It’s All about Safety–Awards

Multiple safety-related awards were presented during today’s annual Safety, Health and Survival (SHS) section meeting at Fire-Rescue International in Chicago. Read about the Safety Officer of the Year Award here. Here’s a recap of the other awards:

Alan Brunacini Fire Service Executive Safety Award
Co-sponsored by Provident Insurance

Fire Chief Steven Cover of the Virginia Beach Fire Department was honored with the Alan Brunacini Fire Service Executive Safety Award, which is presented each year to a leader of a fire department who has demonstrated a unique commitment to fire service health and safety.

Chief Cover was honored due to his support of a health and safety culture at his department, which started with the development of a Health and Safety Division that is dedicated to scene safety and personal readiness. The department conducts OSHA compliance inspections, physicals, fitness assessments, gear inspections, infection control, workers’ compensation processing, accident and injury prevention, statistical analysis, and risk management planning.

The department recently began conducting NFPA 1582-compliant physicals and wellness programs. It incorporated the new aerobic capacity (12-MET) measurements into candidate screenings. These screenings are being utilized to measure incumbent firefighters’ readiness. The department also certified 24 peer fitness trainers who work with members who needed improvement in their personal readiness. Finally, the department has partnered with a major medical provider to institute a nutrition and weight loss program for a targeted membership with a high percentage of body fat or a low aerobic capacity.

Under the guidance of Chief Cover, an already low accident and injury rate has decreased, workers’ compensation claims are down, and safety programs have been explored and implemented, all as the Virginia Beach Fire Department continues to develop and improve its comprehensive health and safety programs.

Garry Briese IAFC Safety Performance Award
Co-sponsored by Salamander Technologies

Division Chief Todd LeDuc of the Broward County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office Department of Fire Rescue was honored with the Garry Briese IAFC Safety Performance Award, which is presented annually to an IAFC Safety, Health and Survival (SHS) section member who has demonstrated a personal commitment to and achievement in the area of health and safety.

As division chief of safety and wellness for the department, Chief LeDuc is responsible for the research, development and implementation of numerous health and safety initiatives and programs department-wide. Some of the highlights include successful grant applications to replace firefighter PPE and SCBA, a SAFER grant to restore 27 firefighter positions for safe staffing, and a UASI grant to add 30-plus NFA-certified safety officers to the department. Chief LeDuc has addressed firefighter health and safety within the department in a variety of other ways as well:
–    Created a health, wellness and safety strategic plan
–    Analyzed three years of firefighter injury data
–    Coordinated nutrition education within the department by nutritionist and health risk assessment scoring
–    Formed a partnership with NSU Psychology Department to provide behavioral peer health training aimed at enhancing behavioral health readiness
–    Partnered with regional Firefighter Cancer Support Network to schedule cancer prevention and awareness department-wide
–    Budgeted for institutionalizing NFPA 1582 annual medical exams
–    Worked with www.thefirsttwenty.org, a firefighter health, wellness and fitness Web-based application to offer free trial to entire department
–    Secured commitment regarding highway transportation train-the-trainer rollout of highway safety
–    Worked with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to be one of four metro fire departments invited to participate in a national behavioral health study
–    Created a health and wellness newsletter for distribution

It is for the reasons above, as well as his vision, passion and commitment to firefighter health and safety, that Chief LeDuc is honored with the Garry Briese IAFC Safety Performance Award.

Billy Goldfeder Fire Service Organizational Safety Award
Co-sponsored by VFIS

Each year, the Billy Goldfeder Fire Service Organizational Safety Award is presented to fire service organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment or significant contribution in the area of fire service health and safety. This year’s recipients are the Orange County (Calif.) Fire Authority, led by Fire Chief Keith Richter; the Violet Township (Ohio) Fire Department, led by Fire Chief John Eisel; and the Richmond (Va.) Department of Fire and Emergency Services, led by Fire Chief Robert Creecy.

Orange County Fire Authority–Fire Chief Keith Richter
The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) is a metro-size fire agency serving more than 1.7 million Orange County residents. The department employs nearly 1,500 personnel and staffs 71 fire stations across 550 square miles. The sheer size of the organization makes the coordination of any health and safety programs a challenge, but the OCFA believes that safety is a core value and includes in its mission the health and welfare of both its employees and Orange County residents. To accomplish this mission, the OCFA has implemented a variety of programs and practices throughout the agency:
–    IAFC/IAFF Wellness Fitness Initiative (WEFIT) since 2004
–    Rehabilitative physical therapy treatment for work-related injuries
–    Peer fitness trainers to encourage employee fitness and good nutrition
–    Regular medical and physical fitness evaluations
–    Ergonomically designed equipment for dispatchers and office workers
–    A full-time safety officer to oversee its safety and health programs
–    Safety officer dispatched to all working structure fires
–    Annual safety inspection conducted at all facilities

These efforts come with the support of Fire Chief Keith Richter, as he leads the organization and instills the importance of health and safety throughout the organization.

Violet Township Fire Department–Fire Chief John Eisel
The Violet Township Fire Department (VTFD), an 80-member combination department, implemented a program to improve the overall health and safety of all department members, and has been on a mission to improve safety and reduce accidents. The department provides annual physicals in compliance with NFPA 1582 to all of its members. In addition, the department shows its commitment to safety in myriad ways:
–    A mandatory seatbelt policy was implemented and enforced
–    A partnership with physical therapists was formed to treat and prevent injuries
–    Traffic control devices (Opticom) are used to ensure that all responding apparatus stop at red lights and stop signs
–    In 2010, all officers and acting officers were sent through the entire Blue Card Incident Command training, which improved fireground accountability and communication

In the three successive years (2010—2012), 100% of the career firefighters completed the annual physical process in its entirety. As a result of this program, three potentially major cardiac issues were diagnosed and averted, and five firefighters were discovered to have small amounts of cancerous skin tissue, which was removed. Another component of the overall program: the creation of a Fitness Committee composed of two members of each shift who serve as peer fitness mentors. The fitness mentors use their specialized knowledge to develop and enhance the fitness and conditioning of the organization’s members.

While these efforts come at significant cost, the Board of Trustees and the fire chief have the vision to see these programs an investment in the lives of its department members and the community–a true effort to ensure that “Everyone Goes Home.”

Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Services–Fire Chief Robert Creecy
Richmond Fire and Emergency Services (RFES) has long recognized the importance of health and wellness among its firefighters, and has established an unprecedented health program for their firefighters.  

RFES recognizes that cardiovascular illness and deaths, work-inhibiting strains and sprains, and failure to recognize early biometric indices (i.e., pre-diabetic, prognostic stroke and HTN screening along with early cancer biomarkers) account for a significant percentage of firefighter deaths or debilitating injuries annually. As such, the department formed a partnership with HCA Virginia and Health Diagnostic Laboratories to develop a program that offers firefighters a comprehensive array of leading-edge diagnostics and lifestyle management techniques, and that includes the following:
1.    Each firefighter receives an annual comprehensive screening stratified to age, race, gender and overall risk/fitness.
2.    The department has 22 peer fitness counselors, and each department facility is equipped with fitness equipment.
3.    The department medical liaison coordinates the workers’ compensation and employee health under one umbrella to ensure that firefighter rehabilitation remains a priority.
4.    The department has provisions for individualized clinical health counseling that includes guidance on nutrition, weight management, tobacco cessation, stress management, CISD services and a department chaplain.

Richmond Fire and Emergency Services is working to help ensure the health and safety of its members through a comprehensive array of leading diagnostics and lifestyle management techniques. The department shows that innovative ideas and partnerships are not out of reach when it comes to doing more for the health and safety of its personnel.