Program Overview

The Safety program’s purpose is to continuously improve overall safety in the workplace for all District employees. The District is committed to providing the highest level of safety for all members of the organization and finding ways to reduce injuries, accidents, and illnesses while increasing efficiency and effectiveness in job performance. The Safety Program will review all incidents involving safety issues and provide recommendations to the Command Staff for possible implementation.

Management Oversight

The Safety program is directed by the Division Chief of Operations with oversight authority delegated to the Battalion Chief and program coordinator. This program does not have any full-time equivalent employees. This program contains the general expenditures pertaining to safety planning, annual safety inspection services, and overtime for training and program administration.

Program Objectives

• Conduct quarterly safety committee meetings to review trends in injuries, accidents, training, and fireground operations, and provide recommendations to executive command staff based on findings.
• Enhance facility safety through annual site inspections by a qualified third party, followed by necessary corrections and repairs.
• Update and distribute OSHA-compliant safety programs to all employees annually, ensuring they understand safety protocols and workplace safety standards.
• Develop and sponsor safety education for Safety Committee members, including training courses and conferences to deepen their expertise.
• Investigate and document serious incidents with "Blue Sheets" and "Green Sheets," and conduct preliminary accident investigations using the Serious Accident Review Team (SART). Improve tracking of injury and accident trends.

FY 2024-25 Accomplishments

• Held quarterly Safety Committee meetings and provided executive summaries with recommendations and deliverables to the executive command staff.
• Developed new injury and exposure reporting forms.
• Created a "Blue Sheet" for near-miss incidents during the OES Water Rescue deployment.
• Sponsored two Safety Committee members to attend the FDSOA Annual Conference, where they earned Incident Safety Officer certifications.
• Conducted annual facility safety inspections with Du-All Safety.
• Implemented several facility safety improvements to enhance workplace safety.
• Revised and updated all District-written safety programs.

FY 2025-26 Program Initiatives

• Hold quarterly Safety Committee meetings and provide executive summaries with recommendations and deliverables to the executive command staff.
• Conduct annual facility safety inspections with Du-All Safety, making necessary corrections to enhance employee safety in the workplace.
• Sponsor two Safety Committee members to attend the annual FDSOA conference, ISO certification course, or NIMS-L0954 Safety Officer course.
• Update and revise the District's written safety programs.
• Address station alerting issues and explore solutions to improve the health and safety of personnel.
• Continuously monitor and address vehicle accidents, developing strategies to improve safe vehicle operations.
• Foster a culture within the organization that embraces SCBA utilization during all phases of fire suppression, including overhaul.