SHSS Strategic Initiatives

Safety is not a buzz word and healthy should not be just for a few. This must be our way of life. The IAFC Safety, Health, and Survival Section maintains a Strategic Plan guiding us in three-year increments,  specifically developed to ensure we continue to support our members and never deviate from our mission. The current Strategic Plan includes six initiatives, outlined below, driving our actions and decisions as a board.\

View the Full Strategic Plan

Work is beginning on updating the overal Strategic Plan for the next three years.

Initiative #1

Continue to advocate for an International Fire Service Health and Safety Alliance to address firefighter health, wellness, and safety issues, with a focus on firefighter safety and survival.

Action Items:

• Continue to engage and maintain key participating organizations.
• Identify emerging alliances and leverage international conferences/meetings to engage stakeholders.
• Identify key areas of concensus for collaboration.
• Idetnify joint implementation strategies.

Initiative #2

Develop a method to help ensure a sustianable process for every firefighter to obtain an NFPA 1582 compliant physical assessment on an annual basis.

Action Items:

• Identify stakeholders to develop partnerships for providing NFPA 1582 compliant physical assessments on an annual basis.
• Identify obstacles preventing firefighters from receiving NFPA 1582 physicals (ongoing).
• Develop a tiered physical assessment process.
• Work with research that is beign conducted in order to educate physicans and fire departments (ongoing).
• Work to provide the Physicans guide for NFPA 1582 physicals.
• Investigate the role fatigue plays in the safety of fire service members.

Initiative #3

Provide our membership with value for being a SHS Section member.

Action Items:

• Develop and implement a mechanism to better indentify and engage section members wishing to participate in projects and activities.
• Develop a "new member" kit to be distributed to new Section members.
• Provide section members with exclusive FRI engagement opportunities.
• Develop a multi-level safety and wellness repository of research and best practices that will be made available to Safety, Health and Survival Section members only.

Initiative #4

Improve our marketing and communication strategy to reach the entire fire service.

Action Items:

• Work with strategic partners (such as NVFC, NFPA, and FireRescue1) to increase awareness of the Safety Stand Down.
• Utilize social media more effectively.
  • Continue to promote our X (Twitter) account (@IAFC_SHS) as the primary means to communicate on social media.
  • Promote the SHS Section via social media and encourage IAFC memebrs to join the section.
  • Crossover to LinkedIn and share content posted by SHS board members and collaborators on social media.
• Establish and/or leverage existing relationships with fire service affinity groups in an effort to expand our audience base. 
• Continue to maneuver and refine/sharpen our brand to become synonymous with professional leadership.
• Develop and implement an evaluation system capable of providing the Board of Directors with feedback on the initiative.
• Update the look and content of the SHS website, and link the X (Twitter) feed,
• Continue to partner with the IAFC communications area and corporate partners to promote the SHS Section.
• Develop promotional materials for distribution, promoting the SHS Section.
• Continue the development and expansion of the SHS Staging area, with active participation from those on the list.
• Continue development of FRI collaboration and promotion with the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA).
• Partner with corporate sponsor liaisons to promote the SHS Section.

Initiative #5

Develop a comprehensive health and wellness process including phsical fitness and behavioral health.

Action Items:

• Continue to develop partnerships with stakeholders for the development of a Comprehensive Health and Wellness Program.
• Continue to identify barriers preventing departments from implementing a Comprehensive Health and Wellness Program.
• Continue to educate the fire service about the need for a Comprehensive Health and Wellness Program.
• Continue research, programming, training development, and advocacy for bullying, harassment, and violence prevention.
• Develop a model Comprehensive Health and Wellness Program.

Initiative #6

Advocate for the adoption of NFPA 1500 in all fire departments.

Action Items:

• Identify a process to implement Appendix B of NFPA 1500 in all fire departments.
• Advocate for the role of Health and Safety Officer in all fire departments.
• Partner with NFPA for their next needs assessment to determien what percentage of the international fire service adopted NFPA 1500 and what specific aspects have been adopted.