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Firefighters are outfitted with safety equipment, medical staff are staged and available, and operations are thought out with firefighter safety in mind. However, with all these measures, firefighting is still inherently dangerous. To take further action to decrease risk on the fireline, incidents have Safety Officers.

Safety Officers work in ICP and on the fireline monitoring work areas, assessing risks, and finding solutions to mitigate risks. They also perform field assessments to ensure firefighters are following safety protocols and identifying ways to make existing protocols more effective.

Safety Officers want firefighters to enjoy their jobs and don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, however, the actions taken to mitigate risk can save a life. Working long hours and performing physical labor is demanding and it can be easy to become complacent, which is why Safety Officers are on the line working to prevent accidents before they happen.

The assignment is not over until every firefighter is home, and a Safety Officer’s job does not end on the fireline. Although they can’t drive home with every fire fighter, Safety Officers are reminding everyone about safe driving, taking adequate breaks, and getting home safely. As we begin our transition to the local Type 3 team, we would like to thank our Safety Officers, for thinking about how to best mitigate risks until we arrive home to our families.