Presentation Prepared for

Date

Saving Lives Through Lessons Learned

Why Study Near Misses?

1 SeriousAccident

15 Major Accidents

300 Near Misses

15,000 Observed Worker Errors

11

TragicTragic

Opportunity Opportunity to learnto learn

300300

Survival Survival StoriesStories

Opportunities Opportunities to learnto learn

Program Overview

Voluntary Confidential Non-punitive Secure Web based Free

All Hazards Reporting System

No statute of limitations on

reporting.

Reports reviewed and coded by fire service

professionals.

Definition of a Near Miss unintentional,

unsafe occurrence.

could have resulted in an injury, fatality or property damage.

Only a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented an injury, fatality or property damage.

Near Miss; Sometimes spectacular…

…sometimes mundane

Program Goals Prevent injuries and protect the lives

of other firefighters by providing a central repository for lessons learned.

Collect information which can assist in formulating strategies to reduce the number of firefighter injuries and fatalities.

Foster a safety-focused culture that recognizes errors as aninherent part of human behavior.

Why Share Near-Miss Experiences?

To share lessons learned with firefighters on a national scale.

To prevent another firefighterfrom getting injured or killed.

To identify patterns ininjury-producing behaviors.

Aviation industry found that sharing near-misses improved overall safety.

What is being done with the collected information?

Members of the fire service community are learning from other firefighters.

Officers are using reports in training drills. Fire service community will receive bulletins, program

reports and alerts depending on the urgency of the information collected.

Training academies are incorporating near-miss reports in building curriculum.

Fire service associations are using reports as part of an improved emphasis on safety to their members.

Manufacturers will be notified when reports are received regarding performance issueswith equipment.

Program Development

Focus groups helped develop the reporting form and the Web site.

38 departments beta tested the Web site from May thru August 2005.

Web site launched nationally at Fire-Rescue International in August 2005.

Averaging 40 reports submitted per month.

Multiple confirmed changes of practice recorded.

Home Page Screen

Resources Page

Demographics Questions

Seven questions about the reporter (title, years of fire service experience, department type, etc.)

Event Questions

Eight questions about the event (type, cause, etc.)

Event Description

Describe the event in your own words.

Use the memory joggers for help

Lessons Learned

Describe the lessons learned.

Spell Check

Optional Contact Information

Providing your name and contact information is optional. Reports can be submitted anonymously without contact information.

Post Submission Screen

Once a report is submitted, the reporter can view a list of reports similar to his/her report.

Search Reports Screen

Search reports submitted from others.

Sub-Event Type & Keyword Search

Keyword Search

Near-Miss Report TrailStep 1: Firefighter submits report

Step 2:Reviewer # 1•Reads report •De-identifies report •Codes report Sends to Reviewer # 2

Step 3:Reviewer # 2•Reads report •Returns for posting

Step 4:Report is posted(Original report destroyed)

Step 5:Fire service reads and learns from near-miss experiences

Department Type

2006

Other 2%

Paid 34%

Volunteer 22%

Combination 42%

2007

Event Type

On-Duty4%

Other4%

Fire48%

Vehicle16%

Training11%

Non-Fire17%

2006

2007

Contributing Factors

August 2007

Job or Rank

Paid, Municipal

Volunteer

Firefighters 32% 35%

Company Officers

43% 24%

Chief Officers 25% 41%

August 2007

Age at Time of Event

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

14 102

349

456

342

1146

Unknown 16 - 24 25 - 33 34 - 42 43 - 51 52 - 60 61+

August 2007

Experience at Time of Event

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

12101

147177

207

111 121

75114

137

181

Unknown

0 - 3 11 - 13 14 - 16 17 - 20 21 - 23 24 - 26 27 - 30 30+ 4 - 6 7 - 10

August 2007

Reflex Time-Event to Report

August 05 to July 06

August 06 to July 07

Within 24 Hours 14% 14%

1 day to 1 month 60% 55%

2-6 months 20% 19%

7 months to 1 year+

6% 12%August 2007

Get involved Encourage your members to file reports. Even if the

event occurred in the past, a firefighter can benefit.

Add www.firefighternearmiss.com to your organization’s website.

Promote use of the system through communications to your members.

Contact nearmiss@iafc.org for materials and strategies to get your members interested in near-miss reporting.

For more information Visit www.firefighternearmiss.com.

Read the FAQ section. Use the “Contact Us” on the Home Page

Call the Near-Miss Office Project Managers Amy Hultman, 703-273-9815, x364 John Tippett, 703-273-9815, x367

To receive a “Report of the Week” via e-mail, please e-mail nearmiss@iafc.org with the word “Subscribe” in the subject line.

This project is funded by a grant from the

Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to

Firefighters Grant Program.

The Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company provided

matching funds for 2004 and 2005.

The project is supported by Chief Billy Goldfeder of

FirefighterCloseCalls.com in mutual dedication for

firefighter safety and survival.

Program Support

The project is administered by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) in consultation with the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System Task Force. The project is endorsed by IAFC, International Association of Fire Fighters and the Volunteer & Combination Officers Section of the IAFC.

If we continue on the current LODD/injury path, the fire service will experience 1000

fatalities and 1,000,000 injuries in the next ten years.

“If not now, when? If not us, who?”

Questions?