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Recognizing the need to do more to prevent line-of-duty deaths and injuries, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has launched a national initiative to bring prevention to the forefront.
In March 2004, the Firefighter Life Safety Summit was held in Tampa, Florida to address the need for change within the fire and emergency services. Through this meeting, 16 Life Safety Initiatives were produced to ensure that Everyone Goes Home®.
The first major action was to sponsor a national gathering of fire and emergency services leaders. Organized by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the held in Tampa, Florida, in March 2004 produced 16 major initiatives that will give the fire service a blueprint for making changes.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will play a major role in helping the U.S. Fire Administration meet its stated goal to reduce firefighter fatalities by 25% within 5 years, and by 50% within 10 years. The Foundation sees fire service adoption of the summit's initiatives as a vital step in meeting this goal.
Firefighters must have the courage to face a multitude of risks in order to save lives and protect their communities. Their courage allows them to willingly risk their own lives so that others can be saved. A different type of courage is required to stay safe in potentially dangerous situations, avoiding needless risks and tragic consequences.
This provocative and moving presentation is designed to change the culture of accepting the loss of firefighters as a normal occurrence. Building on the untold story of LODD survivors, it reveals how family members must live with the consequences of a firefighter death and provides a focus on the need for firefighters and officers to change fundamental attitudes and behaviors in order to prevent line of duty deaths. The central theme promotes the courage to do the right thing in order to protect yourself and other firefighters and ensure that "Everyone Goes Home" at the end of the day.
The Courage to Be Safe program package consists of a PowerPoint presentation on a CD, as well as an instructor guide and sample handout materials. The CD includes embedded video clips of fire service leaders and excerpts of the emotional presentation made at FDIC-2005 by Reverend Bevon Smith, father of Paul Smith, a firefighter who in died in the line of duty in 1989.
This program is a must see for all who care, share, and have a feeling for the safety of all firefighters.
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