2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health & Survival Week

2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week

Protect Yourself: Your Safety, Health and Survival Are Your Responsibility
June 14-20, 2009

Protect Yourself: Your Safety, Health and Survival Are Your Responsibility encourages chiefs and fire/EMS personnel to focus on what they personally can do to manage risk and enhance their health and safety. This year’s theme reflects the need for personal responsibility and accountability within a strong safety culture.

Recommended activities and materials will incorporate four key areas where standard operating procedures, policies and initiatives—along with the training and enforcement that support them—can limit fire/EMS personnel’s risk of injury or death:

Safety: Emergency Driving (enough is enough—end senseless deaths)

1. Lower speeds—stop racing to the scene. Drive safely and arrive alive to help others.
2. Utilize seat belts—never drive or ride without them.
3. Stop at every intersection—look in all directions and then proceed in a safe manner.

Health: Fire Fighter Heart Disease and Cancer Education and Prevention

1. Don't smoke or use tobacco products.
2. Get active.
3. Eat a heart-healthy diet.
4. Maintain a healthy weight.
5. Get regular health screenings.

Survival: Structural Size-Up and Situational Awareness

1. Keep apprised of different types of building materials and construction used in your community.
2. Develop a comprehensive size-up checklist.
3. Always complete a 360° walk of the structure to collect valuable, operational decision-making information.
4. Learn the practice of reading smoke.
5. Be familiar with the accepted rules of engagement.
6. Learn your accountability system and use it.
7. Master your tools and equipment.
8. Remain calm and concentrate.

Chiefs: Be the Leader in Safety

1. Become personally engaged in safety and make it part of your strategic vision for the department.
2. Be willing to make the tough decisions regarding safety policies and practices and their implementation.
3. Hold members of the organization accountable for their safety and the safety of those with whom they work.
4. Ensure that resources are available to accomplish activities safely and effectively.

We encourage all fire/EMS departments to devote this week to reviewing safety policies, evaluating the progress of existing initiatives and discussing health and fitness. Fire/EMS departments should make a concerted effort during the week to correct safety deficiencies and to provide training as needed. An entire week is provided to ensure that each shift and duty crew can spend one day focusing on fire fighter safety, health and survival.

Please visit our website for more information: http://www.iafcsafety.org/

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Comment by Mike Woodman on April 2, 2009 at 2:31am: Thanks for the info!

Comment by Chaplain Louis Bernhardt on March 30, 2009 at 4:18pm: Very Good advise & y'all have a great 2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health & Survival Week!

Father Louis

Comment by Stephen Delisle Miller on March 30, 2009 at 3:29pm: Twenty five years on the j-o-b, what better advice to receive ... thanks, sister!

Comment by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on March 30, 2009 at 11:46am: So I don't repeat myself, here are some links to blogs that I have written for FFN on the subjects of your bullet points.
We are talking about it, but sometimes, you wonder if anyone is listening.
Myself, Ben, Mick, Mary Ellen, Tiger, Ted and others have been banging about this for quite a while.
Thanks for the platform.
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/is-it-complacency-o...

http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/ordering-from-the-r...

http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/building-a-risk-ass...

http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/can-we-put-risk-out-of

http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/how-did-we-get-to-t...

http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/889755:BlogPost:114...

http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/889755:BlogPost:358852

http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/889755:BlogPost:261834

http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/889755:BlogPost:246061

There are many like minded people. We just have to find them and connect with them.

TCSS.
Art

Comment by jason lassiter on March 29, 2009 at 10:19pm: thanks ill pass it on

Comment by Rhys Emery on March 29, 2009 at 4:23pm: Very good advice emergancy personel should take this to heart. If we calmed down on the way to the scene and took an extra second to see what is going on and beware of the siguation at hand on scene and enroute and at the station. iam going to send this to my cheif.

Comment by Muzaffer GÜVEN on March 29, 2009 at 2:40am: Thanks from turkiye

Comment by anna m mills on March 29, 2009 at 1:18am: you are right in what you bring up and unless someone else is willing to do the 1/3 part of what no one else wants to do were all going to be left with something that we don't, we need t get together and be in it together\, backing and supportting each other every step of the way. ems and 1st resp being in the fore front of the lead.the full corner to corner view,

Comment by Wendy Norris on March 29, 2009 at 12:58am: Thanks so much Scott for bringing up such an interesting and extremely important issue within the EMS/First Responder sector. You brought up some very valid points. The board members of the SHS Section frequent this board and I am sure they will take notice of what you have written. I will also point it out to the others. Thanks again!