San Diego -- Members of the fire service leadership gathered at Firehouse World in San Diego Monday, February 20 for the fifth of six Mini Summits on Life Safety Initiatives, this one on the topic Health and Wellness.
There were determined words out of this summit that would lead to suggestions and recommendations that attitudes within the fire service brotherhood needed correction if lives were to be saved.
The 16 Initiatives laid out at a meeting in Tampa in 2004, the goal of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to reduce Line-Of-Duty Deaths by 25% over five years and 50% over ten years, have already passed through summits on structural firefighting, wild land firefighting, training, apparatus, with one to follow on prevention and public education.
Two facilitators each took four groups into sessions to hash out the priorities, develop strategies and recommendations for implementation in four areas; Medical Standards and Monitoring, Physical Fitness and Operational, Wellness Programs, Behavioral and Psychological.
At the end of the seven hour session facilitators briefed the entire group on their priorities within their area. Talking points from each were posted on the room wall and each member in the discussions chose the 10 most important priorities for improving the Wellness and Fitness of the lives of firefighters.
There is one reoccurring theme in these summits, an idea that was number four on the priority list at the end of this summit, that there needs to be an attitude adjustment within the fire service, a cultural change of the profession so that it becomes ok in the eyes of firefighters to choose what is right so they can continue to do their job.
This concept seems logical until a wealth of issues appeared at this summit and muddied the water. High on the list was "fitness for duty requirements". The question, will mandatory application of such a department policy cost firefighters their jobs if they cannot fulfill them? Or, could such requirements be used in a punitive manner against firefighters? And when instituting such requirements for new hires, how do you implement them for incumbent firefighters?
The group discussing Behavior and Psychology mulled the same issue when considering the firefighter crying out for mental health help. Anonymity is hard to find in the firehouse and they discussed the need perhaps for mandatory mental health screening for all as a solution.
Quite often in these discussions it was noted that the cost of not moving forward on implementing these requirements was greater to the firefighter who became permanently disabled because of inaction, or perhaps even died. One of the recommendations to overcome resistance was to identify successful applications and to educate decision makers about such consequences. Perhaps a "Near Miss" reporting system for health testing that saved lives.
If there was a perfect catch phrase coming out of the summit, it might be, "Firefighting is a life style, so live it." The discussion suggested there were two images of firefighters in this world; the public image and the image within the fire service itself.
The public image was of this always-ready, always-capable hero who rushed into the burning buildings. The firefighter image was a macho man who was ready to rush into the burning building but unable to admit they had to take care of themselves in the meantime.
One group went so far as to suggest that Line-Of-Duty Deaths be redefined to stop rewarding the mindset that it is better to die on the fire ground rather then get a physical. "We reward firefighters who get dead on the fire ground regardless of the circumstances leading to their death. We don't differentiate between a firefighter who places himself between harm and the citizen they are sworn to protect, and an individual who is on the "heart transplant list" who is allowed to go out there and provide emergency service despite the fact that they are a risk to themselves and their fellow firefighters," Matt Tobia, facilitator and Anne Arundel County, Maryland Fire Department Captain.
Among the top ten priorities were advocating and educating for the standards that exist in the fire service for wellness and fitness. There are such standards from NFPA and some instituted through the IAFF.
It was determined there was an immediate need for a landmark study with a focus of looking at issues of fitness or lack of it. The fire service needs something to hold up to point out the positive facts created by a healthy, fit work force.
Gordon Routley, Program Expert, felt the day's work had been very beneficial. "Absolutely. We are looking for thoughts back from the fire service as to where we should be focusing our efforts. Where is the closest path to implementing the 16 initiatives? What do they need help with in implementing these issues?"
The issues and recommendations will now be assimilated into the overall summit report.
The facilitators were Richard Anderson, Everyone Goes Home Program Director, Kevin Malley, Aaron Feldman, Matt Tobia, Kevin Roche, Adam Thiel, Sam Goldwater, Cathy Hedrick. Moderators were Program Director J. Gordon Routley and Dennis Compton, NFFF Board of Directors.
