Firefighter Safety Fire Leadersrsquo PerspectivesBY SCOTT M ROUNDS

Continuing Education

Course

To earn continuing education credits you must successfully complete the course examination The cost for this CE exam is $2500 For group rates call (973) 251-5055

TRAINING THE FIRE SERVICE FOR 137 YEARS

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

BY S C O T T M RO U N D S

ThiS articLe diScuSSeS how the deciSionS oF chiefs can affect firefighter safety in the fire depart-ment it is based on a research study that included

a survey of 10 active fire chiefs from the states of arizona colorado new Mexico and utah

BACKGROUNDFor years the fire service has been asking why the rate of

firefighter line-of-duty deaths (Lodds) in the united States has been so high Lodds had remained at around 100 a year for decades during these years various initiatives were tried to decrease the Lodds but there was no discernible drop in these fatalities1

chief (ret) alan Brunacini of the Phoenix (aZ) Fire de-partment commenting on the number of Lodds stated that the fire service was obligated to protect firefighters from the many hazards they encountered every day this protection he added depended on the ability of firefighters to assess the current and future hazards they faced by conforming to proven safety standards2 the united States Fire admin-istration (uSFa) has been analyzing annually the number of firefighter deaths for the past 32 years to determine how fire safety programs were working Fire service leaders and observers opined that the programs did not work as well as they could have because fire service leaders did not recognize and accept universal standards for firefighter safety ldquoLead-ers know there are times when firefighters take unnecessary risksrdquo they pointed out ldquobut they do not act to change this behaviorrdquo3

another factor in the Lodd issue was the health of the

emergency responders a major cause of Lodds was cardio-vascular events Many firefighters experienced heart attacks while on duty Some of these attacks resulted from existing heart conditions Some industry leaders proposed that since responding to fires is a significant trigger for heart attacks the fire service should no longer accept unfit or unhealthy firefighters so as not to place them their families and other team members in danger4

the lack of an emergency management system was an-other factor cited as contributing to Lodds Proponents of the system maintained that it would help eliminate unsafe practices that lead to firefighter injuries and deaths5 and that the on-scene incident commander (ic) would be responsible for managing the incident and the safety of all members involved at the scene6 the national Fire Protection associa-tion (nFPa) had made firefighter safety its primary responsi-bility discussions led to a broader consideration of safe and effective fireground procedures that entailed fully training the on-scene ic in maintaining safety awareness on the fire-ground7 the ic industry leaders held must receive a sound risk assessment to balance effectiveness and safety and risk management is essential for fireground operations if firefight-er Lodds were to be decreased (6) the uSFa8 and other fire service agencies and publications recognized the validity and importance of the nFPa standards

in april 2004 the national Fallen Firefighters Foundation (nFFF) held a life safety summit at which it introduced its Fire-fighter Life Safety initiativesreg9 the 16 initiatives were launched with a uSFa-nFFF goal that the implementation of the initia-tives would decrease Lodds by 25 percent within five years

Educational ObjectivesOn completion of this course students will

1 Discuss how the decisions of chiefs can affect firefighter safety in the fire department

2 Understand the historical problem of chiefsrsquo decisions and how they have not had an significant impact of firefighter safety

3 Discover what research has shown when no penalties exist for violating safety standards

4) Learn how recognize and work on reinforcing positive safety habits

Firefighter Safety Fire Leadersrsquo Perspectives

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

FireFighter SaFety

(short term) and 50 percent within 10 years (long term)10

the national Fire academy (nFa) was offering instruc-tion and training to emergency responders in how to operate within safety guidelines through a national teaching network compromised of state county and local agencies11

despite all these efforts it seemed as if the fire service had hit a plateau in some areas when it came to resolving the Lodd problem one area that especially caught my atten-tion was the connection between the decision making of fire service leaders and fire department safety and Lodds that led me to undertake the following research

THE PROBLEMhistorically chiefsrsquo decisions relative to emergency guide-

lines had not upheld firefighter safety (4) according to Brunacini (2) safety guidelines had existed for years yet there had been no drop in firefighter Lodds the uSFa had worked toward reducing firefighter death rates by supporting the implementation of fire service leadership practices however emergency guidelines are only as good as their implementa-tion and enforcement which depended on the decisions of the chiefs12

STUDY PROTOCOLNote the discussions presented below after each ques-

tion result and implication are based on research literature (designated by a footnote) and the input of the research study survey respondents

the 10 chief survey participants were invited to answer the following three questions

1What are your views and experiences relative to the influence of the political environment (federal gov-

ernmental agencies) on standard firefighter safety guide-lines (This was a two-part question The second part related to the influence of fire service decision makers)

Discussion For this question the nFFF nFPa uSFa international association of Fire chiefs (iaFc) nFa arizona Fire chiefs association national institute of occupational Safety and health (nioSh) and Federal emergency Manage-ment agency (FeMa) were some of the associationagency players in the uS fire service political setting Many types of leaders propose policies procedures rules and initiatives these proposals affect fire departments and their members the chiefs and other decision makers have to decide whether and how to support the changes they make this decision by assessing their knowledge and evaluating their forecast about the effect of the proposalrsquos results and their perception of fairness13

2 What are your views and experiences on fire union influence on standard firefighter safety guidelines

Discussion concerning firefighter deaths within buildings during firefighting and those associated with health it was proposed that leaders had to stay aware of new technologies and innovations14 Fire leaders need to support the interna-tional association of Fire Fightersrsquo (iaFF) drive for acceptable firefighter staffing realizing that with enough staffing the ics can manage fire crews safely by providing satisfactory

rehabilitation without this opportunity firefighters will push themselves far beyond normal human limits increasing the potential for deaths the fire company officer is responsible for the entire responding assignment and has to manage the emergency deaths are still occurring at an unacceptable rate and a debate continues in the fire service about safety although the fire service has been paying more attention to Lodds firefighter safety has not improved proportionately

3What are your views and experiences relative to put-ting into action standard guidelines for firefighter

safety Discussion More attention has to be paid to firefightersrsquo

physical fitness because about 50 percent of firefighter Lodds involved cardiovascular events chiefs must identify symptoms of heart problems in the early stages of an event because the problem worsens as the emergency incident winds down with the strenuous functions of salvage and overhaul15-16

Leaders need to support the national Volunteer Fire council and uSFa heart healthy programs and their recom-mendations (14) Fire service leaders need to promote nFPa 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program which ensures that fire workers meet physical fitness standards before being hired and then be evaluated annually Leaders must recognize the importance of setting up initiatives of fitness and wellness throughout the industry

MAIN RESULTSthere were five primary results of the study two were as-

sociated with Question 1 one with Question 2 and two with Question 3

1 Focus on stressing firefighter safety Discussion decision makers that focus on firefighter

safety may directly or indirectly influence the safety of fire-fighters according to one survey participant ldquothe nuts and bolts of what most firefighters gain in this world are typically [from] the captains they work for i say that based on the really good captains i have seenrdquo another participant noted ldquoi believe that a company officer may be the best and most impactful opportunity for influencing firefighter safetyrdquo

Firefighter supervisors could directly influence firefighter safety as they lead their fire crews throughout any given shift chiefs are the decision makers who lead the entire fire department and may influence firefighter safety through policy and procedure decision makers lead by example and provide direction for those in their charge

research has shown that if no penalties existed for violat-ing safety standards infractions would continue ldquoexecutive fire officersleaders need strong abilities and skills to initiate change in their organizations if leaders do not emphasize firefighter safety their subordinates may lose their livesrdquo17

the nFPa has developed more than 300 firefighter safety standards there are no penalties if firefighters ignore them Federal researchers for nioSh recommended that decision makers enforce standard working procedures18-19

2 Adopt a risk-management philosophyDiscussion Fire agencies can use the risk-manage-

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

BY S C O T T M RO U N D S

ThiS articLe diScuSSeS how the deciSionS oF chiefs can affect firefighter safety in the fire depart-ment it is based on a research study that included

a survey of 10 active fire chiefs from the states of arizona colorado new Mexico and utah

BACKGROUNDFor years the fire service has been asking why the rate of

firefighter line-of-duty deaths (Lodds) in the united States has been so high Lodds had remained at around 100 a year for decades during these years various initiatives were tried to decrease the Lodds but there was no discernible drop in these fatalities1

chief (ret) alan Brunacini of the Phoenix (aZ) Fire de-partment commenting on the number of Lodds stated that the fire service was obligated to protect firefighters from the many hazards they encountered every day this protection he added depended on the ability of firefighters to assess the current and future hazards they faced by conforming to proven safety standards2 the united States Fire admin-istration (uSFa) has been analyzing annually the number of firefighter deaths for the past 32 years to determine how fire safety programs were working Fire service leaders and observers opined that the programs did not work as well as they could have because fire service leaders did not recognize and accept universal standards for firefighter safety ldquoLead-ers know there are times when firefighters take unnecessary risksrdquo they pointed out ldquobut they do not act to change this behaviorrdquo3

another factor in the Lodd issue was the health of the

emergency responders a major cause of Lodds was cardio-vascular events Many firefighters experienced heart attacks while on duty Some of these attacks resulted from existing heart conditions Some industry leaders proposed that since responding to fires is a significant trigger for heart attacks the fire service should no longer accept unfit or unhealthy firefighters so as not to place them their families and other team members in danger4

the lack of an emergency management system was an-other factor cited as contributing to Lodds Proponents of the system maintained that it would help eliminate unsafe practices that lead to firefighter injuries and deaths5 and that the on-scene incident commander (ic) would be responsible for managing the incident and the safety of all members involved at the scene6 the national Fire Protection associa-tion (nFPa) had made firefighter safety its primary responsi-bility discussions led to a broader consideration of safe and effective fireground procedures that entailed fully training the on-scene ic in maintaining safety awareness on the fire-ground7 the ic industry leaders held must receive a sound risk assessment to balance effectiveness and safety and risk management is essential for fireground operations if firefight-er Lodds were to be decreased (6) the uSFa8 and other fire service agencies and publications recognized the validity and importance of the nFPa standards

in april 2004 the national Fallen Firefighters Foundation (nFFF) held a life safety summit at which it introduced its Fire-fighter Life Safety initiativesreg9 the 16 initiatives were launched with a uSFa-nFFF goal that the implementation of the initia-tives would decrease Lodds by 25 percent within five years

Educational ObjectivesOn completion of this course students will

1 Discuss how the decisions of chiefs can affect firefighter safety in the fire department

2 Understand the historical problem of chiefsrsquo decisions and how they have not had an significant impact of firefighter safety

3 Discover what research has shown when no penalties exist for violating safety standards

4) Learn how recognize and work on reinforcing positive safety habits

Firefighter Safety Fire Leadersrsquo Perspectives

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

FireFighter SaFety

(short term) and 50 percent within 10 years (long term)10

the national Fire academy (nFa) was offering instruc-tion and training to emergency responders in how to operate within safety guidelines through a national teaching network compromised of state county and local agencies11

despite all these efforts it seemed as if the fire service had hit a plateau in some areas when it came to resolving the Lodd problem one area that especially caught my atten-tion was the connection between the decision making of fire service leaders and fire department safety and Lodds that led me to undertake the following research

THE PROBLEMhistorically chiefsrsquo decisions relative to emergency guide-

lines had not upheld firefighter safety (4) according to Brunacini (2) safety guidelines had existed for years yet there had been no drop in firefighter Lodds the uSFa had worked toward reducing firefighter death rates by supporting the implementation of fire service leadership practices however emergency guidelines are only as good as their implementa-tion and enforcement which depended on the decisions of the chiefs12

STUDY PROTOCOLNote the discussions presented below after each ques-

tion result and implication are based on research literature (designated by a footnote) and the input of the research study survey respondents

the 10 chief survey participants were invited to answer the following three questions

1What are your views and experiences relative to the influence of the political environment (federal gov-

ernmental agencies) on standard firefighter safety guide-lines (This was a two-part question The second part related to the influence of fire service decision makers)

Discussion For this question the nFFF nFPa uSFa international association of Fire chiefs (iaFc) nFa arizona Fire chiefs association national institute of occupational Safety and health (nioSh) and Federal emergency Manage-ment agency (FeMa) were some of the associationagency players in the uS fire service political setting Many types of leaders propose policies procedures rules and initiatives these proposals affect fire departments and their members the chiefs and other decision makers have to decide whether and how to support the changes they make this decision by assessing their knowledge and evaluating their forecast about the effect of the proposalrsquos results and their perception of fairness13

2 What are your views and experiences on fire union influence on standard firefighter safety guidelines

Discussion concerning firefighter deaths within buildings during firefighting and those associated with health it was proposed that leaders had to stay aware of new technologies and innovations14 Fire leaders need to support the interna-tional association of Fire Fightersrsquo (iaFF) drive for acceptable firefighter staffing realizing that with enough staffing the ics can manage fire crews safely by providing satisfactory

rehabilitation without this opportunity firefighters will push themselves far beyond normal human limits increasing the potential for deaths the fire company officer is responsible for the entire responding assignment and has to manage the emergency deaths are still occurring at an unacceptable rate and a debate continues in the fire service about safety although the fire service has been paying more attention to Lodds firefighter safety has not improved proportionately

3What are your views and experiences relative to put-ting into action standard guidelines for firefighter

safety Discussion More attention has to be paid to firefightersrsquo

physical fitness because about 50 percent of firefighter Lodds involved cardiovascular events chiefs must identify symptoms of heart problems in the early stages of an event because the problem worsens as the emergency incident winds down with the strenuous functions of salvage and overhaul15-16

Leaders need to support the national Volunteer Fire council and uSFa heart healthy programs and their recom-mendations (14) Fire service leaders need to promote nFPa 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program which ensures that fire workers meet physical fitness standards before being hired and then be evaluated annually Leaders must recognize the importance of setting up initiatives of fitness and wellness throughout the industry

MAIN RESULTSthere were five primary results of the study two were as-

sociated with Question 1 one with Question 2 and two with Question 3

1 Focus on stressing firefighter safety Discussion decision makers that focus on firefighter

safety may directly or indirectly influence the safety of fire-fighters according to one survey participant ldquothe nuts and bolts of what most firefighters gain in this world are typically [from] the captains they work for i say that based on the really good captains i have seenrdquo another participant noted ldquoi believe that a company officer may be the best and most impactful opportunity for influencing firefighter safetyrdquo

Firefighter supervisors could directly influence firefighter safety as they lead their fire crews throughout any given shift chiefs are the decision makers who lead the entire fire department and may influence firefighter safety through policy and procedure decision makers lead by example and provide direction for those in their charge

research has shown that if no penalties existed for violat-ing safety standards infractions would continue ldquoexecutive fire officersleaders need strong abilities and skills to initiate change in their organizations if leaders do not emphasize firefighter safety their subordinates may lose their livesrdquo17

the nFPa has developed more than 300 firefighter safety standards there are no penalties if firefighters ignore them Federal researchers for nioSh recommended that decision makers enforce standard working procedures18-19

2 Adopt a risk-management philosophyDiscussion Fire agencies can use the risk-manage-

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

FireFighter SaFety

(short term) and 50 percent within 10 years (long term)10

the national Fire academy (nFa) was offering instruc-tion and training to emergency responders in how to operate within safety guidelines through a national teaching network compromised of state county and local agencies11

despite all these efforts it seemed as if the fire service had hit a plateau in some areas when it came to resolving the Lodd problem one area that especially caught my atten-tion was the connection between the decision making of fire service leaders and fire department safety and Lodds that led me to undertake the following research

THE PROBLEMhistorically chiefsrsquo decisions relative to emergency guide-

lines had not upheld firefighter safety (4) according to Brunacini (2) safety guidelines had existed for years yet there had been no drop in firefighter Lodds the uSFa had worked toward reducing firefighter death rates by supporting the implementation of fire service leadership practices however emergency guidelines are only as good as their implementa-tion and enforcement which depended on the decisions of the chiefs12

STUDY PROTOCOLNote the discussions presented below after each ques-

tion result and implication are based on research literature (designated by a footnote) and the input of the research study survey respondents

the 10 chief survey participants were invited to answer the following three questions

1What are your views and experiences relative to the influence of the political environment (federal gov-

ernmental agencies) on standard firefighter safety guide-lines (This was a two-part question The second part related to the influence of fire service decision makers)

Discussion For this question the nFFF nFPa uSFa international association of Fire chiefs (iaFc) nFa arizona Fire chiefs association national institute of occupational Safety and health (nioSh) and Federal emergency Manage-ment agency (FeMa) were some of the associationagency players in the uS fire service political setting Many types of leaders propose policies procedures rules and initiatives these proposals affect fire departments and their members the chiefs and other decision makers have to decide whether and how to support the changes they make this decision by assessing their knowledge and evaluating their forecast about the effect of the proposalrsquos results and their perception of fairness13

2 What are your views and experiences on fire union influence on standard firefighter safety guidelines

Discussion concerning firefighter deaths within buildings during firefighting and those associated with health it was proposed that leaders had to stay aware of new technologies and innovations14 Fire leaders need to support the interna-tional association of Fire Fightersrsquo (iaFF) drive for acceptable firefighter staffing realizing that with enough staffing the ics can manage fire crews safely by providing satisfactory

rehabilitation without this opportunity firefighters will push themselves far beyond normal human limits increasing the potential for deaths the fire company officer is responsible for the entire responding assignment and has to manage the emergency deaths are still occurring at an unacceptable rate and a debate continues in the fire service about safety although the fire service has been paying more attention to Lodds firefighter safety has not improved proportionately

3What are your views and experiences relative to put-ting into action standard guidelines for firefighter

safety Discussion More attention has to be paid to firefightersrsquo

physical fitness because about 50 percent of firefighter Lodds involved cardiovascular events chiefs must identify symptoms of heart problems in the early stages of an event because the problem worsens as the emergency incident winds down with the strenuous functions of salvage and overhaul15-16

Leaders need to support the national Volunteer Fire council and uSFa heart healthy programs and their recom-mendations (14) Fire service leaders need to promote nFPa 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program which ensures that fire workers meet physical fitness standards before being hired and then be evaluated annually Leaders must recognize the importance of setting up initiatives of fitness and wellness throughout the industry

MAIN RESULTSthere were five primary results of the study two were as-

sociated with Question 1 one with Question 2 and two with Question 3

1 Focus on stressing firefighter safety Discussion decision makers that focus on firefighter

safety may directly or indirectly influence the safety of fire-fighters according to one survey participant ldquothe nuts and bolts of what most firefighters gain in this world are typically [from] the captains they work for i say that based on the really good captains i have seenrdquo another participant noted ldquoi believe that a company officer may be the best and most impactful opportunity for influencing firefighter safetyrdquo

Firefighter supervisors could directly influence firefighter safety as they lead their fire crews throughout any given shift chiefs are the decision makers who lead the entire fire department and may influence firefighter safety through policy and procedure decision makers lead by example and provide direction for those in their charge

research has shown that if no penalties existed for violat-ing safety standards infractions would continue ldquoexecutive fire officersleaders need strong abilities and skills to initiate change in their organizations if leaders do not emphasize firefighter safety their subordinates may lose their livesrdquo17

the nFPa has developed more than 300 firefighter safety standards there are no penalties if firefighters ignore them Federal researchers for nioSh recommended that decision makers enforce standard working procedures18-19

2 Adopt a risk-management philosophyDiscussion Fire agencies can use the risk-manage-

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

FireFighter SaFety

ment philosophy advocated by Brunacini for emergent and nonemergent conditions ldquothe fire service will risk much to save a life but will risk little to save property and will risk nothing to save what it has already lostrdquo (2)

ldquoi think before we jump out and make a lot of decisions we have to take time to get input from all sides and see the potential impactsrdquo said one participant on the other hand another participant noted ldquoi think administratively therersquos a lot more we can do to hold people accountable i think a lot more needs to take place in risk managementrdquo

the influence of the political setting on a standard fire service risk-management philosophy is reflected in firefight-ersrsquo actions this philosophy may influence firefighter safety throughout a firefighterrsquos assigned shift Firefighters should think about the ramifications of their actions before they act ldquothere should be a national commitment to improving fire departmentsrsquo risk-management abilities by understanding the reasons for firefighter deaths and making an effort to control change or disrupt the known reasonsrdquo20

this question brought up also the factors of customer servic-es and staffing levels which participants noted are strongly influenced by todayrsquos economic constraints one opinion was that agencies that strive for quality programs that meet 100 percent of the customersrsquo expectations should make a posi-tive influence in the political environment and officials could respond by ensuring that these programs remain intact agen-cies should periodically review and update quality programs to ensure they are meeting customersrsquo needs one respondent asserted ldquothe level of fire protection that a community is af-forded needs to be expressed by the wishes of the votersrdquo

regarding staffing levels participants noted that the oc-cupational Safety and health administration (oSha) and the nFPa recommend firefighter staffing levels in some instanc-es mandating the number of firefighters that should be as-signed to fire transport equipment and how many firefighters should be on the scene before firefighters enter the burning building for example the nFPa maintains that four firefight-ers on a fire truck allows for maximum firefighter safety these mandates may increase firefighter safety but not all communities can afford the expense of more firefighters ldquowe always say that the city council determines the staffing level of your departmentrdquo noted one respondent ldquoi see some governmental agencies putting their nose probably where it doesnrsquot belong because of funding issuesrdquo said another ldquothat has a big impact on safety issuesrdquo

respondents noted also that federal guidelines are not always ldquowell definedrdquo Sometimes new standards necessitate that fire departments purchase more equipment obtain more training or add more personnel to be in compliance Many jurisdictions do not have the funds to appropriate for these needs

3Strive for a safe environment focus on safety Discussion the fire union has represented safety

throughout americarsquos fire service for generations one partic-ipant noted ldquoi think the firefightersrsquo unions have been a pos-itive in firefighter safety over my career in the 1970s there wasnrsquot a whole lot of emphasis on firefighter safetyrdquo other participants agreed they pointed to the iaFFrsquos research

on firefighter injuries and Lodds the fact that some of the money collected from union members has funded equipment testing training and firefighter staffing models that improve safety and the unionrsquos joining with government organization-al committees to develop national safety standards

however some participants observed ldquothe fire union has lost the focus on safety and has gone away from its original purpose which included safety and working conditionsrdquo an-other participant added ldquowe have gotten comfortable with what wersquove done i think labor is more focused on the sustainability of incomesrdquo the fire unions some said concern themselves more with the pay and benefits of its members instead of fire-fighter safety and ldquohave become more political by focusing more on running fire agencies and not working with themrdquo

the consensus was that unions must continue to preserve a safe environment for the members ldquoFire unions should not accept or tolerate conduct that results in firefighter injury or death they must focus on the reasons fundamental to the problem and stress safety through innovationrdquo (14) the mindset beliefs and behaviors of firefighters carrying out safety programs and practices have not changed noted oth-ers ldquoFirefighters fail to stick to safety procedures departmen-tal training policy or national standards they refuse to wear safety equipment assigned to them for protectionrdquo (20)

the issue of economics was prominent in the discussion of this result as well respondents noted that the budgets of some fire departments rely solely on the property tax to provide a safe and efficient fire service under the current economic condi-tions in which property values have declined fire departments have to cut budgeted money which possibly can negatively affect firefighter safety ldquoif you ding them [citizens] with reduced property values and tax [revenues] have [also] decreased then of course your budget will [contract] in that regard toordquo exclaimed another participant ldquoYes we want our firefighters to be safe but when you turn that into the real world numbers nobody has enough money in this economic climaterdquo

it was noted that federal mandates often are not funded one participant suggested that the fire service have repre-sentatives on county- and state-level advisory committees the respondents acknowledged that ldquocompetition for limited funds has created inconsistenciesrdquo in this economic climate they explain local governments could choose to provide a lower level of service because of the lower budgets

4 Support and recognize standards of practice Discussion ldquoi think that having standards of practice

that are more universal could certainly help safety issues in the fire servicerdquo asserted one survey participant ldquowe can develop better comprehensive standards as we gain more informationrdquo another respondent noted that standards ldquogive us legally tested policies and provide accountability for your employeesrdquo Many professionals make up these national com-mittees that bring value through experience technology and education the national institute of Standards and technolo-gy (niSt) continually performs tests looking for the scientific evidence that can influence firefighter safety these organiza-tions design tests to prove and support a standard of practice

Fire service leaders need to support standards of practice

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

FireFighter SaFety

with relevant research to ensure firefightersrsquo confidence and trust Verifying these standards will influence compliance with them and enhance firefighter safety nioSh researches and provides recommendations that affect firefighter safety Studies that compare and contrast standards provide for continual safety updates the emergency Management institute (eMi) was developed specifically to research and develop curriculum related to firefighter safety it promotes emergency standards of practice through gained research studies21

5 Adopt the NFFF 16 Life Safety InitiativesregDiscussion the nFFF expects that its 16 Life Safety

initiativesreg will result in standards for fire agencies one re-spondent remarked ldquo to enforce the changes it comes back on my chief officer side it is my role to enforce the changes and make them what the guidelines actually say or intendrdquo another participant observed ldquoif we were to focus on meet-ing each initiative we would have a pretty darn strong argu-ment that we are doing the best we canrdquo

the chief is expected to bring these 16 Life Safety initia-tivesreg to the firefighters and enforce each one to the fullest extent the fire departments and districts have many policies and procedures based on traditional habits good and bad the 16 Life Safety initiativesreg involve changing firefighter traditions and cultures to reflect safe standards of practice Sometimes chiefs have to help firefighters who do not want the help the 16 Life Safety initiativesreg achieve this

IMPLICATIONS FOR FIREFIGHTER SAFETYthis section presents various implications based on the

body of research used for this study and respondentsrsquo com-ments

1 the consensus among the respondents was that govern-mental organizations such as nioSh should levy penal-

ties for violating safety standards Fire agencies follow federal laws because the fire agencies cannot afford to pay these penalties Such laws and mandates have influenced the work-place and firefighter safety

Federal investigators from nioSh recommended that the fire service adopt nFPa 1582 Comprehensive Medical Pro-gram for Firefighters which identified the need for measur-able consistent and specific medical evaluations for firefight-ers22-24

nFPa 1451 Standard for a Fire Service Vehicle Operations Training Program mandates that all firefighters riding in fire trucks must wear seat belts always and that chiefs must ensure that a driver training program is in place decision makers were urged to enforce standard working procedures for seat belt use unfortunately no penalties exist for not complying (18 19)

2 if governmental entities can document the efficacy of firefighter safety studies the likelihood exists that fire

agencies will have more trust and confidence in emergency standards eight out of the 10 participants agreed that gov-ernment entities should document studies to prove and sup-port the emergency standards developed nioShrsquos study of firefighter Lodds points out when failure to follow an nFPa standard is a contributing factor

FeMa developed the eMi to research develop and pro-vide curriculum focusing on firefighter safety the insti-tutersquos Learning resource center (2009) is a repository for more than 160000 books reports journals and audiovisual materials used to develop and increase firefighter safety this collection is available for the public fire agencies and firefighters the eMi makes its research available to the fire service25

3 Local decision makers such as city managers county supervisors fire district boards chiefs and chief fire

officers should continually stress firefighter safety and pass measures to ensure their success they should educate their superiors and firefighters on documented safety studies that result in best practices of emergency standards

the incident command system organizes fireground proce-dures through chief fire officers ensuring an effective chain of command26 the ic creates the incident action plan that he continually adjusts as firefighting actions are underway the commander repeatedly measures the risks vs the benefits and promotes routine size-ups to ensure enough resources are available

4 chiefs should adopt a risk-management philosophy and promote a risk-benefit profile to educate firefighters on

making decisions that positively influence firefighter safety decision makers must continually work through their risk-

benefit profile the chief should ensure the ic does an early risk appraisal and size-up of the emergency fireground before beginning firefighting actions the ic should constantly go over the emergency fireground and become involved with risk-management choices the chief should ensure that ics have enough knowledge and training to keep effective risk-benefit profiles27 (4)

5 decision makers such as chiefs chief fire officers and captains should recognize and work on reinforcing posi-

tive safety habits and correcting negative risk habits decision makers need to create a culture that stresses improving safety in some departments a culture of traditional aggressiveness can make it difficult to make adjustments decision makers should reinforce good safety habits every moment of the firefighterrsquos as-signed shift one example is how captains influence every part of the firefighterrsquos day-to-day culture

a leader should increase contact between management and labor and give extra rewards to groups that work well together the hope is that a group will accept the available data and gain an optimistic attitude toward the wanted change Group involve-ment supports group commitment toward the ideal behavior informal and formal leaders recognize and promote motivating other individuals to pattern behavior after the people they see and respect chiefs chief officers and captains must lead by example to effect a culture of safety in the fire service28

one reason offered for firefightersrsquo reluctance to a change in procedure is that it ldquodirectly shapes the existing settingrdquo change entailing unfamiliar conditions may bring worry about new skills needed when firefighters may already feel over-loaded and overwhelmed forcing change might cause hostility Fire service employees are skeptical about any change they need to accept and may not believe the change is reasonable29

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

FireFighter SaFety

the nFFFrsquos first initiative addresses the need for a cultural change and asks firefighters not to accept the loss of firefight-ers as a normal result of doing business

6 ldquoStandards of Practicerdquo should be supported and in-tegrated into the fire departmentrsquos policies and pro-

cedures when this is done there are ramifications for not conforming to them Standards of practice allow firefighters to practice their profession with full confidence that their practices are safe the fire service trusts supported and proven standards of practice that are part of policy and pro-cedure documents

7 the nFFFrsquos 16 Life Safety initiativesreg should be made the core of the fire agencyrsquos mission and vision statements

8 there are three implications for leadership which followbull Leaders with limited or no authority to dismiss or

reprimand employees who violate organizational policies and procedures are likely to be ineffective

bull Leaders who document the efficacy of studies used to support policies and procedures improve employeesrsquo trust and confidence influencing the culture of the organization and employeesrsquo values these leaders have the opportunity to integrate supported standards into the agenciesrsquo policies and procedures

bull Leaders of labor organizations should stress a safety environment for all employees who meet the unionrsquos primary goal of workplace safety

enDnOTes1 International Association of Fire Chiefs (2007) Retrieved from httpwwwichiefsorgdisplaycommoncfman=1

2 Brunacini A (2002) Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department incident management symposium

3 Compton D (2009) Preventing firefighter LODD The role of the na-tional Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation Retrieved from httpwwwosfainfositesosfauploadsdocumentss908-D1-Comptonpdf

4 Halton B (2009 July 1) What we know that ainrsquot so Fire Engineer-ing 162(7) 10 Retrieved from httpehisebscohostcomehostdetailvid=7amphid=2ampsid=ec63f485-a169-4ad8-a37d-453ed6ceeb6740sessionmgr13ampbdata=JnnpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ3d3ddb=a9hampAn=43184323db=a9hampAn=43184323

5 Kreis s (2004) Incident command teams for large-scale incidents Fire Engineering 15(2) 73-84

6 Klaene B (2009) ldquosafe and effective fireground operationsrdquo Retrieved from httpwwwosfainfositesosfauploadsdocumentss908-D3-Klaenepdg

7 national Fire Protection Association (2008) Standard on Emergency Service Incident Management System 2002 edition NFPA 1561 (nFPA series) (Us Government ed)

8 United states Fire Administration (2009) About the U s Fire Administra-tion Retrieved from httpwwwusfadhsgovabout

9 national Fallen Firefighters Foundation (2004) Firefighter life safety summit initial report released Retrieved from httpfirechiefcomtopstoryfirefighting_national_life_safetyindexhtml

10 national Fallen Firefighters Foundation (2009) ldquoeveryone Goes Homerdquo firefighter life safety initiatives program Retrieved from httpwwweveryo-negoeshhomecominitiativeshtml

11 national Fire Academy (2010) Welcome to the emergency Manage-ment Institute Retrieved from httpwwwtrainingfemagov

12 Federal emergency Management Association United states Fire Administration amp national Fire Academy (2008) Executive analysis of fire

service operations in emergency management emmitsburg MD

13 see K (2009) Reactions to decisions with uncertain consequences Reliance on perceived fairness versus predicted outcomes depends on knowledge Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 96(10) 104-118

14 Halton B (2008) ldquosilver bulletsrdquo Fire Engineering 161(2) 8

15 Gray R (2007 March 1) Rapid intervention team Are you ready Fire Engineering 160(3) 46-58

16 Cole J (2009) Heart attacks The major cause of firefighter line-of-duty death (LODD) Retrieved from httpwwwosfainfositesosfauploadsdocumentss908-D3-Colepdf

17 Federal emergency Management Association (2001) Strategic man-agement of change emmitsburg MD Federal emergency Management Administration and United states Fire Administration

18 Ramano n (2009 March 20) Two volunteer firefighters die in a tanker rollover - north Carolina Retrieved from httpwwwcdcgovnioshfirepdfsface200834pdf

19 Miles s amp Tarley J (2009) Fire fighter dies after being ejected from a pumper in a single vehicle rollover crash - new York Retrieved from httpwwwcdcgovnioshfirepdfsface200825pdf

20 Moore-Merrill L Zhou A McDonald s Fisher e amp Moore J (2009) Contributing factors to firefighter line-of-duty death in the United states Retrieved from httpwwwvafirecomgovernment_affairsnon_vdfp_stud-iesContributing_Factors_to_Firefighte_20Line-of-Duty_Death-Merrillpdf

21 emergency Management Institute (2009) Welcome to the neTC LRCrsquos Website Retrieved from httpwwwlrcfemagoviindexhtml

22 smith D (2009) After conducting fire suppression duties at a structure fire captain collapses in incident scene rehabilitation - Kansas Retrieved from httpwwwcdcgovnioshfirepdfsface200733pdf

23 Baldwin T amp Thomas H (2009) Fire captain suffers fatal heart attack after conducting live fire training - Pennsylvania Retrieved from httpwwwcdcgovnioshfirepdfsface200830pdf

24 Baldwin T amp Hales T (2009 April 1) Fire chief suffers fatal heart at-tack while responding to a structure fire - Pennsylvania Retrieved from httpwwwcdcgovnioshfirepdfsface200829pdf

25 Learning Resource Center (2009) national emergency Training Center learning resource center Retrieved from httpwwwlrcfemagov

26 Hendriks L amp Bassi s (2009) emergency preparedness from the ground floor up A local agency perspective Home Health Care Manage-ment amp Practice 21(5) 346-352

27 Merinar T amp Miles s (2009) Volunteer fire chief killed when buried by brick parapet wall collapse - Texas Retrieved from httpwwwcdcgovnioshfirepdfsface200821pdf

28 Hersey P amp Blanchard K (1996) Management of organizational behavior Utilizing human resources fourth edition englewood cliffs nJ Prentice-Hall

29 Kotelnikov V (2009) Resistance to change Understanding and overcoming human and organizational barriers Retrieved from httpwww1000venturescombusiness_guidecrosscuttingschange_resistancehtml

ADDITIOnAL sOURCesAnderson A Compton D amp Mason T (2004) ldquoManaging in a dangerous worldmdashthe national incident management system Engineering Manage-ment Journal 16(4)

Antonakis J amp House R (2002) ldquoThe full-range leadership theory The way forwardrdquo Transformational and Charismatic Leadership 2 3-33

Baldwin T amp Thomas H (2009) ldquoFire fighter suffers sudden cardiac death during live fire training - north Carolinardquo Retrieved from httpwwwcdcgovnioshfirepdfsface200836pdf

Bowyer M amp Baldwin T (2009 July 27) ldquoA career captain and a part-time fire fighter die in a residential floor collapse-Ohiordquo Retrieved from httpwwwcdcgovnioshfirereportsface200809html

Federal emergency Management Association (2008) Incident command

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

FireFighter SaFetysystem (ICs) Retrieved from httpwwwtrainingfemagoveMIWebIsICsResourceindexhtm

Federal emergency Management Association (2009) FeMA Retrieved from httpwwwfemagovaboutindexhtm

Fire Engineering (2005 January 1) ldquoPennWell and nFFF launch website for firefighter life safety Fire Engineering 48 Retrieved from httpwwwfireengineeringcomarticlesprintvolume-158issue-8departmentsnews-in-briefhtml

Fire Engineering (2009 May 20) Firemanrsquos fund survey economic crisis impacts Us fire departments Fire Engineering 1 Retrieved from httpwwwfireengineeringcomarticles200905firemans-fund-survey-economic-crisis-impacts-us-fire-departmentshtml

Moore-Merrell L Zhou A McDonald-Valentine s Goldstein R amp slocum C (2008) Contributing factors to firefighter line-of-duty injury in metro-politan fire departments in the United states [IAFF series on Line-of-Duty Deaths] Retrieved from httpwwwfirerescue1comdatapdfsiaffinjuryre-portpdf

Moustakas C (1994) Phenomenological research methods Thousand Oaks CA sage

national Fire Protection Association (2009) national fire pro-tection association The authority on fire electrical and build-ing safety Retrieved from httpwwwnfpaorgcategoryListaspcategoryID=143ampURL=About20nFPA

sizelove R (2009 May 19) A majority of fire departments believe that if the economic crisis continues it will negatively affect their ability to serve their community Retrieved from httpwwwipsos-nacomnews-pollspressre-leaseaspxid=4392

Taylor V (2007 April 1) Leadership for service improvement Part 3 Nurs-ing Management 14(1) 28-32

United states Fire Administration (2009b) Firefighter fatalities in the united states in 2008 emmitsburg Maryland Author

United states Fire Administration (2009 september) United states Fire Administration releases annual report on firefighter fatalities in Us Re-trieved from httpproquestumicompqdwebdid=1866678291ampsid=1ampclientld=13118ampRQT=309ampVname=PQD

Weick K sutcliffe K amp Obstfeld D (2005) Organizing and the process of sensemaking Organization science 16(4) Retrieved from httporgscijournalinformsorgcgicontentabstract164409

Notes

SCOTT M ROUNDS DM MAOM EFO CFO served for 21 years with the Chandler (AZ) Fire Depart-ment he retired as shift commander battalion chief In 2003 he joined the Buckeye (AZ) Fire Department as a battalion chief and was named chief in 2004 From 2007-2009 he served as Buckeyersquos assistant town manager and public safety director In this position he formed the Public Safety Executive Partnership (PSEP) which combined fire police and public works into one team The concept was presented to the American Public Works Association in 2008 and was published in the 2009 Congressional Quarterly He is the CEO of Rounds Group International LLC which focuses on homeland security public safety effectiveness and strategic plan-ning He is the Lead Faculty Fire Science and Emergen-cy Services for Columbia Southern University Alabama and San Juan (NM) College Rounds has a doctorate degree of management in organizational leadership and a masterrsquos degree in organizational management

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

Continuing Education

Firefighter Safety Fire Leadersrsquo Perspectives

1) Lodd have remained at around how many firefighters per year for decades

a 10b 100c 1000d 500

2) Fire service leaders have opined that programs did not work as well as they could have becuae they did not recognize and accept universal standards for firefighter safety

a trueb False

3) the major cause of Lodd events is which of the following

a Building collapseb natural disastersc cardiovascular eventsd all of the above

4) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by which group

a FeMab nFPac iaFcd nFFF

5) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by historically chiefrsquos decisions relative to emergency guidelines had not upheld firefighter safety even though safety guidelines had existed for years

a trueb False

6) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by what standard exists that ensures firefighters meet physical fitness standards

a nFPa 1901b nFPa 1500c nFPa 1001d nFPa 1021

7) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by according to the authorrsquos survey which fire service position has the most impactful opportunity for influencing firefighter safety

a chief of departmentb Battalion chiefc company officerd engineer

8) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by who are the decision makers that must lead the entire fire department and influence firefighter safety through policy and procedure

a Safety officerb Battalion chiefc Firefighterd chief

9) research has shown that if no penalties existed for violating safety standards then infractions would

a continueb Become more discouragedc decreased all of the above

10) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by according to chief Brunacini the fire service will risk much to save a life risk little to save property and will risk nothing to save what has already been lost

a trueb False

11) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by the influence of the political setting on a standard fire service risk-management philosophy is reflected in firefightersrsquo

a Supportb contemptc actionsd culture

12) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by agencies should periodically review and update quality programs to ensure they are meeting ___________ needs

a Firefighterb chief officerc Safety officerd customer

13) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by the level of fire protection that a community is afforded needs to be expressed by the wishes of the

a Votersb chiefsc Firefightersd city managers

COURSE EXAMINATION INFORMATIONTo receive credit and your certificate of completion for participation in this educational activity you must complete the program post exami-nation and receive a score of 70 or better You have the following options for completion

Option One Online CompletionUse this page to review the questions and mark your answers Return to wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom and sign in If you have not previously purchased the program select it from the ldquoOnline Coursesrdquo listing and complete the online purchase process Once purchased the program will be added to your User History page where a Take Exam link will be provided Click on the ldquoTake Examrdquo link complete all the program questions and submit your answers An immediate grade report will be provided on receiving a passing grade your ldquoCer-tificate of Completionrdquo will be provided immediately for viewing andor printing Certificates may be viewed andor printed anytime in the future by returning to the site and signing in

Option Two Traditional CompletionYou may fax or mail your answers with payment to PennWell (see Traditional Completion Information on following page) All information requested must be provided to process the program for certification and credit Be sure to complete ALL ldquoPaymentrdquo ldquoPersonal Certification Informationrdquo ldquoAnswersrdquo and ldquoEvaluationrdquo forms Your exam will be graded within 72 hours of receipt On successful completion of the posttest (70 or higher) a ldquoCertificate of Completionrdquo will be mailed to the address provided

COURSE EXAMINATION

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

14) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by the nFPa maintains that ________ firefighters on a fire truck allows for maximum firefighter safety

a threeb Fourc Fived Six

15) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by the iaFF has contributed money collected from union members that has funded equipment testing training and firefighter staff-ing models

a trueb False

16) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by which agency continually performs tests looking for the scientific evidence that can influence firefighter safety

a iaFFb nFPac niStd oSha

17) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by which initiative aims to change firefighter traditions and cultures to reflect safe standards of practice

a nFPa 1500b 16 Life Safety initiativesc nFa firefighter safety curriculumd none of the above

18) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by what nFPa standard mandates that all firefighters riding in fire trucks must wear seat belts and that a driver training program is in place

a nFPa 1500b nFaP 1971c nFPa 1851d nFPa 1451

19) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by if governmental entities can document the efficacy of firefighter safety studies the likelihood of exists that fire agencies will have more trust and confidence in emergency standards

a trueb False

20) the 16 Life Safety initiatives were developed and launched by chiefs should adopt a risk-management philosophy and promote which type of profile to educate firefighters on decision making that positively influence firefighter safety

a risk-averseb risk-avoidancec risk-reductiond risk-benefit

Continuing Education

Firefighter Safety Fire Leadersrsquo Perspectives

Notes

wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

PLEASE PHOTOCOPY ANSWER SHEET FOR ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTSAUTHOR DISCLAIMER

The author(s) of this course hashave no commercial ties with the sponsors or the providers of the unrestricted educational grant for this course

SPONSORPROVIDERNo manufacturer or third party has had any input into the development of course content All content has been derived from references listed and or the opinions of the instructors Please direct all questions pertaining to PennWell or the administration of this course to Pete Prochilo peterppennwellcom

COURSE EVALUATION and PARTICIPANT FEEDBACKWe encourage participant feedback pertaining to all courses Please be sure to complete the survey included with the course Please e-mail all questions to Pete Prochilo peterppennwellcom

INSTRUCTIONSAll questions should have only one answer Grading of this examination is done manually Participants will receive confirmation of passing by receipt of a verification form

EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMERThe opinions of efficacy or perceived value of any products or companies mentioned in this course and expressed herein are those of the author(s) of the course and do not necessarily reflect those of PennWell

Completing a single continuing education course does not provide enough information to give the participant the feeling that she is an expert in the field related to the course topic It is a combination of many educational courses and clinical experience that allows the participant to develop skills and expertise

COURSE CREDITSCOSTAll participants scoring at least 70 on the examination will receive a verification form verifying 4 CE credits Participants are urged to contact their state or local authority for continuing education requirements

RECORD KEEPINGPennWell maintains records of your successful completion of any exam Please go to wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom to see your continuing education credits report

copy 2009 by Fire Engineering University a division of PennWell

COURSE EvAlUATIONPlease evaluate this course by responding to the following statements using a scale of Excellent = 5 to Poor = 1

1 To what extent were the course objectives accomplished overall 5 4 3 2 1

2 Please rate your personal mastery of the course objectives 5 4 3 2 1

3 How would you rate the objectives and educational methods 5 4 3 2 1

4 How do you rate the authorrsquos grasp of the topic 5 4 3 2 1

5 Please rate the instructorrsquos effectiveness 5 4 3 2 1

6 Was the overall administration of the course effective 5 4 3 2 1

7 Do you feel that the references were adequate Yes No

8 Would you participate in a similar program on a different topic Yes No

9 If any of the continuing education questions were unclear or ambiguous please list them

______________________________________________________________

10 Was there any subject matter you found confusing Please describe

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

11 What additional continuing education topics would you like to see

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Mail or fax completed answer sheet toFire Engineering University Attn Carroll Hull

1421 S Sheridan Road Tulsa OK 74112 Fax (918) 831-9804

Continuing Education

Firefighter Safety Fire Leadersrsquo PerspectivesPROGRAM COMPlETION INFORMATIONIf you wish to purchase and complete this activity traditionally (mail or fax) rather than Online you must provide the information requested below Please be sure to select your answers carefully and complete the evaluation information To receive credit you must receive a score of 70 or better

Complete online at wwwFireEngineeringUniversitycom

1 a B c d

2 a B c d

3 a B c d

4 a B c d

5 a B c d

6 a B c d

7 a B c d

8 a B c d

9 a B c d

10 a B c d

11 a B c d

12 a B c d

13 a B c d

14 a B c d

15 a B c d

16 a B c d

17 a B c d

18 a B c d

19 a B c d

20 a B c d

ANSwER FORMPlease check the correct box for each question below

PERSONAl CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Last Name (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY OR TYPE)

First Name

ProfessionCredentials License Number

Street Address

Suite or Apartment Number

CityState Zip Code

Daytime Telephone Number with Area Code

Fax Number with Area Code

E-mail Address

TRAdITIONAl COMPlETION INFORMATION

PAYMENT amp CREDIT INFORMATION

Examination Fee $2500 Credit Hours 4

Should you have additional questions please contact Pete Prochilo (973) 251-5053 (Mon-Fri 900 am-500 pm EST)

I have enclosed a check or money order

I am using a credit card

My Credit Card information is provided below

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