Strategic Plan for FFFIPP 1 December 9, 2009

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR 

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (NIOSH) FIRE 

FIGHTER FATALITY INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION 

PROGRAM (FFFIPP) - 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this strategic plan is to guide the National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and 

Prevention Program towards activities that are most likely to positively impact fire fighter 

safety and health, and to establish criteria with which to measure the program’s progress 

and impact. 

Background: The strategic plan was developed using a framework used by NIOSH. 

NIOSH is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making 

recommendations for improving worker safety and health. NIOSH does not have 

authority to mandate changes in the workplace. Consequently, NIOSH relies on others in 

position to impact worker safety and health to act upon its research and 

recommendations. The NIOSH strategic planning framework recognizes NIOSH limits, 

based on its mandate, to directly impact worker safety and health. While the framework 

includes overarching goals to positively improve worker safety and health, the planning 

also explicitly addresses the roles that external parties will have to play in order for 

NIOSH research to impact worker safety and health, and identifies specific steps that 

NIOSH will take to help foster use of NIOSH research by others in a position to impact 

worker safety and health. The various components of the NIOSH strategic planning 

framework are: 

Mission: Mission is a statement of the program’s purpose and what it does to achieve 

its purpose. Strategic planning is the process of determining the logical steps that 

need to occur to contribute to the program’s mission. 

Strategic Goal: Strategic goals are top-level goals that state a specific desired change. 

NIOSH encourages the use of strategic goals that articulate reductions in work-related 

illnesses, injuries, and/or hazardous exposures. It is implicitly recognized that NIOSH 

alone cannot directly achieve these injury and illness reductions, but can contribute to 

these goals by conducting relevant research and working with others who can foster 

change based on the research. 

The strategic goals for the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 

(FFFIPP) are consistent with strategic goals developed by the National Occupational 

Research Agenda (NORA) Public Safety Council which is a partnership activity 

between NIOSH and stakeholders

(http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/comment/agendas/pubsafsub/). The strategic goals 

are also consistent with goals or activities of partners and stakeholders, e.g. United 
Strategic Plan for FFFIPP 2 December 9, 2009

States Fire Administration, International Association of Fire Fighters, International 

Association of Fire Chiefs, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and National Fire 

Protection Association. 

Intermediate Goal: Intermediate goals are the activities that NIOSH believes need to 

be undertaken by stakeholders (e.g. organizations or individuals) using NIOSH 

research products and recommendations to affect reductions in worker injuries and 

illnesses. While NIOSH recognizes that it cannot mandate or control use of its 

research findings by others, it also recognizes that its research findings will not 

impact worker safety and health unless used or adopted by others, and that there are 

activities that NIOSH can take to encourage the use of its products and 

recommendations by others. The steps that NIOSH will take to foster the 

intermediate goals are identified in activity/output goals described below. 

Several of the intermediate goals for the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and 

Prevention Program are consistent with intermediate goals developed by the NORA 

Public Safety Council, and partner and stakeholder activities and initiatives. 

Activity/Output Goal: Activity/Output goals are statements of NIOSH program 

activities, including development of products (outputs) and steps NIOSH will take to 

encourage use of NIOSH findings and products by groups in a position to impact 

worker safety and health. 

Performance Measure: A performance measure is a statement of a metric to indicate 

progress toward the goal. NIOSH plans to report on the progress of the Fire Fighter 

Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program on an annual basis using these 

proposed measures. 

Developmental sources for the plan include fire service stakeholder comments submitted 

to the NIOSH docket and during public meetings; a 2007 report to NIOSH from the 

International Association of Fire Chiefs, Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and 

Prevention Program Task Force; results of a Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and 

Prevention Program Evaluation conducted by RTI International; and recommendations 

from a 2007 program review by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of 

Inspector General. 

PROGRAM MISSION

The mission of the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program is 

to prevent deaths and injuries of fire fighters by formulating and disseminating 

recommendations based on field-based investigations of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths, 

and facilitating the implementation of these recommendations by groups in position to 

impact fire fighter safety and health. 
Strategic Plan for FFFIPP 3 December 9, 2009

STRATEGIC AND INTERMEDIATE GOALS

Strategic Goal 1: Reduce sudden cardiovascular deaths among on-duty fire fighters 

by 2015 

Intermediate Goal 1.1: Labor and professional organizations and medical care 

providers will develop intervention strategies based on investigation findings. 

Intermediate Goal 1.2: Fire departments will adopt best practice guidelines for 

medical surveillance systems and wellness programs for fire fighters. 

 

Strategic Goal 2: Reduce deaths and injuries associated with structural firefighting 

operations by 2015 

Intermediate Goal 2.1: Fire service agencies and labor and professional organizations 

will develop safety interventions based on fatality investigation findings. 

Intermediate Goal 2.2: Fire departments will modify training, policies and practices 

based on investigation findings. 

Intermediate Goal 2.3: Standards setting agencies will modify standards based on 

investigation findings.

Intermediate Goal 2.4: Manufacturers will improve fire fighter personal protective 

technology based on investigation findings. 

Strategic Goal 3: Reduce deaths and injuries of fire fighters in motor vehiclerelated incidents by 2015 

Intermediate Goal 3.1: Fire departments will require the use of seat belts by all 

occupants in moving fire service vehicles.

Intermediate Goal 3.2: Fire departments will modify training, policies and practices 

related to emergency response and unsafe driving based on investigation findings. 

Intermediate Goal 3.3: Fire departments will improve the safety of their vehicle and 

apparatus fleets based on investigation findings. 

Intermediate Goal 3.4: Standards setting agencies will modify standards that apply to 

the design, maintenance, operation, and training related to fire service vehicles and 

apparatus based on investigation findings. 

Intermediate Goal 3.5: Manufacturers will improve fire service apparatus and vehicle 

designs based on investigation findings. 
Strategic Plan for FFFIPP 4 December 9, 2009

Strategic Goal 4: R educe deaths and injuries of fire fighters from causes other than 

cardiovascular, structure fires and motor vehicles by 2020.

Intermediate Goals will be developed by 2011 based on proposed changes and 

stakeholder input to the program’s investigation prioritization guidelines. 

ACTIVITY/OUTPUT GOALS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES

(Applies to all strategic goals and their associated intermediate goals)

Activity/Output G oal A: C onduct fatality investigations as the principal activity of 

the FFFI PP

Performance Measure A.1: Investigations will be finalized each year at a minimum 

level of 3 investigations per fulltime investigator. This equates to 24 investigations in 

Fiscal Year 09 (based on 7 fulltime investigators and 2 part-time investigators).

Performance Measure A.2: 90% of fatality investigations annually through 2010 

(when investigation priorities will be revisited) will involve sudden cardiovascular 

deaths, deaths associated with structural fires, and deaths in motor vehicle-related 

incidents. 

Performance Measure A.3: An initial site visit will be conducted within 3 weeks of 

the fatality in 80% of fatal traumatic injury incidents investigated by the program. 

Performance Measure A.4: Input will be obtained from health communications 

experts and end users to improve the design and format of fatality investigation 

reports to make them more user-friendly by Fiscal Year 2010. 

Performance Measure A.5: The program’s investigation prioritization guidelines will 

be revisited and stakeholder input sought for proposed changes by 2010. 

Activity/Output G oal B: I ndividual fatality reports will be generated for each 

investigation and investigation findings will be reported and summarized in 

additional publications. 

Performance Measure B.1: Fatality investigation reports will be completed within 6

months of the site visit for 50% of investigated cases and within 12 months of the site 

visit for 95% of investigated cases. 

Performance Measure B.2: At least one document (other than a fatality report) will 

be published each year by the program. These documents may include: NIOSH 
Strategic Plan for FFFIPP 5 December 9, 2009

Safety Advisories, Workplace Solutions, Alerts, or peer-reviewed journal 

publications. 

Activity/Output G oal C : Seek peer and stakeholder input to improve the quality of 

products and the impact of the program. 

Performance Measure C.1: 75% of traumatic fatality investigation reports will be 

reviewed by external experts prior to finalization and 100% of other publications will 

be reviewed by peer and/or stakeholder reviewers prior to finalization. 

Performance Measure C.2.: Expert consultation and/or equipment testing will be 

sought on all investigations suggestive of personal protective technology 

malfunctions or failures. 

Performance Measure C.3: Stakeholder input will be sought at least every two years 

through a public meeting and/or docket. 

Activity/Output G oal D: I ncrease fire service expertise of FFFI PP personnel

Performance Measure D.1: Each trauma fatality investigator will take at least one fire

service training course covering such topics as fire dynamics, fireground strategy and 

tactics, the influence of tactical operations on fire behavior, building construction and 

performance under fire conditions, or attend a fire service conference specifically for 

training purposes annually. 

Performance Measure D.2: Any announcements seeking to fill investigator positions 

will require previous fire service expertise in addition to occupational safety and 

health training and experience.

Activity/Output G oal E : T ake steps to ensure FFFIPP recommendations and 

products are being used to improve fire fighter safety and health.

Performance Measure E.1: The program will be involved in at least 2 outreach 

activities with partner organizations annually. 

Performance Measure E.2: Program investigators will meet at least annually with 

colleagues in the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory to discuss 

investigation findings related to personal protective technology. 

Performance Measure E.3: Relevant investigation findings will be communicated 

through participation on committees and written correspondence to the National Fire 

Protection Association (NFPA) and other standards setting agencies (e.g. 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration) on an annual basis. 

Performance Measure E.4: Relevant investigation findings will be communicated to 

manufacturer groups as needed, and at least every two years.
Strategic Plan for FFFIPP 6 December 9, 2009

Performance Measure E.5: An improved communications strategy to specifically 

reach small and volunteer departments will be implemented by Fiscal Year 2011. 

Performance Measure E.6: Input from a web publishing consultant on potential 

improvements to the FFFIPP Web site will be implemented by Fiscal Year 2011.

Performance Measure E.7: A survey that would be provided to all departments 

following a NIOSH fatality investigation that would provide feedback on the 

investigation and departmental changes made as a result of the investigation will be 

developed by Fiscal Year 2011 and implemented by 2013. 

Performance Measure E.8: Funding to conduct a study assessing the extent to which 

the FFFIPP has impacted fire department training, policies and practices will be 

sought by Fiscal Year 2012.