An unacceptable cost

According to an article on www.firechief.com, the National Institute of Standards and Technology recently studied the annual cost of addressing and preventing firefighter injuries in the US, and they estimated that the cost is between $2.7 and $7.8 billion. The National Fire Protection Association puts that estimate even higher—at about $16.7 billion per year—by including a variety of indirect costs, such as

• labor spent investigating firefighter injuries
• the cost of training firefighters
• physical fitness and wellness programs
• the amount fire departments pay in medical insurance for firefighters
• court settlements to injured firefighters

With either estimate, these are staggering numbers—but I can’t help wondering, what percentage of the $16.7 billion is from the costs associated with court settlements to injured firefighters? And why would injured firefighters even need to go to court in order to receive a settlement? Why are they in the position of fighting for their benefits? Hmm, looks like the attorneys win again…

A ringing endorsement

Amazing what an endorsement from the right person can do for your non-profit. I was fortunate to receive such an endorsement just last week from Kay Granger, a Congresswoman for the 12th District of Texas in the U.S Congress. Representative Granger wrote a letter on behalf of our humble little group, encouraging others to give. OK, that might not impress you, but I am telling you it really helps open doors—I have seen it happen. Corporations that I have repeatedly tried to approach for support (with no success) suddenly become very interested when I attach this endorsement. I am not much of a political player, but I will take this one every time.

Join the Whistle Stop for Safety Tour!

The National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Foundation (NFFMF) has begun a “Whistle Stop Tour” to promote firefighter safety. They plan to hold events in 19 major cities across the country, traveling on a tour bus with 55 people. According to the Everyone Goes Home website, the purpose of this tour is to “change the culture of accepting the loss of our firefighters as a normal occurrence” and to prevent deaths in the line of duty “so that ‘Everyone Goes Home’ at the end of the day.”

The tour, which began a week ago in San Francisco (see picture, above), is open to the public. Their next scheduled event is in Dallas on April 12, 2007, from 10 am to 1 pm at the Lowe’s on Chalk Road. The NFFMF is an excellent foundation, and this is sure to be an event that not only will be interesting and touching but also will help bring the US Fire Administration closer to its ultimate goal of “reducing firefighter deaths by 50% within the next ten years.” The tour ends next month in Boston, so I hope everyone has a chance to make it to one of these important events!