Start Planning Now for Safety, Health and Survival Week

February 4, 2009 – The International Association of Fire Fighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs encourages all IAFF affiliates and their fire departments to participate in the 2009 Safety, Health and Survival Week, scheduled for June 14-20, 2009.

Using the the theme, "Protect Yourself: Your Safety, Health and Survival Are Your Responsibility," this week is an opportunity for fire and EMS departments to review safety policies, evaluate the progress of existing initiatives and discuss health and wellness practices, and to use the week to correct safety deficiences and to provide training as needed.

An entire week is set aside to ensure that every crew/shift can spend one day focusing on fire fighter safety, health and survival.

This program is designed to help fire and EMS personnel manage risk and improve health and safety.

"The Safety, Health an Survival Week is a unique opportunity for labor and management to work together to take defensive action against dangers that can be controlled or prevented, and make a long-term commitment to staying safe and healthy," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger.

Recommended areas of focus include:

• Emergency Vehicle Safety
• Heart Disease and Cancer Education and Prevention
• Stop, Drop and Control High Blood Pressure Campaign
• National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System

Other resources:

Working to Death: Leading Causes of Death Among First Responders
"Working to Death" is a series of articles in the International Fire Fighter that examine the health risks fire fighters face. More importantly, the series looks at what can be done to prevent fire fighter deaths and illustrates how some are improving the health and safety of fire fighters.

Fit to Survive
A Fire Fighter's Online Guide to Health and Nutrition

IAFF/IAFC Wellness-Fitness Initiative

IAFF Division of Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine

For more information, click here or contact the IAFF Department of Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine at (202) 824-1594.