Culture Change

Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating to safety; incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and personal responsibility.

Accountability

Enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health and safety throughout the fire service.

Risk Management

Focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities.

Encouragement

All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.

Training and Certification

Develop and implement national standards for training, qualifications, and certification (including regular recertification) that are equally applicable to all firefighters based on the duties they are expected to perform.

Medical Physical and Fitness

Develop and implement national medical and physical fitness standards that are equally applicable to all firefighters, based on the duties they are expected to perform.

Research Agenda

Create a national research agenda and data collection system that relates to the initiatives.

Technology

Utilize available technology wherever it can produce higher levels of health and safety.

Fatality, Near-miss Investigation

Thoroughly investigate all firefighter fatalities, injuries, and near misses.

Grant Support

Grant programs should support the implementation of safe practices and/or mandate safe practices as an eligibility requirement.

Response Policies

National standards for emergency response policies and procedures should be developed and championed.

Violent Incident report

National protocols for response to violent incidents should be developed and championed.

Psychological Support

Firefighters and their families must have access to counseling and psychological support.

Public Education

Public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire and life safety program

Code Enforcement and Sprinklers

Advocacy must be strengthened for the enforcement of codes and the installation of home fire sprinklers.

Apparatus Design and Safety

Safety must be a primary consideration in the design of apparatus and equipment.