1. Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating

to safety; incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and

personal responsibility.

2. Enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health and safety

throughout the fire service.

3. Focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management

at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities.

4. All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.

5. Develop and implement national standards for training, qualifications, and certification

(including regular recertification) that are equally applicable to all firefighters

based on the duties they are expected to perform.

6. Develop and implement national medical and physical fitness standards that are

equally applicable to all firefighters, based on the duties they are expected to perform.

7. Create a national research agenda and data collection system that relates to the

initiatives.

8. Utilize available technology wherever it can produce higher levels of health and

safety.

9. Thoroughly investigate all firefighter fatalities, injuries, and near misses.

10. Grant programs should support the implementation of safe practices and/or mandate

safe practices as an eligibility requirement.

11. National standards for emergency response policies and procedures should be

developed and championed.

12. National protocols for response to violent incidents should be developed and

championed.

13. Firefighters and their families must have access to counseling and psychological

support.

14. Public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire

and life safety program.

15. Advocacy must be strengthened for the enforcement of codes and the installation

of home fire sprinklers.

16. Safety must be a primary consideration in the design of apparatus and equipment