Emmitsburg, MD (December 4, 2007) – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Program is pleased to announce two new programs; the “Facilitation Skills Workshop” and the “Initiatives Implementation Workshop”. These two programs will be launched in each of the 10 FEMA regions and will be attended by Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Regional and State Advocates along with other distinguished members of the fire service industry. Participants will receive a certificate of accomplishment following each of the courses
In March 2004, at what is known as the Tampa Summit, over two hundred fire service leaders met to discuss ways to meet the United State Fire Administration’s goal to reduce firefighter line of duty deaths by 50% in ten years. This remarkable Summit yielded a unique consensus document, the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.
In the three years since the Tampa Summit the fire service industry has made great strides to reduce the number of line of duty deaths, however, more can still be done. The Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Program has developed the Facilitation Skills Workshop and the Initiatives Implementation Workshop to help meet the USFA’s goal.
Facilitation Skills Workshop, Facilitation is a critical skill for coordinating the ideas and contributions of diverse sets of people within organizations. Facilitators play an essential role in helping groups develop consensus on important issues such as ones relative to the elimination of preventable line of duty injury and deaths. This 8-hour workshop is designed to teach participants the skill of facilitation, and to improve on the skills learned elsewhere.
The Initiatives Implementation Workshop will thoroughly review the Initiatives-what they mean and how they can be installed at the fire department level. Participants will have the opportunity to develop “implementation action plans” that can be used as guides for their fire departments. The material for this course was developed by a team of renowned subject matter experts several of whom served on the Charleston Super Sofa Fire Review Team.
Master Facilitator Howard Cross will be instructing both of these Certificate programs. Howard Cross is the president and owner of Howard Cross & Associates, a human resources and organizational development consulting company specializing in fire and emergency services interventions. He has extensive experience in organization and human resource development for a large number of private and public sector customers. Mr. Cross is an Adjunct Instructor for the Executive Fire Officer program, National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD.
The Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives program is pleased to announce the launch of these programs. The first will be held in Garland, Texas on December 8 & 9.
