Dave Casey, Deputy Fire Chief, Seminole Tribe of Florida

On the last day of the Battalion Captain Orientation, we had the Courage to Be Safe® program presented by Brett Pollock, Florida's Courage to Be Safe® Advocate, Southeast United States Coordinator, and Deputy Chief of West Manatee Fire-Rescue.

Recognizing the need to do more to prevent line-of-duty deaths (LODD) and injuries, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation 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® that gave the fire service a blueprint for making changes.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) is playing a major role in helping the U.S. Fire Administration meet its stated goal to reduce the number of preventable firefighter fatalities. The Foundation sees fire service adoption of the summit's initiatives as a vital step in meeting this goal.

Courage to Be Safe® focuses on the initiative that 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.