including NFPA 1500. He is on the Board of Directors of the National Fire Protection Association and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, is a past-President of the NVFC Foundation, serves as Chairman of the Fire Science Advisory Board at Western Technical College, and is a regular contributor to national fire service publications.