[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 180 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 180


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2005

   Received and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
To support initiatives developed by the Firefighter Life Safety Summit 
and the mission of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the 
United States Fire Administration to reduce firefighter fatalities and 
injuries, to encourage implementation of the new ``Everyone Goes Home'' 
campaign to make firefighter safety a national priority, and to support 
 the goals of the national ``stand down'' called by fire organizations.

Whereas for over 350 years our Nation's firefighters have dedicated their lives 
        to ensuring the safety of their fellow citizens and communities;
Whereas throughout our Nation's history too many firefighters have died in the 
        line of duty, leaving behind family members and friends to grieve their 
        tragic losses;
Whereas these volunteer and career firefighters served with pride and died with 
        honor;
Whereas in 1992 Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to 
        lead a nationwide effort to remember the Nation's fallen firefighters 
        and assist their survivors through a variety of programs;
Whereas the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is dedicated to preventing 
        future firefighter deaths and injuries;
Whereas the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation convened the first ever 
        Firefighter Life Safety Summit in March 2004 to support the United 
        States Fire Administration's goal of reducing firefighter fatalities by 
        25 percent within 5 years and 50 percent within 10 years through a 
        commitment of energy and resources;
Whereas the Life Safety Summit developed 16 initiatives to significantly reduce 
        firefighter fatalities and injuries, including the need to--

    (1) define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire 
service relating to safety, incorporating leadership, management, 
supervision, accountability, and personal responsibility;

    (2) enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health 
and safety throughout the fire service;

    (3) focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with 
incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and 
planning responsibilities;

    (4) empower all firefighters to stop unsafe practices;

    (5) develop and implement national standards for training, 
qualifications, and certification (including regular recertification) that 
are equally applicable to all firefighters, based on the duties they are 
expected to perform;

    (6) develop and implement national medical and physical fitness 
standards that are equally applicable to all firefighters, based on the 
duties they are expected to perform;

    (7) create a national research agenda and data collection system that 
relates to the initiatives;

    (8) utilize available technology wherever it can produce higher levels 
of health and safety;

    (9) thoroughly investigate all firefighter fatalities, injuries, and 
near misses;

    (10) ensure that grant programs support the implementation of safe 
practices and mandate safe practices as an eligibility requirement;

    (11) develop and champion national standards for emergency response 
policies and procedures;

    (12) develop and champion national protocols for response to violent 
incidents;

    (13) provide firefighters and their families access to counseling and 
psychological support;

    (14) provide public education more resources and champion it as a 
critical fire and life safety program;

    (15) strengthen advocacy for the enforcement of codes and the 
installation of home fire sprinklers; and

    (16) make safety be a primary consideration in the design of apparatus 
and equipment; and

Whereas the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International 
        Association of Fire Fighters, the National Volunteer Fire Council, and 
        the Congressional Fire Services Institute have partnered with a number 
        of other fire service organizations to call on all fire departments 
        across the Nation to conduct a ``stand down'' for firefighter safety 
        beginning Tuesday, June 21, 2005, during which fire departments are 
        urged to suspend all nonemergency activity and instead focus entirely on 
        firefighter safety in order to raise the level of awareness toward 
        firefighter safety and call attention to the unacceptable number of 
        line-of-duty deaths and injuries: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) supports initiatives developed by the Firefighter Life 
        Safety Summit and the mission of the National Fallen 
        Firefighters Foundation and the United States Fire 
        Administration to reduce firefighter fatalities and injuries;
            (2) encourages implementation of the new ``Everyone Goes 
        Home'' campaign to make firefighter safety a national priority; 
        and
            (3) supports the goals of the national ``stand down'' 
        called by fire organizations beginning on June 21, 2005, and 
        encourages all career, volunteer and combination fire 
        departments across the country
        to participate in this important and life saving effort.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 21, 2005.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.