Fire departments are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activity during Safety Stand Down week, allowing all shifts and personnel to focus on safety and health training and education. An entire week is provided to ensure each shift and duty crew can spend at least one day focusing on these critical issues.

Safety Stand Down week is a collaborative program embraced by more than 20 national and international fire and emergency-service organizations, and sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Volunteer Fire Council. The event is coordinated by the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section (SHS) and the NVFC's Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program.