Letter from the President

It’s time…time to change priorities…time to change habits…and time (in some cases) to change the culture.

According to U.S. Fire Administration statistics, nearly 20–25% of accidental deaths in the fire service are related to vehicles, and many, if not most, of these accidents involve intersections. A study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine (December 2002), “Occupational Fatalities in Emergency Medical Services: A Hidden Crisis,” states the leading cause of occupational fatalities for EMS personnel during the study period (1992–1997) was transportation incidents (86/114 fatalities).

Emergency service injuries and fatalities associated with intersection accidents are tragic. Compounding this tragedy are the injuries, deaths, and accompanying litigation that can occur when civilians are involved. Yet with proper driver training, public education programs and emergency vehicle response guidelines, many of these accidents can be avoided.

VFIS is committed to reducing needless intersection accidents. I am pleased to announce that we have launched an exciting new initiative aimed at making intersections a safer place for your emergency service workers, the public, and your organization. In partnership with our Education and Training department and Loss Control Division, we will be implementing a plan designed to demonstrate the scope of the problem, explore some of the attitudes and cultures that must be changed, and provide basic, as well as detailed, safety programs that will help reduce these accidents.

The alternative—doing nothing—will only lead to more loss of innocent life, injuries, lawsuits, stress and public relation nightmares when departments try to justify poor safety practices.

Please help me spread the message about the value of safe driving policies, training and, especially, practices. Send me an e-mail at dwyrwas@vfis.com, or share your stories about how good driving practices have helped your organization by submitting your comments to the discussion forum.

Sincerely,

David F. Wyrwas, CLU, ChFC, CIC
President