Wildland Firefighter Foundation

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Wildland Firefighter Foundation

• Our mission is to honor, recognize, support, and
  assist all wildland firefighters.

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Wildland Firefighter Foundation

• In partnership with the National Fallen
  Firefighters Foundation,
• the Wildland Firefighter Foundation presents
• this wildland firefighter safety message based on
• The Courage To Be Safe,
• So Everyone Goes Home
• Training program created by the
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

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Objectives of this Session

• Inform about
• Wildland Firefighter Foundation
• Wildland Firefighter Fatalities
• Inform and educate about the
• 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
• Provide awareness ideas and safety messages

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Wildland Firefighter Foundation

• Founded in 1999 by Vicki Minor and a group of
  volunteers from government agencies and private
  businesses
• To provide assistance to families of fallen and
  injured wildland firefighters
• To honor and recognize past, present, and future
  wildland firefighters
• A non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation located in
  Idaho

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Wildland Firefighter Foundation
We will never forget . . .
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Programs and Services

• Financial Assistance
• Wildland Survivor Network
• Family Day Event
• Family Advocacy
• Line-of-Duty-Death Recognition

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130 family members attended our first Family
Day in 2005
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Little Ones Left Behind
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Financial Assistance
Thanks to Santas Helpers, Christmas was a little
brighter for these children
Ricky Schwartz
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Line of Duty Death Recognition
Storm King statues were taken to fire camps
throughout the 10 year anniversary, and given to
families after the 2004 fire season. Every
family that loses a firefighter in a LODD
receives a statue.
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Programs and Services

• Marker placement and stewardship of the
  Wildland Firefighter Monument located at National
  Interagency Fire Center
• Statue placement in public venues
• 52 Club membership program

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The Monument
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Statue Placement

• IN HONOR AND RECOGNITION OF ALL WILDLAND
  FIREFIGHTERS ACROSS THIS GREAT NATION
• DUTY - RESPECT - INTEGRITY

Plans are currently underway to place statues at
the airports in Sacramento (CA) and Reno (NV)
Wildland Firefighter at Boise (Idaho) Airport
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The Power of One
The 52 Club

• Would you give a Buck to help a Buddy?
• Just 1 a week for 52 weeks (52 annually) to
  become a member of the 52 Club
• Gold member status if 75 of your
  crew/organization become members

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Program Goal for Wildland Firefighter Fatalities
Reduce preventable fire deaths by 25 in five
years, and 50 in ten years This is a national
goal for all firefighters established by the
United States Fire Administration in 2004.
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On average, 100 firefighters are killed each
year25 of them are classified as wildland
firefighters
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On average, one in every 1,000 wildland
firefighters are killed in the line-of-duty
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In the years 1999 to 2004, the leading cause of
wildland firefighter deaths were vehicle-
related accidents On average 52
Engine, Dozer, and Vehicle Accidents or Rollovers
and Airtanker and Helicopter Crashes
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2nd Leading Cause of Death

• During those same years, the second leading
  cause of
• Wildland firefighter deaths, on average 27,
  were exhaustion and health-related, either
  during an incident or immediately after.

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
Our goal is to help the U.S. Fire Administration
achieve its objective of reducing the number of
firefighter fatalities by 25 within 5 years, and
by 50 within 10 years. The adoption of the 16
Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives is a vital
step in achieving that goal. Tools and resources
are available to help you make sure Everyone Goes
Home.
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Initiative 1

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

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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Initiative 2

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

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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10 Standard Fire Orders
Fire Behavior

• Keep informed on fire weather conditions and
  forecasts.
• Know what your fire is doing at all times.
• Base all actions on current and expected behavior
  of the fire.

Fireline Safety

• Identify escape routes and make them known.
• Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
• Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act
  decisively.

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10 Standard Fire Orders
Organizational Control

• Maintain prompt communications with your forces,
  your supervisor, and adjoining forces.
• Give clear instructions and insure they are
  understood.
• Maintain control of your forces at all times.

If 1-9 Are Considered, Then

• Fight fire aggressively, having provided for
  safety first.

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Initiative 3

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

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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Initiative 4

• All firefighters must be empowered to
• stop unsafe practices.

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18 Watch Out Situations

• Fire not scouted and sized up.
• In country not seen in daylight.
• Safety zones and escape routes not identified.
• Unfamiliar with weather and local factors
  influencing fire behavior.
• Uninformed on strategy, tactics, and hazards.
• Instructions and assignments not clear.

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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18 Watch Out Situations

• No communication link between crewmembers and
  supervisors
• Constructing line without safe anchor point.
• Building line downhill with fire below.
• Attempting frontal assault on fire.
• Unburned fuel between you and the fire.
• Cannot see main fire, not in contact with anyone
  whocan.

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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18 Watch Out Situations

• On a hillside where rolling material can ignite
  fuel below.
• Weather gets hotter and drier.
• Wind increases and/or changes direction.
• Getting frequent spot fires across line.
• Terrain or fuels make escape to safety zones
  difficult.
• Feel like taking a nap near fireline.

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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Initiative 5

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

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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Initiative 6

• 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.

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Initiative 7

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

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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Initiative 8

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

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Initiative 9

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

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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Initiative 10

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

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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Initiative 11

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

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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L C E S
Lookouts Communication Escape Routes
Safety Zones

• In the wildland fire environment, four basic
  safety hazards confront the firefighter
• Lightning
• Fire-weakened timber
• Rolling rocks
• Entrapment by running fires

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L C E S
Lookouts Communication Escape Routes
Safety Zones
Each firefighter must know the interconnection of
LCES. LCES should be established before fighting
the fire select Lookouts, set up
Communications, choose Escape Routes, and select
Safety Zones. LCES functions sequentiallyits a
self-triggering mechanism.
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L C E S
Lookouts Communication Escape Routes
Safety Zones

• LCES IS BUILT ON TWO GUIDELINES
• Before safety is threatened, each firefighter
  MUST know the LCES to be used.
• LCES MUST be continuously reevaluated as fire
  conditions change.

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Initiative 12

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

During Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, wildland
firefighters found themselves in situations that
are not a normal part of their firefighting
duties. And because of these types of settings,
you may find yourself encountering potentially
violent circumstances.
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Initiative 13

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

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Initiative 14

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

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Initiative 15

• Advocacy must be strengthened for the
  enforcement of codes.

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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Initiative 16

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

Photo from wildlandfire.com
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Know Your Situational Awareness
3 fires, 32 fatalities, 3 similar mountain
ranges. KNOW YOUR SITUATION! No LAND is worth a
LIFE.
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Firefighter Safety is our Responsibility
EVERYONE GOES HOME!

• Drive with care everyone wears a
  seatbelt.EVERYONE!
• Safe speedalways under control
• Driver shouldnt drive if exhausted
• Remain seated and belted while in motion
• Protect the roadway/scene

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Firefighter Safety is our Responsibility
EVERYONE GOES HOME!

• The right FIREFIGHTING Strategy - Offensive or
  Defensive?
• SIZE-UP Evaluate risks before attacking
• Do not risk a firefighters LIFE to save land
• Closely monitor changing conditions

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Firefighter Safety is our Responsibility
EVERYONE GOES HOME!

• Stay together so no one is lost
• Accountability and crew integrity are essential
• Stay orientedknow your location
• Communicate with your crew command

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How can you make a difference?

• Get back to the basics!
• Know Your Situation
• Ask QuestionsYour Life Depends on It

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• A lesson is truly learned when we modify our
  behavior to reflect what we now know.

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The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

• P. O. Drawer 498
• Emmitsburg MD 21727
• 301-447-1365
• www.firehero.org
• Sponsors the annual NFFF Memorial Weekend
• Offers Support Programs for Survivors
• Awards scholarships to fire service survivors
• Helps departments with Line of Duty Deaths

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Wildland Firefighter Foundation

• Have the Courage to Be Safe
• So Everyone Goes Home

Wildland Firefighter Foundation 2049 Airport
WayBoise, Idaho 83705 [phone]   E-mail
info_at_wffoundation.org