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The
National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting
System (www.firefighternearmiss.com)
posted its 500th report during the first
week of January 2006, just 145 days
after the national launch at Fire-Rescue
International last August 2005.
The number of reports accumulated in
such a short time frame is a significant
milestone, according to task force members
from other industries, because it indicates
the system is trusted and accepted as
valid by fire service members.
The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss
Reporting System is a free, voluntary,
confidential, non-punitive and secure
reporting system with the goal of improving
firefighter safety. By collecting and
analyzing information on near-miss events,
improvements can be made in command,
education, operations and training.
"I applaud each person who has
submitted a report to www.firefighternearmiss.com,
they are taking an active interest in
firefighter safety by sharing their
stories. If you haven't submitted a
report, I encourage you to do so,"
said Chief Bill Killen, president of
the International Association of Fire
Chiefs (IAFC), the organization that
administers the program. "The tool
is a powerful way for firefighters to
share lessons learned with firefighters
across the country, just as they have
been sharing stories across the firehouse
kitchen table for years." Said
Killen.
Early analysis of the 524 reports submitted
as of January 25, 2006, is already revealing
valuable information. Chief Officers
(battalion/district chief and above)
have submitted Thirty percent (30%)
of the reports, a number that exceeded
predictions. The remaining numbers have
come from the ranks of firefighters,
that is captains and below. Seventy-three
percent (73%) of all reports submitted
have selected human error and situational
awareness as contributing factors to
the near miss reported. This figure
suggests that designing training programs
with greater emphasis on managing and
minimizing error may be a key to reducing
injuries and fatalities. The 73% figure
is consistent with other industries.
The "Report of the Week" feature
continues to gain in popularity and
use. Each Friday, system reviewers select
a report that has particular merit or
is relative to current events in the
fire service. A series of five follow-up
questions are provided to provoke discussion.
Send an e-mail to nearmiss@iafc.org
and type "subscribe" in the
subject line to begin receiving your
Report of the Week.
This multi fire service organization
project is funded by grants from the
Department of Homeland Security's Assistance
to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program
and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company.
It is supported by Chief Billy Goldfeder
of FirefighterCloseCalls.com in mutual
dedication for firefighter safety and
survival. Administered by the International
Association of Fire Chiefs, the system
is also endorsed by the Volunteer and
Combination Officers' Section (VCOS)
of the IAFC and the International Association
of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
A program kit explaining the system
is available for download from www.iafc.org/nearmiss.
Anyone wishing to obtain a paper copy
should contact staff at nearmiss@iafc.org.
Type "program kit" in the
subject line and include a mailing address.
Every Fire Officer and Firefighter should
visit the site and read as well as offer
their own experiences to help prevent
an injury and possibly save a life,
a Firefighter's Life that is!
JUST DO IT!
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