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.
A great deal of training and education occurs in the fire service on a daily basis throughout the United States. How fire departments and training agencies measure, compare, and quantify this training is important to the profession and the safety of the individuals providing the service. If the training is accomplished in accordance with national standards, and the results are certified by an independent body or organization, then the system has substantial credibility. There must be a system to ensure this and provide standards that are recognized as being professional in terms of safety, competency, and responsibility.
It is very disturbing that between 2005 and 2013, an average of 10.5 firefighters a year died in training-related incidents. Reported training-related injuries totaled more than 7,400 in 2012. Given those statistics, it’s no surprise the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) identifies firefighter recruits, firefighters participating in training and firefighters conducting training as especially vulnerable to death and injury. Fire Service training programs that have been designed and conducted in concert with the appropriate NFPA Professional Qualification Standards will reduce these needless deaths and injuries. The 5th Initiative of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives is an attempt to tie training to a reduction in firefighter injuries and line-of-duty fatalities.
Initiative 5 Resources
Initiative 5 Research
Latest Initiative 5 News
- FireRescue1 launches What Firefighters Want 2024 survey – FireRescue1 launched its annual What Firefighters Want survey, with this year’s theme focused on strengthening fire department leadership at all levels, plus how firefighters are taking ownership of their career development even amid a perceived lack of leadership at their agency.
- Lt. Nathan Flynn & BC Josh Laird Combined Training Program – On Thursday, August 3, 2023, the Frederick County and Howard County Departments of Fire and Rescue hosted the first combined training program to bring the findings from the fire to the fire service’s attention.
- Fire Stop Tour, January 10-12, 2023 – The U.S Fire Administrator and principal leaders from the American fire service, in partnership with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the Philadelphia Fire Department, and the Washington, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, will stand together on Jan. 10‑12 to speak with one voice to address the fire problem facing our nation.
» Watch the Summit Replay - The Life and Death of FDNY Firefighter Carmelo Puccia: A New Podcast from NFFF – FDNY Firefighter Carmelo “Carmine” Puccia was killed tragically on January 6, 1970, when he was struck by a subway train while investigating a trash fire on the tracks. The podcast is a two-part installment and tells Firefighter Puccia’s story through the recollections of the two groups most affected by his loss: his family and his department. Viewers and listeners will gain insight into Firefighter Puccia as a husband, father, and firefighter—and witness FDNY’s solid determination that we will never forget.
- Boyd Street: NFFF’s Compelling New Documentary – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation announces the release of Boyd Street, created in partnership with the Los Angeles City Fire Department and Full Vision Productions.
- NFFF Announces 4th Firefighter Life Safety Summit – This important gathering builds on the advances from previous Life Safety Summits in Tampa (FL) and Truman Fire Forums (2019 and 2022) to move firefighter health and safety strategies forward. A keynote speaker for the event is Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, whose in-depth work on command decision-making revolutionized the British Fire Service’s approach to incident command.
- National Fire Service Research Agenda Report Released – Researchers and fire service practitioners met virtually last year for the 4th National Fire Service Research Agenda Symposium resulting in the National Fire Service Research Agenda Report with nearly 300 recommendations.
- National Firefighter Life Safety Summit 2022 Postponed – The National Firefighter Life Safety Summit 2022 Planning Committee has postponed the Summit due to the current impact of the coronavirus pandemic on fire departments across the country. A new date for the Summit will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
- FSRI Releases New Online Training – Fire Service Considerations with Lithium-Ion Battery ESS – This online course focuses on a deflagration incident at a lithium-ion battery energy storage system facility in Surprise, Arizona. We will share our analysis and recommendations to improve codes, standards, and emergency response training to protect first responders, maintenance personnel, and nearby communities.
- Fire Hero Learning Network Reaches New Milestone – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is excited to announce that the Foundation’s online learning platform, the Fire Hero Learning Network (FHLN), has reached a milestone of over 130,000 registered users.
