The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the leading organization representing the volunteer fire and emergency services, recognizes that many departments may have difficulty adopting these standards in their totality. The reasons for this are varied and may include factors such as limited resources or unfamiliarity with the standard. Small volunteer departments may face additional challenges in meeting standards as they may be facing more immediate challenges such as disappearing budgets and very limited staffing. However, creating and maintaining a safe and consistent environment for volunteers is a critical step to successful recruitment and retention and will contribute immeasurable to health and safety. While implementing a standard as a whole may seem overwhelming or unattainable for some, it is important to remember that steps can be taken to apply certain components of key standards while simultaneously formulating plans to adopt other components as conditions allow. Taking small steps can have a big impact. It is never too late for a department to adopt a culture of safety. In an effort to help departments better understand and implement key safety standards, the NVFC has partnered with the NFPA to produce this guide. Readers will find information on three NFPA standards:
- 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program (2007 Edition)
- 1720 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments (2010 Edition)
- 1851 Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting (2008 Edition)
Each standard highlights manageable sections that include commentary provided by NFPA. The analysis also highlights action items and/or existing resources to assist departments in working toward their safety goals. Standard checklists are also available. Additional resources including sample operating guidelines, policies, procedures, first-hand accounts from departments, and more can be found at www.nvfc/org.