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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Between 2016 and 2021, over 374 firefighters in
3the United States lost their lives in the line of duty,
4according to data from the National Fire Protection
5Association; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The National Institute for Occupational Safety
7and Health (NIOSH) has identified five top causal factors of
8line-of-duty firefighter deaths and injuries, known as the
9NIOSH 5; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The NIOSH 5 factors have evolved as a list of the
11top five contributing factors that lead to the tragic
12line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) of our brave firefighters and
13first responders; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The NIOSH 5 are the operational factors that lead
15to a fatality, where a subsequent NIOSH investigation of these
16tragedies reveals one or more of these five causal factors
17more than any other factor; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The list has evolved to include five key causal
19factors, which are improper risk assessment, lack of incident
20command, lack of accountability, inadequate communications,
21and lack of standard operating procedures (SOPs) or failure to

 

 

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1follow SOPs; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Improper risk assessment describes a poor
3size-up, often what first responders describe as a lack of a
4"full 360", meaning a complete survey of the area of the
5emergency and the establishment of a sufficient situational
6awareness by those on the ground that are addressing the
7emergency; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Lack of incident command describes emergency
9situations where independent actions and/or a lack of command
10structure may create dangerous situations for first
11responders; while an independent initiative is sometimes
12encouraged, firefighters need one command point, with a clear
13communications and orders structure, and the intentions of the
14commander need to be understood by all responding
15firefighters; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Lack of accountability refers to insufficient
17awareness of each firefighter's role, their presence, and
18their responsibilities throughout the emergency, even when the
19emergency has ostensibly subsided and until the last
20firefighter has left the scene; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Inadequate communications can refer to a lack of
22technical familiarity, training, and practice in effective

 

 

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1communication under challenging emergency situations; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Lack of standard operating procedures (SOPs) or
3failure to follow SOPs describes a lack in the establishment
4of a sufficient plan, structure, or playbook that can help
5commanders and firefighters more safely navigate the stages of
6an emergency from beginning to end, even during those common
7challenges when the unexpected arrives; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
9HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10we urge fire departments and other public safety agencies to
11analyze the culture of their respective department and to
12ensure a culture is in place that promotes training,
13communication, and accountability in order to help mitigate
14the NIOSH 5 from occurring; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That we urge fire departments to continue to
16critique their response after fires, to learn from past
17experiences, and to include in their culture and procedures
18open discussions about the NIOSH 5, studying NIOSH reports as
19a crew, and utilization of the Firefighter Near Miss Reporting
20System; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That we encourage fire chiefs and city personnel
22to promote a culture of training, communication, and

 

 

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1accountability through utilizing Crew Resource Management
2Training to improve departments and help prevent line-of-duty
3deaths (LODDs); and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That we encourage departments to upgrade their
5radio communication system to ensure each portable radio has
6an Emergency Alert Button (EAB), to understand what the EAB is
7and how it functions when activated, to know the specific EAB
8functions present on their portable radio and their
9communication system capabilities, to know that the EAB
10prioritizes transmissions for the portable radio when
11activated, and to be proficient in Mayday standard operating
12procedures, guidelines, and training that involve the EAB
13function; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That we pledge to support the State's
15firefighters, fire departments, and public safety agencies in
16this endeavor; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That we recognize that the continued deaths and
18injuries of our brave firefighters and first responders are a
19stark reminder of the importance of reiterating the basic
20concepts of firefighting and that the top five occupational
21factors distinctly show that a fire department's culture can
22lead to LODDs; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
2delivered to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal,
3Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois, Illinois Fire Chiefs
4Association, Illinois Association of Fire Protection
5Districts, Illinois Firefighter's Association, and the
6Illinois Fire Safety Alliance.