Fairfax, Va., June 7, 2010... This year's

-also known as Safety Week-runs June 20-26.

Sponsored by the IAFC and the IAFF, and in partnership with other national fire service organizations, the theme for this year's event is Fit for Duty.  With more than 50% of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths caused by health- and fitness-related issues, both organizations believe it's imperative that there be a concentrated effort in implementing wellness and fitness programs.

Safety Week's Fit for Duty theme will cover a variety of topics that are extremely important to all fire fighters and EMS personnel. Be sure to visit the

for the sample daily-activity schedule, FAQs, a press release template and many other health and wellness resources.

While departments are encouraged to identify activities tailored to their specific needs, recommended areas of concentration include:

During the week, departments are also encouraged to support comprehensive, non-punitive fitness assessments, medical screenings and educational programs that build and maintain medically and physically fit personnel and help in reducing health- and fitness-related deaths or injuries.

The NVFC has released the National Fire Service Resource Guide. This one-stop reference source provides fire and EMS departments with quick information regarding topics of importance to the fire and emergency services. The Guide includes a compilation of available resources and tools that departments can refer to concerning each topic, as well as tips and guidance to help departments in their initiatives.

The National Fire Service Resource Guide covers the following topics:

The Guide is available for free online at www.nvfc.org under the Resources tab, or click here to download. Departments are encouraged to print a copy of the Guide and place it in a convenient location to provide quick and easy access when they need to find information and resources for the department and personnel. Development of the Guide was supported by VFIS and Provident Agency.