The 2023 Safety Stand Down theme is “Lithium-Ion Batteries: Are you Ready?” The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) is participating in this year’s Safety Stand Down by highlighting performance indicators (PI) and core competencies (CC) from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) 10th edition model that relate to the five daily focus areas.
Safety Stand Down is a joint initiative of:
- International Association of Fire Chiefs Safety, Health and Survival Section
- National Volunteer Fire Council
- National Fire Protection Association
- Fire Department Safety Officers Association
- International Association of Fire Fighters
It is supported by national and international fire and emergency service organizations as well as health and safety-related organizations and agencies.
Check back each day for a PI/CC that relates to the theme and additional information on how to address the PI/CC in your department.
Core Competency 2B.1 from the CFAI 10th edition addresses recognition of hazards:
CC 2B.1– The agency has a documented and adopted methodology for identifying , assessing, categorizing, and classifying all risks (fire and non-fire) throughout their community or areas of responsibility.
Agencies have a responsibility to identify all hazards that may contribute to the ignition, spread, or magnitude of fire in their communities. It has been determined that the presence of lithium-ion batteries, in all forms, are posing a special and unique risks to all responders. Agencies should include the identification of any known lithium-ion battery storage facilities within their community risk assessment and their response to these incidents addressed in their standards of cover.
Core Competency 5E.3 from the CFAI 10th edition addresses firefighting operations.
CC 5E.3 – Given the agency’s community risk assessment/standards of cover and emergency performance statements, the agency meets its staffing, response time, station(s), pumping capacity, apparatus and equipment deployment objectives for each type and magnitude of fire suppression incident(s).
The fire service continues to identify the inherent risks involved in fighting fires ignited by, or involving facilities, and other commonly used equipment including vehicles, that use lithium-ion batteries. Everyone involved in firefighting activities, including all of those involved in addressing those critical tasks identified in the agency’s standards of cover, should consider all possible tactical considerations related to fighting fires involving lithium-ion batteries.
Core Competency 8A.1 from the CFAI 10th edition addresses firefighter safety through training.
CC 8A.1 – The agency has a process in place to identify training needs, including tasks, activities, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
An agency’s top priority is the safety of their firefighters. Technologies found in today’s response environment are exposing firefighters to new and unexpected risks. Specifically, agencies must consider the specific risks to responder safety during incidents involving lithium-ion batteries and other related electrical storage facilities. Firefighter safety programs should consider the identification, information, training, and operational response strategies related to these risks when agencies develop their overall firefighter health and safety guidelines.
Performance Indicator 11A.6 from the CFAI 10th edition address post-incident considerations
11A.6 – The agency uses near miss reporting to elevate the level of situational awareness to teach and share lessons learned from events that could have resulted in a fatality, injury, or property damage.
The sharing of information related to an agency’s emergency response experiences is important to the safety of all first responders. It is critical that agencies develop a protocol that involves their continuous participation in a firefighter near-miss reporting program. Agencies should consider their participation in near-miss reporting a two-way information highway where they not only report near-miss situations experienced within their own agencies, but they must use those reported misses as training opportunities for their own firefighters.
Core competency 5B.1 from the CFAI 10th edition address public education.
CC 5B.1 – The public education program targets specific risks, behaviors, and audiences identified through incident, demographic, and program data analysis and the community risk assessment/standards of cover.
With the risk of fire incidents involving lithium-ion batteries becoming a global issue, fire agencies must focus on specific public education programs that will educate residents on how to best use, store, and maintain equipment that use lithium-ion batteries.