Whereas, firefighting has been designated as one of the nation’s most hazardous professions, and:
Whereas, the nation’s fire service encounters a line-of-duty death approximately every third day and an estimated one hundred firefighter fatalities with hundreds of near-misses and thousands of work-related injuries annually, and:
Whereas, 50% of line-of-duty deaths are a result of cardiac related emergencies and 25% are vehicle related by responding to or returning from emergency incidents many involving the lack of use of seat belts, and;
Whereas, since 1984, nearly three thousand, five hundred firefighters, career and volunteer, have given their lives in the line of duty, and:
Whereas, the City of Atlanta Fire-Rescue Department lost Firefighter Steven Solomon on November 26, 2006 and Fulton County Fire Department lost Firefighter Felix Roberts on May 28, 2007, and;
Whereas, in 2004, two hundred thirty-nine fire service professionals gathered in Tampa, Florida to discuss the issue of reducing line-of-duty deaths, and;
Whereas, the product of that meeting was the development of 16 Life Safety Initiatives to help meet the goal of reducing line-of-duty deaths 25% by 2009 and 50% by 2014, and;
Whereas, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has created the Everyone Goes Home® campaign to increase firefighter knowledge through public awareness, as well as participation in the Courage To Be Safe® training curriculum, and;
Whereas, it is incumbent upon Fire Chiefs to encourage, educate, and enforce firefighter safety, health, & wellness.
Now, therefore, it be resolved that the Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs Association on Wednesday, September 26, 2007, adopt the 16 Life Safety Initiatives and support the Everyone Goes Home® campaign to help meet the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s goal of reducing firefighter line-of-duty deaths.
I, Billy D. Hayes, President of the Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs Association do hereby call upon all members to support this resolution in principle and practice.
The foregoing Resolution adopted by the Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs Association was offered by Chief Henry Argo, who moved its approval. The motion was seconded by Chief Don Floyd, and being put to a vote, the result was as follows:
Chief Billy D. Hayes thereupon declared Resolution adopted by the Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs Association passed and adopted this 26th day of September, 2007.
Chief Billy D. Hayes
President, Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs Association
