Chief's Corner Archive

A Spotlight on Innovative Fire Prevention and Safety Programs

National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System

Posted on January 17, 2007 by Charlie Dickinson, Acting Assistant Administrator, USFA

As most of you know, the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System has been operational for the past 15 months through the efforts of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). When I last mentioned this program to you six months ago, it had just passed 500 reports and was already making an early impact on changing practices in the 38 fire departments signed on as pilot departments to test the system. In just a short time, the Near-Miss Reporting System has:

Passed the 1,100 mark for reports submitted,
Received numerous correspondence that describes changes of practice and testimonials from departments using the system to raise awareness about safety,
Established a successful weekly training e-mail (Report of the Week) that is mailed to over 3,000 firefighters who in turn forward it to over 30,000 more ,and
Received two prestigious awards for its concept and practice.

The USFA is honored to play a role in this ever growing commitment to firefighter safety and the recent success of the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System. I am pleased to share with you the growth of Near-Miss and successful launch of the new Resources page, which contains a report on the findings from the first 1,000 reports. This clearly demonstrates and continues to remind me that firefighters learn best from other firefighters. The IAFC's Near-Miss effort demonstrates an increasingly loyal following of fire service professionals committed to reducing firefighter fatalities and injuries. The Near-Miss Reporting System serves as a significant agent of change for the fire service and all firefighters. I am personally pleased to say that we at the United States Fire Administration fully endorse and support this system. I encourage all firefighters to support this safety effort by submitting reports from your experience and to visit the site frequently to learn from firefighters looking to share their experiences. The site fulfills a need to capture the experience of our veteran firefighters and "pay that experience forward" to the next generation of firefighters.

As we all begin 2007, it appears that we may be making some headway in reducing firefighter injuries and fatalities. Though the 2006 fatalities may only end up being slightly less than previous years, I am heartened by any reduction in the figures that have been in the triple digits for far too long. I also believe the recent gains in reducing the number of firefighter fatalities is in no small part due to the spirited and dedicated efforts of programs like the IAFC's Near-Miss Reporting System; the IAFC's Safety Stand Down; the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's Everyone Goes Home 16 Initiatives; the IAFF's multi-pronged approach to, and indefatigable interest in, firefighter safety; the NVFC's Heart Healthy program; Web sites like www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com; and the dedicated efforts of fire service personnel like Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner Ed Mann and the Courage to be Safe program. Additionally, USFA is committed to firefighter health and safety through its programs in both training and research efforts. To learn more about these USFA efforts, I encourage all fire service members to visit www.usfa.dhs.gov. These organizations throughout the nation continue to pursue the common bond that ties all of us together: reducing the senseless loss of firefighters.

I ask all firefighters of this nation to participate and contribute your efforts in 2007 to join with and continue this all out effort to stop the tragic loss of our nation's firefighters. I urge you to support the use of, and contribute both reports and vital safety practices to, sites such as the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System. Over 40,000 of you have already proven the system works. I would like to encourage the remaining 1,150,000 firefighters to make these systems work to protect all firefighters from injury and death while in service to their communities. What will your contributions be in 2007 to protect our nation's firefighters?

This is the USFA staff's and my wish for you in 2007.

Previous Chief's Corner Entries

7/17/08: Seatbelts: Enough is enough. Buckle up
6/30/08: 10th Anniversary of the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Conference
3/28/08: USFA Position on Residential Fire Sprinklers
3/5/08: Virtual Access To Executive Fire Officer Applied Research Projects; Chief's Corner Archive

Links of Interest

Department of Homeland Security Leadership Journal