March 3, 2026 | Paige Wharton

At our core, we believe the strongest risk management strategies are built long before a loss ever occurs. They are built in equipment rooms, policy reviews, committee meetings, and in the daily habits that shape a department’s culture.  

That proactive mindset is exactly why we are proud to recognize Captain Annalisa Laube of Mountain View Fire Rescue (MVFR) as this season’s Safety Hero.  

Nominated by her colleague, Ivy Miller, MVFR’s Operational Resiliency Coordinator, Annalisa is described as proactive and thoughtful in her actions. 

“I nominated Analisa because much of her work happens behind the scenes yet yields profound impact,” said Miller.  

That quiet and meaningful work consisted of coordinating and providing advanced TECGEN rescue gear and backup helmet liners for 180 firefighters. On the surface, this may sound like a logistics accomplishment—but from a risk management perspective, it is far more than that.  

Firefighter cancer is now the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths nationally. Modern building materials release carcinogens and toxic smoke, exposing firefighters to harmful substances every time they enter a structure fire. These toxins then cling to their uniforms, allowing these invisible risks to travel back to the station and even back home. Reducing that exposure is not optional; it is essential to long term loss prevention.  

Miller summed up Laube’s approach in setting the department up with the essential gear: “Analisa anticipates risk before it becomes harm.”  

By ensuring every firefighter has a second helmet liner, firefighters can wash contaminated liners without sacrificing operational readiness, removing the barrier of needing to choose between comfort and safety. Just as importantly, it reinforces the simple yet powerful message that long-term exposure reduction is part of the job.  

“Providing a second helmet liner for every firefighter has measurable implications,” shared Miller.  

Laube also created a replacement and cycling process for bunker gear on five-year rotation. From a risk management perspective, this kind of lifecycle management reduces wear-related hazards, maintains protective integrity, and lowers cumulative carcinogen exposure over a firefighter's career. Long-term health outcomes improve when departments treat PPE as an investment in both immediate and future loss prevention.  

When we asked Laube what safety means to her, her answer reflected a holistic point of view.  

“To me, safety means protecting firefighters both in the moment and over the course of their careers.”  

This now versus later distinction is not to be overlooked. Immediate scene safety—situational awareness, training, command presence—is critical. And so is the slow, cumulative risk of carcinogen absorption through the skin and contaminated gear carried back to stations or the home.  

Laube shared that she grounds her decisions in science. When it comes to turnout gear and carcinogenic absorption, she regularly researches and evaluates emerging fabrics and designs, often attending conferences to stay ahead of evolving best practices.  

This evidence-based advocacy has strengthened Laube's credibility and helped navigate some of the challenges which come with improving hazards that cannot be seen with the naked eye (contaminants and toxins).  

“Advocating for behind-the-scenes safety improvements can be an uphill battle, but grounding recommendations in evidence about cancer risk and exposure reduction makes my case stronger and more accepted,” Laube shared.   

Organizational change rarely happens through mandates alone—it happens by making safe behavior the easiest behavior.  

“Annalisa models that true safety leadership means anticipating risks, addressing equipment gaps, and empowering crews with practical solutions that reduce long-term health threats. She doesn’t just advocate for improvement—she organizes it,” said Miller.    

By ensuring ample PPE availability and forming committees to test and evaluate different gear manufacturers, Captain Laube has created shared ownership in safety decisions. Firefighters have input in equipment selection, which strengthens buy-in and reinforces the notion that safety is everyone’s responsibility.  

Captain Laube’s leadership has also addressed an often-overlooked exposure risk: PPE fit. As a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field, Laube understands that improperly fitting gear is not merely uncomfortable—it can create gaps in protection, restrict mobility, and increase contamination risk. She has researched vendors offering women-specific turnout gear and introduced options in uniform styles that improve comfort, performance, and operational effectiveness.  

When it comes to spreading the message, Laube believes every department can and should adopt consistent gear washing habits by practicing “routine and thorough decontamination after fires—especially helmets, hoods, jackets, and other PPE. Every department has access to soap and water.”  

From a loss prevention standpoint, departments may at times underestimate how powerful consistent cleaning and maintenance can be in reducing long term claims and associated costs. Strong safety culture and disciplined PPE processes do more than protect individuals—they protect the financial health and operational resilience of the entire organization.  

Perhaps most telling is how Laube views her role personally.  

“I approach safety for my crews the same way I protect my family.” 

At MVFR, safety is not treated as an add-on. It is built into daily practice through proactive equipment management, thoughtful policy, collaborative decision-making, and consistent decontamination habits. Laube’s contributions have reinforced that culture in tangible, measurable ways to ensure firefighters stay protected not only on today’s call, but decades into their careers. 

This is safety leadership—and why we are honored to recognize Captain Laube as a Safety Hero.