Last month at the Fire Department Safety Officers Association’s 2026 FDSOA Health, Safety and Apparatus Conference, there were some candid and strong conversations about firefighter safety, from firefighter mental health and wellness and cancer to on-scene operations and emergency vehicle operations. The collection of people who gathered at the event was a hybrid of those who function as safety officers, chiefs and officers who are looking for the latest findings and to bring home wellness and safety programs and those who are focused on ensuring that members return to the station after every call.
In one session, an attendee commented about the fact that most of the weekly safety messages that he introduced to his department via email were unread or deleted. They weren’t inspirational quotes, he later shared with me, but 30-second reads that were pulled from an article, report or story that was shared with him. He was trying to get his members to pull little nuggets from each email and spark a positive change, this after his region saw a firefighter die in a house fire, two serious apparatus crashes and a group of firefighters diagnosed with cancer in a short period of time.
He shared that he wanted to create a positive outcome for his members and spark a fire that would have area fire departments look at ways to reduce the incidents that were occurring, taking the lives of their friends or preventing them from returning to work.
Oftentimes in a fire department—or a business—they say that the root cause of “problems” is systemic, whether in regard to policies or equipment, and rarely do fingers get pointed at the people who ignore policies and procedures. Now, insofar as the dynamic world of firefighter responses, I’m not saying that policies must be follow to a T, but most policies are created because of a “been there, done that” scenario that resulted in a negative outcome.
Back to the people aspect: One person can have a positive effect. That effect can be powerful and change and save lives. Firefighters see that every day, more so than most people ever will experience:
The engine crew that begins CPR and pushes some meds and achieves ROSC; the truck company that uses some ingenuity to free an entrapped driver; the pumper driver who handjacks a 300-foot supply line and gets water into the pump and handline while the officer completes size-up and forces entry while the only firefighter on the rig stretches the first line. Each person as an individual makes a significant change, and the team creates change with positive outcomes.
At the FDSOA conference, one attendee joked with me that the “safety guys” are the black sheep in their department. Remember, one person can change the world and that can be you when safer actions are considered. One thing that people overlook when it comes to safety is that, without some of these safety measures, children are without a parent, families lose their income, home or healthcare, and some who loved the job never are able to ride a fire truck again. I encourage you to consider those factors when you make your decisions. They can change your world—and others’.
Opening the event, FDSOA Chairman Lance Vinson told attendees, “Focus on better decision-making, clear risk versus benefit, analysis, processes that make firefighter safety important. When safety shows up, the fire service gets better.” Think about that.
Station Design Conference
The 12th Annual Station Design Conference will take place May 18–21, 2026, in Reno, NV. Conference Director Janet Wilmoth and her committee put together a solid program to help fire departments navigate the process of designing and building a station that will house firefighters and their equipment for decades at a time, where forward-looking designs must be considered as the agencies evolve.
Visit FHStationDesign.com to find the full program and to register. Early registration discounts end Feb. 28.
