Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) is Nov. 14-18, 2022. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, this initiative is designed to raise public awareness and help keep roadway responders and the public safe around traffic incidents.

Nearly every week, a first responder is killed while helping clear a roadway crash. Many more sustain life-altering injuries. Our members work tirelessly to save lives at traffic incident scenes as safely and quickly as possible. But we need motorists to do their part to protect responders by slowing down, moving over, and staying alert when approaching traffic incidents.

We encourage you to use Crash Responder Safety Week as an opportunity to promote the simple steps that everyone can take to keep first responders and the public safe around traffic incidents.

This toolkit includes a weekly social media calendar with social media graphics/posts and a sample press release that can be customized for your local media.

Contact [email protected] with any questions or for assistance with IAFF toolkits.

Social Media Calendar

The following social media calendar was developed by the Federal Highway Administration to outline the week.

The IAFF will be promoting Crash Responder Safety Week on our official social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Members can share posts from the IAFF accounts to their social media or create their own posts using the suggested week-long outline and resources below, which we have tailored for IAFF members.

Monday, Nov. 14: Respect Our Roadside Heroes

  • Share the IAFF Crash Responder Safety Week Press Release or use our template to create one for your local
  • Attend the webinar from 1-2 p.m. (ET) to kick off the week (hosted by the National Operations Center of Excellence [NOCoe])
  • Share IAFF General President Edward Kelly’s video message
  • Social Media Post:
    This week is Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW). Nearly every week, a first responder is killed while helping clear a roadway crash. Many more sustain life-altering injuries. Our members work tirelessly to save lives at traffic incident scenes as safely and quickly as possible. But we need motorists to do their part to protect responders by slowing down, moving over, and staying alert when approaching traffic incidents. #CRSW #IAFF #roadsideheroes
  • Social Media Graphic:

Tuesday, Nov. 15: Responder Training

Wednesday, Nov. 16: Slow Down, Move Over

  • Social Media Post: During Crash Responder Safety Week — and every week — stay alert, slow down, and move over for traffic incidents to keep professionals working to clear roadway incidents safe. These responders also have families waiting for them. #SlowDownMoveOver #CRSW #IAFF #roadsideheroes
  • Social Media Graphic:

Thursday, Nov. 17: More Than a Crash

  • Social Media Post: Stay alert, slow down, and move over when passing the scene of a traffic incident. #CRSW​ #IAFF #roadsideheroes
  • Social Media Graphic:

Friday, Nov. 18: Driver Education

  • Social Media Post: Parents – make sure you are teaching by example when driving near a traffic incident. Stay alert (off the phone), reduce speed, and – if possible – change lanes to keep drivers, passengers, and incident responders safe. #CrashResponderSafetyWeek #CRSW #SlowDownMoveOver #roadsideheroes
  • Social Media Graphic:

Additional Posts and Graphics:

  • On any given day, approximately 50,000 traffic incident responders work roadside to restore safe travel after traffic incidents, such as crashes or spilled cargo. Stay alert for traffic incidents and incident responders. #IAFF #CRSW #roadsideheroes

  • Hundreds of law enforcement, fire, EMS, transportation, towing, and public works professionals lost their lives responding to traffic incidents in the last decade. During Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW), let’s honor their memory and prevent future tragedies – slow down and move over. #CRSW #IAFF #roadsideheroes

Sample Press Release

Media outlets are eager for ready-to-go content that is timely and public-safety oriented.

Establishing local media contacts that you can fire off press releases to will help establish solid, positive relationships with the public and local media to ensure they continue to look to their community fire fighters for safety advice all year long.

Use this sample press release (and include one of our social media graphics) to get the word out about Crash Responder Safety Week.

Be sure to follow-up with reporters and assignment editors to let them know you are available for a discussion.

Additional Resources