Behavior
Each year, first responders are killed, injured, and put at risk due to factors that may have been prevented with proper safety and health precautions. Establishing a culture in the department where healthy and safe behaviors are expected and adhered to is critical to making sure all of our first responders come home.
The NVFC identifies the following B.E.S.T. Practices for behavior in the fire and emergency services:
- 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 seatbelts.
- 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.
Utilize the following resources to implement these practices in your department and encourage a culture of positive behaviors among your personnel.
Research and Statistics
National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System
The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System is a voluntary, confidential, non-punitive, and secure reporting system with the goal of improving firefighter safety. A near miss experienced by a firefighter can improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities of everyone who is made aware of it. This site allows first responders to post a near-miss report as well as search reports that have been submitted. It also contains a resource section.
Fire-Related Firefighter Injuries Reported to NFIRS
This report was developed by the U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Data Center to reduce the number of firefighter injuries through an increased awareness and understanding of their causes and how they might be prevented. The report is based on 2006 to 2008 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System.
Firefighter Casualties Overview
Each year in the United States, approximately 100 firefighters are killed while on duty and tens of thousands are injured. This link provides an overview of the number of line-of-duty deaths and injuries that occurred from 1998 to 2007.
Firefighter Fatality Annual Report
Each year the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) releases a report that examines the on-duty firefighter fatalities for that year. The report includes the causes of death as well as a breakdown of career versus volunteer firefighters.
Firefighter Fatalities
The USFA provides information regarding on-duty U.S. firefighter fatalities. Included are notices of firefighter fatalities, a database that allows visitors to search for firefighters honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, a database that provides statistics related to the circumstances surrounding fatalities, the annual USFA firefighter fatality report, and information about Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB).
New England Journal of Medicine: Emergency Duties and Deaths from Heart Disease among Firefighters in the United States
This 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that firefighters are at a greater risk of dying from a heart attack while responding to emergencies. It concluded that emergency firefighting duties were associated with a risk of death from coronary heart disease that was markedly higher than the risk associated with nonemergency duties. Fire suppression was associated with the highest risk, which was approximately 10 to 100 times as high as that for nonemergency duties.
General Resources
Everyone Goes Home
Recognizing the need to do more to prevent line-of-duty deaths and injuries, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation launched a national initiative to bring prevention to the forefront. Everyone Goes Home consists of 16 major life safety initiatives that give the fire service a blueprint for making changes.
NVFC Blog
Stay up-to-date on current firefighter health and safety issues and priorities through the NVFC’s blog.
Fire Service Survivor Network
Only a survivor can fully understand another survivor's experiences. Simply connecting with someone else who has lost a beloved firefighter can offer a sense of hope. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation matches members of the Network with survivors who face similar circumstances, so they can help each other and have someone to talk to about difficulties in their lives.
Health Resources
Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program
Heart attack is the leading cause of firefighter fatalities. The NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program works to reverse this trend by promoting fitness, nutrition, and health awareness within America's fire and emergency services and providing the tools and resources to help first responders and their families stay healthy and strong. Find resources for starting a department health and wellness program, general health information for first responders, and tools for nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle choices.
Put It Out
Smoking is linked to a number of life-threatening and life-altering diseases, including heart disease, lung disease, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis, among others. The Put It Out campaign, created by the National Volunteer Fire Council in partnership with Pfizer, helps first responders quit smoking and stay quit. It also offers resources to departments, state associations, and families to support first responders in their smoking cessation efforts.
Health and Wellness Guide for the Volunteer Emergency Services
The prevalence of cardiovascular illness and deaths and work-inhibiting strains and sprains among firefighters illustrates the need for a comprehensive health and wellness program in every department. Yet department leaders often struggle to implement a program due to reasons such as resistance or lack of motivation from members, the costs associated with implementing a program, and the lack of well-defined requirements. This Guide demonstrates ways to overcome these obstacles, provides direction for developing and implementing a department program, and highlights several existing health and wellness programs and how they have maintained their success over time.
Addressing the Epidemic of Obesity in the United States Fire Service
The NVFC, thanks to support from the U.S. Fire Administration, partnered with the HOPE Health Research Institute to conduct a study on obesity in the fire service. With the growing epidemic of obesity throughout the country and in the fire service itself, this study is an important resource for firefighters and EMS personnel to learn more about the causes of the problem and what they can do to reverse this potentially life-threatening trend. The report looks at the impact of obesity, the scope of obesity in the fire service, and why obesity has become an epidemic, and then highlights innovative trends in nutrition and fitness that firefighters can utilize and presents recommendations for the fire service for combating obesity and increasing fitness.
Critical Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service
In 2010, the NVFC updated the 2004 Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service study, resulting in this revised document that addresses key findings as well as provides information on initiatives, programs, and strategies currently available to help reduce fatalities among the nation’s first responders. Highlighted issues include obesity, heart attack, stress, sleep deprivation, behavioral health, and substance abuse.
National Firefighter Health Week
In order to create awareness around important health issues in the emergency services and encourage first responders to take action, the NVFC, through its groundbreaking Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, launched National Firefighter Health Week in August 2007. National Firefighter Health Week is an annual week-long initiative held each August to educate the fire and emergency services community and the public about heart-health as well as a variety of other health and wellness issues.
Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week
The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Fighters sponsor Safety, Health and Survival Week (Safety Week) each June, in partnership with more than 20 national fire service organizations including the National Volunteer Fire Council. Fire departments are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activity during Safety Week and instead focus entirely on safety, health, and wellness-related training and education until all shifts and personnel have taken part.
IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section
The International Association of Fire Chief’s (IAFC) Safety, Health and Survival Section was established to provide a specific component within the IAFC to concentrate on policies and issues relating to the health and safety of firefighters.
The Silent Killer
This web site, sponsored by Masimo and supported by fire service organization’s including the NVFC, is designed to raise awareness among first responders and their families and friends about the unsuspected occupational dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and how to best protect themselves. The site features “The Silent Killer” video along with other resources and information.
Firefighter Cancer Support Network
The objective of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network is to provide timely assistance to all fire service members and their families in the event of cancer diagnosis.
Mesothelioma Symptoms
Firefighters and paramedics work in dangerous facilities daily, including burning and deteriorating structures. Despite the immediate risk of fire and facility collapse, asbestos exposure poses another danger because of its past popularity as an insulator. Although relatively harmless when left undisturbed, firefighters and paramedics frequently enter older, poorly-maintained structures where this material likely resides in a damaged form, allowing it to be ingested and develop into cancer.
Vehicle Safety Resources
STOP: Safety Top Our Priorities
The NVFC has developed a training series on vehicle safety to educate participants on the importance of using a seatbelt, slowing down, stopping, and using spotters. The first training in the series, Seatbelts Top Our Response Priority, is now available. Click here to access the training, click on "Not Already Registered? Click Here" and register as a student using access code 6832.
Emergency Vehicle Safe Operations for Volunteer & Small Combination Emergency Service Organizations
The NVFC and USFA created the Emergency Vehicle Safe Operations program to prevent firefighter deaths and injuries from the second leading cause of firefighter fatalities - vehicle accidents. This innovative educational program includes an emergency vehicle safety best practices self-assessment, standard operating guideline examples, and behavioral motivation techniques to enhance emergency vehicle safety.
Emergency Vehicle Safety
This page presents information on current USFA research projects in the area of emergency vehicle operations safety, including findings and recommendations related to reducing casualties to emergency responders while responding to, returning from, or operating at incidents.
National Fire Service and EMS Seatbelt Pledge
Firefighters and emergency service personnel are encouraged to sign the National Fire Service and EMS Seatbelt Pledge in an effort to ensure the safety of all first responders driving or riding in fire department apparatus. This web site, administered through the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's Everyone Goes Home program, also includes public service announcements, videos, posters, training, and other resources for getting first responders to buckle up.
Safe Passage
Safe Passage is a tool to help you strengthen your department's commitment to the safe operation of all fire apparatus and other emergency vehicles. Use these tools within your department and community to remind firefighters and citizens that they share the responsibility for ensuring that emergency vehicles get to the scene safely and quickly.
Alive on Arrival: Tips for Safe Emergency Vehicle Operations
This brochure, printed by FEMA, provides tips for safe emergency vehicle operation for both operators and passengers.
Slow Down Move Over - Video Public Service Announcement
The Emergency Responder Safety Institute has created a 'Slow Down Move Over' video public service announcement to remind the public of the importance of slowing down and moving over when emergency response vehicles are present.
Fire Apparatus Rollover Accident Video
This powerful video recounts the rollover of a Raleigh (NC) Fire Department tractor drawn aerial on July 10, 2009, including footage of the accident and commentary by the firefighters who were in the accident. The video emphasizes the critical need to focus on vehicle safety and how important training is.
Articles
B.E.S.T. – A + B = C…Do the Math
By Tom Miller, NVFC Director (WV)
This article looks at how positive attitudes and behaviors in regards to health, vehicle safety, PPE, standards and procedures, training, and more are critical in a fire department in order to achieve positive outcomes and consequences.
B.E.S.T. Practices and Stress
By Jeff Cash, NVFC Second Vice Chair
This article explores the role of stress within the fire service and highlights healthy behaviors to combat negative stress.
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