Strategic Initiatives 2019-2021iafcsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IAFC-SHS... · 2018-08-01 · Wellness Program. D. Identify and champion the role of a Chief Safety Ofﬁcer

Strategic Initiatives 2019-2021 IAFC Safety, Health, & Survival Section

MISSION

The mission of the Safety, Health, and Survival Section of the IAFC is to support and provide leadership for the advancement of occupational safety and health within the fire service and

in the greater emergency response community.

VISION

Saving lives - one firefighter at a time.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Strategic Initiatives 2019-2021 1

Organization 4

Letter from the Chair 5

Initiative #1 7

Initiative #2 8

Initiative #3 9

Initiative #4 10

Initiative #5 11

Appendices 12

History of the Safety, Health, & Survival Section 13

Previous Strategic Initiatives - 2010 - 2012 15

Previous Strategic Initiatives - 2016- 2018 16

Document Creation Subcommittee 17

Acknowledgements 18

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� �2019-2021 Strategic Initiatives

Organization

Scott KerwoodChair

John SullivanVice Chair

Todd LeDucSecretary

Rick KaneTreasurer

Billy GoldfederInternational Director

David DanielsAt Large Director

Nathan TrauernightAt Large Director

Ken MorganAt Large Director

Garry MorrisAt Large Director

Nicholas HempelAt Large Director

Dan KerriganAt Large Director

Shawn OkeAt Large Director

John TippettAt Large Director

Joanne RundAt Large Director

Brian FennessyOrganizational Liaison

Patrick MorrisonOrganizational Liaison

Steve AustinOrganizational Liaison

Mike GurleyOrganizational Liaison

Randall HanifenOrganizational Liaison

Time MerinarOrganizational Liaison

Jeff CashOrganizational Liaison

Gordon RoutleyOrganizational Liaison

Bill TroupOrganizational Liaison

Jeff ElliotOrganizational Liaison

Jason HoevelmannOrganizational Liaison

John SmithgallOrganizational Liaison

Bryan FriedersOrganizational Liaison

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IAFC Safety, Health, & Survival Section


Letter from the Chair

Greetings, members:

On behalf of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, I am excited and proud to present our 2019-2021 Strategic Initiatives. I would like to thank the members of the Safety, Health, and Survival Section (SHS) for their tireless hard work and commitment to this document. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to this unique and diverse group of officers for their steadfast work and dedication to being part of a team to help ensure all members are healthy and alive and everyone goes home. Safety is not a buzz word and healthy should not be just for a few. This must be our way of life.

Our most valuable resource truly is our personnel and it takes the experiences, knowledge, and involvement of numerous people from a wide variety of communities around the world to truly make a difference, and effectively create policy and programs for the greater good of our industry’s members and their families. These programs must include recognition that to achieve a safer, healthier work environment a culture shift must occur. Leaders must understand the many facets of providing a healthy and safe work environment for our members. They must champion programs and an organizational culture that includes getting and staying physically and mentally healthy.

While our industry continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations, we must fight against all these dangers by ensuring our personnel have access to programs to help combat these dangers. The long hours, shift work, sporadic high intensity work, strong emotional involvement, and exposure to human suffering places firefighting and first response among the most stressful occupations in the world. High levels of stress, intense physical demands, arduous work and short and long-term exposure to chemicals and infectious disease contribute to heart disease, lung disease, and cancer, the three leading causes of death and occupational disease disability. Also, we can no longer ignore the ever-increasing mental health needs of our personnel.

Your SHS Section will continue to work hard together, learn from each other, and share our discoveries of the best and safest practices. We will continue to develop programs that will help ensure emergency responders return home the same way they began their shift, or even better.

Sincerely,

Scott D. KerwoodChair, IAFC Safety, Health, & Survival Section

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Initiative #1

Action Items:

A. Identify key participating organizations.B. Convene a national stakeholder gathering of participating organizations.C. Identify key areas of consensus for collaboration.D. Identify joint implementation strategies.

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Create a National Fire Service Health and Safety Alliance to work with other fire service organizations to address firefighter safety issues.



Initiative #2

Action Items:

A. Identify stakeholders to develop partnerships for providing NFPA 1582 compliant physical assessment on an annual basis.

B. Identify obstacles preventing firefighters from receiving NFPA 1582 physicals (ongoing)

C. Develop a tiered physical assessment process.D. Work with research that is being conducted in order to education physicians and fire

departments (ongoing).E. Investigate the role fatigue plays in safety

of fire service members.F. Enter into MOU with First Responder

Center of Excellence (completed, two IAFC

members on FRCE board).G. Create online toolbox for fire service

physicals (completed on FRCE website).H. Apply for AFG grants to fund marketing

campaign (pending).

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Develop a process to enable every firefighter to obtain an NFPA 1582 compliant physical assessment on an annual basis.



Initiative #3

Action Items:

A.Develop a mechanism to better identify Section members to participate in Section initiatives and activities.

B.Develop a ‘new member’ kit to be distributed to new Section members.

C.Provide Section members with exclusive FRI engagement opportunities.

D.Develop a multi-level safety and wellness repository of research and best practices available to Safety, Health, & Survival Section members only.

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Provide our membership with “value” for being a Section Member.



Initiative #4

Action Items:A. Work with strategic partners such as NVFC and NFPA to increase awareness of the

Safety Stand Down.B. Establish the Twitter account (@IAFC_SHS) as primary means to communicate on

social media. Promote SHS Section via social media and encourage IAFC members to join the Section. Cross over to LinkedIn and share by SHS directors and collaborators on social media.

C. Establish and/or leverage relationships with fire service affinity groups in an effort to expand audience base.

D. Continue to maneuver and refine/sharpen our brand to become synonymous with professional leadership.

E. Develop and implement an evaluation system capable of providing the Board of Directors with feedback on the initiative.

F. Update look and content on SHS website. Add twitter feed on site.G. Promote Roadmap to Health and Wellness and increase awareness of responder health

and safety issues on a daily basis.H. Partner with IAFC Strategic Communications Department on dissemination of SHS

information to include SHS Section Spotlight.I. Develop promotional materials for distribution at NFA promoting the SHS Section.J. Continue development and expansion of the SHS Staging area with active

participation from those on the list.K. Continue development of FRI collaboration and FDSOA collaboration and promotion.

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Improve our marketing and communication strategy to reach the entire fire service.



Initiative #5

Action Items:

A. Develop partnerships with stakeholders for the development of a Comprehensive Health and Wellness Program.

B. Identify barriers preventing departments from implementing a Comprehensive Health and Wellness Program.

C. Develop a model Comprehensive Health and Wellness Program.

D. Identify and champion the role of a Chief Safety Officer in organizations.

E. Educate the fire service about the need for a Comprehensive Health and Wellness Program.

F. Continue research, programming, training development, and advocacy for bullying, harassment, and violence prevention.

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Develop a comprehensive health and wellness process including physical fitness and behavioral health.



Appendices

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History of the Safety, Health, & Survival Section

The IAFC has always considered health and safety to be one of the most significant areas of concern for all fire chiefs and has initiated or participated in a long list of programs related to health and safety.

The IAFC hosted a Health and Safety Committee for more than 30 years charged with studying health and safety issues and recommending appropriate policies to the IAFC Board of Directors. The Committee played an important role in the development and implementation of NFPA Standard 1500 and the Joint Wellness-Fitness program that was developed in cooperation with the IAFF along with a long list of other projects. The Committee developed numerous educational programs for Fire-Rescue International and other events, studied issues and made policy recommendations to the IAFC Board of Directors. The Committee also published a series of documents to guide fire chiefs in various situations, including recommended policies and procedures, as well as the IAFC Guide on Conducting Line-of-Duty Death Investigations. The establishment of a new Section focused on Safety, Health, and Survival is a reflection of the importance that IAFC attaches to the responsibility of protecting our most valuable resource – our personnel.

The expanding need for the focus on health and safety the IAFC established a Safety, Health and Survival Section to enhance the current safety committee concept, and provide a specific Section within the IAFC to concentrate on policies and issues relating to the health and safety of firefighters.

With the establishment of the Safety, Health and Survival Section, there are new and greater opportunities for IAFC members to become involved in this important mission. Through an elected executive board, the membership will be empowered to guide and manage the operations of the new Section to address issues on a timelier basis and provide more training and educational opportunities.

The Safety, Health and Survival Section established a set of strategic initiatives at the winter SHS Board Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. These strategic initiatives were developed to help guide the Section in working toward the change in culture to keep our members healthy and alive.

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IAFC Health and Safety Committee 2004-2006“Leading the way in fire service health and safety”

Meetings• New Orleans August 13, 2005• Santa Rosa November 14, 2005• Atlanta February 5, 2005

Conference Calls• September 2004• October 2004• December 2004• January 2005• April 2005• May 2005• July 2005

Health and Safety Committee GoalsThe committee has made some progress in addressing goals in the strategic plan in a general sense, however the “possible actions” have been somewhat different.The committee will work with the Board of the Safety, Health and Survival Section to transition applicable projects and tasks.

Health and Safety AwardsEncourage the development of programs that keep firefighters physically, medically and behaviorally safe…” (III.1)

A joint project with the Fire Department Safety Officer’s Association.To be presented at SHS Section meeting in Denver.

Fire Chief Magazine ArticlesCoordinate with organizations to minimize FF injuries and fatalities” (III.3). A monthly safety focused article by a member of the committee covering the sixteen life safety initiatives.

Vulnerability Assessment Tool“Coordinate with organizations to minimize FF injuries and fatalities” (III.3).

A tool to help fire chiefs assess organization’s vulnerability for LODD or serious injury.A self assessment tool, similar to and consistent with the accreditation model.Joint project with Metro Section and USFA and other organizations.

Near Miss ProjectAnalyze near miss data, create a reporting method…” (III.3. b, c)

Two committee members involved in the task force.

Section StatusOver 600 signed the petition at FRI 2004.Major focus of the committee since January 2005.Bylaws approved by IAFC Bylaws review Committee.Approximately 280 paid members as of August 1, 2005.1st Section meeting on August 12, 2005.

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Previous Strategic Initiatives - 2010 - 20121. Strengthened our alliances with organizations having similar goals.

a. Incorporated liaisons into the SHS Section. Liaisons invited to SHS Section Meeting and report out on quarterly basis or as Chairs deems necessary.

b. SHS Section participated in NFPA 1500 series standards, the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), and monitored status of Line of Duty Death benefits through the DOJ.

2. Develop and implement a Section marketing strategy to better inform Section members, IAFC members, and the broader emergency service community about the goals, objectives, and activities of the Section.a. Opened lines of communications with all IAFC Sections regarding issues related to safety,

health and survival.b. Established a working group to identify the Safety Week themes for 2010-2012.c. Participated in the program planning for safety, health and survival related sessions at FRI.d. Continued our alliance with the IAFC communications committee, working to identify and

resolve issues related to radio transmissions and systems.e. Identified coordinator for displays regarding the SHS Section at all IAFC conferences. f. Established a working group for identifying alternate funding sources for the Section

3. Develop specific goals and objectives related to firefighter health and wellnessa. Working group established partnerships to identify partnerships and funding sources to

provide an annual NFPA compliant medical exam for every firefighter in North America.b. Developed and published a fire chief’s guide to health and wellness and continue to develop a

cost-benefit analysis of such a program to use to obtain funding from elected officials. c. Established a website dedicated to studies conducted on firefighter health topics.d. Continuing to identify the latest treatment and prevention programs specific to firefighter

cancer types and ensure the fire service has this information readily available.e. Continuing to work with partner organizations to implement a smoking cessation programf. Continuing to work with partner organizations to develop a fire service weight reduction

program.4. Implement recommendations contained in the NIOSH/FF LODD report developed by the

Sectiona. Ensure the current document and working group remains focused and works toward the

implementation goals contained within the document.b. Identify the means of funding the recommendations.c. Worked with FDSOA Safety Conference.

5. Monitor and make recommendations related to changes in local, state, and federal regulations regarding health, safety, and survivala. Completed and published the updated Rules of Engagement.b. Established a working group to research and make a recommendation for a national standard

for building marking related to lightweight truss construction.c. Continue to monitor progress of the NFPA 1917 committee.d. Monitor the progress of all NFPA 1500 series committees.

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Previous Strategic Initiatives - 2016- 20181. Create a National Fire Service Health and Safety Alliance to work with other fire service

organizations to address firefighter safety issues.a. Identified key participating organizationsb. Identify key areas of consensus for collaborationc. Identify joint implementation strategies

2. Develop a process to enable every firefighter to obtain an NFPA 1582 compliant physical assessment on an annual basis.a. Identified stakeholders to develop partnerships for providing NFPA 1582 physicals to

firefighterb. Identified obstacles preventing Firefighter from receiving NFPA 1582 physicalsc. Developed a tiered physical assessment processd. Continue to work with research that is being conducted in order to educate physicians and fire

department3. Provide our membership with value for being a Section member.

a. Developed a staging area for section member participation in Section activitiesb. Continuing to develop a ‘new member’ kit to be distributed to new Section membersc. Provided Section members with exclusive FRI engagement opportunitiesd. Developed a multi-level safety and wellness repository of research and best practices available

to Safety, Health, & Survival Section members only4. Improve our marketing and communication strategy to reach the entire fire service.

a. Expanded our portfolio of communication tools (ie web page, social media) used in marketingb. Established and/or leveraged relationships with fire service affinity groups in an effort to

expand our audience basec. Continuing to maneuver and refine/sharpen our brand to become synonymous with

professional leadershipd. Developed and implemented an evaluation system capable of providing the Board of

Directors with feedback on the initiative5. Develop a comprehensive health and wellness process including physical fitness and

behavioral health.a. Developed partnerships with stakeholders for the development of a comprehensive Health

and Wellness programb. Continuing to identify barriers preventing departments from implementing a comprehensive

Health and Wellness programc. Continuing to develop a model comprehensive Health and Wellness programd. Continuing to educate the fire service about the need for a comprehensive Health and

Wellness program

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Document Creation Subcommittee

Josh CreamerAssistant Chief, Boone County Fire Protection District (MO)

Rick DangerfieldSafety & Compliance Officer, North Charleston Fire Department (SC)

Ian EmmonsBattalion Chief, Washington Township Fire Department (OH)

Ed MannDirector of Training & Education, Provident

John OatesChief, East Hartford (CT)

Eric TheelFirefighter/Paramedic, Beaver Dam Fire & Rescue Department (WI)

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Acknowledgements

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Documents

Strategic Initiatives 2019-2021iafcsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IAFC-SHS... · 2018-08-01 · Wellness Program. D. Identify and champion the role of a Chief Safety Ofﬁcer