Westminster, MD -- The Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association (CVVFA) released a White Paper today identifying strategies to reduce deaths and injuries to emergency service personnel on the roadways.

The paper was written under a grant from the United States Fire Administration. It recommends broad initiatives to reduce these tragic incidents.

The document reflects input from 125 experts who assembled in Halfway MD for the first ever Fire Police Summit. Their "Report of Proceedings" was widely distributed.

Public comment was solicited and analyzed by a panel who produced the paper. Members of the fire, police and EMS communities along with policy makers took part.

"Protecting Our Emergency Responders on the Highways has been a top issue of our five state association," said Steve Heefner CVVFA President who is an active Fire Police Officer at the Volunteer Fire Company of Halfway MD.

"Adoption of the recommendations in the report will make our roads safer for first responders and the motoring public," he added.

The CVVFA solicited the International Association of Fire Chiefs (ICHIEFS) Health and Safety Committee, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) along with others in the police and fire communities as partners in the effort to reduce the dangers at highway emergency scenes.

The CVVFA plans to work with all interested parties in implementing the recommendations of the White Paper.

Copies of the paper, Protecting Our Emergency Responders on the Highways are available by calling the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute (717-236-5995). There is no charge.

Downloadable PDF are available online by clicking here.

The CVVFA will celebrate its one-hundredth anniversary in 2001. The Association’s primary mission is to provide assistance to the volunteer fire service throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Because of its unique five-state membership, the CVVFA often takes positions on national issues affecting all emergency responders whether they are volunteer or career.