Planning

All fire and EMS departments are encouraged to participate in International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week. The IAFC and NVFC will provide resources and tools to help your department focus on health and safety. Keep checking back as new planning resources continue to be added.

Click here to learn about the history of Safety and Health Week.

Submit Your Resources, Stories, and Photos

Click here to share your department’s safety and health resources, media coverage, activities you are planning for Safety and Health Week, and success stories from your department.

Sample Department Press Release

Use this sample press release to help promote Safety and Health Week in your community and your department. Customize it for your department by adding in local informaiton where indicated with yellow highlights. Download press release template.

Posters

Download these posters and place them in your department to provide all personnel with critical safety and health reminders.

Web Banners and Wallpaper

Place a web banner or banner on your department or organization web site and link it to www.safetyandhealthweek.org to help other first responders find tools and resources for Safety and Health Week. Use the wallpaper on your station desktops to remind all personnel to focus on safety and health.

Print Ads

Use these ads to promote Safety and Health Week in printed publications or newsletters, or print them as flyers to hang on your department bulletin board.

Activity Ideas

Behavioral Health Activity Ideas - New for 2013!

Suggested Activity Schedule for Safety 

Rules of Engagement for Structural Firefighting Lesson Plans 

Steps for Getting Healthy
This Safety and Health Week, look at the steps you and your department can take to help you get on the path towards good health so you can be at your best both on and off the job. Included are activity ideas and resources that can be implemented during Safety and Health Week to get you and your department started.

Webinars

A series of four free, live webinars will be held on behavioral health topics during Safety and Health Week. Attend as part of your Safety and Health Week activities. Register at https://nvfc.webex.com in the Upcoming Sessions tab under Live Sessions.

Brotherhood vs. Parenthood: Finding your Life Balance Monday
Monday, June 17 at 1pm EDT
This webinar looks at all the roles a volunteer firefighter plays throughout their lives. From your role as an employee to spouse to parent to firefighter, how do you emphasize the importance, purpose, and balance of each role? This webinar will help you identify strategies for prioritizing each aspect of your life to help you achieve balance and time management.

Using your Lifeline: Disease Management for a Stronger, Longer Life
Tuesday, June 18 at 2pm EDT
Heart disease is the number one cause of line-of-duty death in the fire service. Heart disease has many risk factors and just as many preventive strategies.  This webinar will help you identify your current risk and present tools for management of your current risk factors and prevention of developing future risk factors to help you live healthier.

Putting Out the Fire: Stress Resilience Strategies
Wednesday, June 19 at 1pm EDT
Stress is an underlying risk factor that affects a majority of the population, especially first responders. Can you identify your current stressors? Do you know what types of stressors exist? Do you know the types of stressors to which you are susceptible? This webinar helps you key in on the types of stressors most prominent for firefighters and how to successfully manage stress as it arises.

Injury Prevention for the Fireground
Thursday, June 20 at 2pm EDT
Strains, sprains, low back pain… Learn how to limit the occurrence of these types of injuries on the fireground. This webinar identifies physical training, flexibility, and ergonomic movement strategies that can help increase a firefighter’s ability to perform their duties more efficiently.

Refer to the Courses and Webinars section of the Behavioral Health Resources page of this site for additional training on behavioral health topics.

In addition, the NVFC offers a sereis of health and safety webinars that you can take on-demand. Click here to learn more and access the webinars. Courses include:

  • Behavioral Health
  • STOP: Seatbelts Top Our Priorities (vehicle safety)
  • Incident Safety Officer series
  • Pump Operations and Maintenance
  • Equipment Management series
  • Health and Wellness Advocate training
  • Carbon Monoxide Dangers
  • Functional Exercise
  • Nutrition
  • Health and Wellness Program Design
  • Heart Health
  • Smoking Cessation
  • Heat Stress – Choosing the Right PPE
  • Obesity in the Fire Service
  • The Insulin Connection
  • The Impact of Stress on Firefighter Heart Health