Firefighter Injury Research and Safety Trends - FIRST

More to Every Story: Violence against first responders on the rise Drexel University reported over 200 assaults against first responders last year, and the number of attacks has increased over the last several years.

Heading to the Fire Department Safety Officers Association Health & Safety Conference in Florida next week?

The FIRST Center will be hosting a Hands-On Safety Culture Data Workshop on Wednesday, January 15th, from 3:00pm to 4:30pm in the Sawyer Key Ballroom. Join us and dive deep into data collected from the Fire Service Organizational Culture of Safety (FOCUS) 3.0 survey. We will examine safety outcomes like burnout, mental health, and workplace violence. After, we'll talk about how to make an action plan absed on your data and how other departments have used FOCUS to get what they need.

Have the app? Register now for our session: HSO - FIRST Safety Climate.

Can't attend our session? Stop by our booth--our staff will help you get familiar with FOCUS and how your department can lead with data.

We look forward to seeing you all in sunny Saint Pete Beach!

Mark your calendars!

The FIRST Center will be leading a Hands-On Safety Culture Data Workshop at the 2025 Fire Department Safety Officers Association Health & Safety Conference in January!

In this session, we'll dig into data on safety outcomes like burnout, mental health, and violence that were collected from the Fire service Organizational Culture of Safety (FOCUS) 3.0 survey. Folks will walk away knowing how to make an action plan based on the data, and how departments can use their FOCUS data to get what they need.

registration is still open. Explore the agenda, register today, and add the FIRST Center to your list of sessions: https://www.fdsoaevents.org/event/2025St-Pete/summary

This week, the FIRST Center will be at the IAFC - VCOS Section Symposium in the Sun!

Stop by booth #40 to learn more about the Fire service Organizational Culture of Safety (FOCUS) survey and how your department can lead with data.

Alexandra Fisher, MPH, CHES (Associate Director) and Victoria Gallogly, MPH (Outreach & Communication Manager) will be there to provide more detail about the survey and how your safety culture data can help you advocate for gear, apparatus, staffing, and behavioral health resources.

Our research shows that volunteer and combination departments, on average, have HIGHER management commitment to safety scores than career departments.

⬆️scores = ⬇️injuries, ⬆️wellbeing, + more!

Where does YOUR department stand? Find out with the FOCUS safety culture survey: https://bit.ly/FOCUS-Enroll

🚨NOW ENROLLING: FOCUS Safety Culture Survey!🚨

FOCUS measures burnout, job satisfaction, work engagement, and behavioral health outcomes.

SIGN UP: http://bit.ly/FOCUS-Enroll

The opportunity is open to ALL departments—combination and volunteer are strongly encouraged to apply.

Every month, one of the first responders at Georgetown County Fire & EMS in South Carolina is assaulted on the job.

FIRST Center director, Dr. Jennifer Taylor, sat down with Live 5 News to talk about the mental health burden that workplace violence places on an already strained EMS system. She also spoke about training programs, behavioral health programs, and other solutions that can help prevent on-the-job violence or support first responders who have been assaulted:

Georgetown first responders see violent assaults, points to a nationwide problem When firefighters arrive at a scene, they expect to fight the fires, not the people they’re trying to save, but assaults against firefighters and EMS personnel are plaguing departments across the United States, including in South Carolina.

Folks attending IAFC - International Association of Fire Chiefs :

Don't miss tomorrow's session from FIRST Center Director, Dr. Jennifer Taylor, about the FOCUS Safety Culture Survey!

She will be in Ballroom C3 tomorrow 8/16 at 10:15am CDT. Be sure to add her to your agenda--see you then!

Thank you to Dr. Patience Ajoff-Foster, Drexel University Assistant Vice President for Inclusive Culture and Belonging, for talking with us yesterday about the University's DEI initiatives!

Dr. Ajoff-Foster advises us on the assessment and training components included in the DEI FIRE Toolkit: https://t.co/2E4nkUOqZO

This week, FIRST Center Director Dr. Jennifer Taylor will be presenting at the IAFC - International Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Rescue International Conference in Dallas, Texas.

She will be speaking about the Fire service Organizational Culture of Safety (FOCUS) survey, including some interesting findings about the most recent assessment, and how departments can enroll in the latest wave of FOCUS.

See you there!