A Commitment to Change

Chief William Goddard clearly remembers the day when he decided to make safety the top priority for the Howard County (Md.) Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS). He and the recruits from the 2010 class were at the National Fallen Firefighters (NFFF) Memorial Weekend ceremony in Emmitsburg, Md. It was during the service that Chief Goddard had what he calls his epiphany.

“As I sat there that beautiful October day, I asked myself if I could honestly say I was doing everything I could to ensure these recruits and their families were never confronted with what we were witnessing that morning,” Goddard says. “I decided that day I could talk about safety or I could do something about it. I realized I had an opportunity to make a change.”

It’s Not Okay
Not that long ago, it was considered a badge of honor for firefighters to have burns, scars and injuries from the fires they fought. To have experienced the death of a friend and coworker was all part of the job. It was part of the culture. That day, Chief Goddard decided that his legacy would be to lead the department toward a culture of safety.

“For a long time I was part of that culture,” he said recently to a class of department leaders attending the NFFF’s new Leadership, Accountability, Culture and Knowledge (LACK) training program by. “I lived it. I believed it. But I was wrong.”

Goddard asked those in the classroom who have children of driving age to think about the nights they lie awake, waiting to be sure they hear the door open and their son or daughter come in safely. Heads nodded in quiet understanding.

He admitted to feeling the same way about the members of the department. Not a day passes that he doesn’t worry about getting a phone call to tell him that someone is missing or has been flown out via medevac from a call. He dreads having to tell a family that their loved one has died. He’s had to do it before and hopes he never has to do it again.

“It’s not okay with our loved ones that we may not come home after a call. It’s not okay with me. And it should not be okay with anyone in this room,” Goddard said.  

Pieces to the Safety Puzzle
As a first step to promoting safety within the department, Chief Goddard arranged for all the members to take the NFFF’s Courage to be Safe classes and all department officers to take the LACK classes. Both are part of the FNFFF’s Everyone Goes Home program, which was developed after the 2004 Life Safety Summit in Florida that identified 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives for improving safety in the fire service.

HCDFRS is a combination system, providing services through a partnership of volunteers and career personnel. According to Battalion Chief Joanne Rund, every member, both volunteer and career, receives the same training and information to ensure that they’re all performing professionally and as one cohesive group. This includes the safety initiatives. “From the administrative staff to the firefighters, both volunteer and career, we do everything we can to make sure everyone has proper training,” Rund says. “It helps everyone feel like they own a piece of this puzzle.”

The department also worked with the NFFF on the new seatbelt education campaign, Buckle Up! So Everyone Goes Home. Because vehicular crashes are the second leading cause of firefighter line-of-duty deaths in the United States–and in many cases firefighters are not wearing seatbelts–the department leadership felt this was a critical message to share. The goal of the campaign is to have firefighters around the country sign the International Seat Belt Pledge and always buckle up. All members of HCDFRS are asked to sign the pledge. To promote the campaign, HCDFRS Deputy Chief Jeff King, a 38-year veteran, helped to design the logo and new dashboard sticker.  

Making safety the top priority for its members also ensures the residents of Howard County are receiving unparalleled service. The department has literally turned its organizational chart upside down, placing the citizens at the top, firefighters and EMS responders in the middle, and the leadership at the bottom. “We felt this would clearly illustrate to everyone that the leadership is the base of the department and our goal is to be supportive to and serve those above us on the chart,” Goddard says.

Recognizing the Commitment
Word of this commitment to safety has spread around the region. HCDFRS is part of a coalition of Maryland fire departments, created nearly two years ago, that reviews each department’s operating procedures and identifies ways to implement these safety initiatives. The goal is to become a more cohesive fire service, with the same standards and expectations throughout the area.

“No other department has embraced the Foundation’s efforts to reduce line-of-duty injuries and deaths in such a significant manner,” says Victor Stagnaro, director of fire service programs with the NFFF. “Their commitment to safety and personal responsibility is exemplary.”

For all their efforts, HCDFRS recently received the NFFF’s Life Safety Initiatives Program Seal of Excellence Award, presented to individuals, groups, departments or organizations who have established outstanding efforts to making the American fire service safer.

Chief Goddard is proud of the men and women in his department for their dedication to this initiative. He recognizes that changing the culture of firefighting will take time and effort, but he is confident that his department is leading the way for others to follow.

“I look forward to the time when, at the end of every call, every shift, and every day, we can say, ‘Mission accomplished. Everyone goes home.’”