Focus on Fire Safety:  Community Risk Reduction

Indian River completes Wildland Firefighter Equipment Acquisition & Refurbishment Initiative Grant and enhances individual firefighter skill sets and fire suppression equipment resources - http://irvfc.com/gallery/detail/42860?ss=1.

Indian River believes that fire safety is critical in every setting of residential living and that “fighting fire with education” is the most effective method of increasing mitigation efforts and public awareness. 

Indian River further believes that the best way to promote fire safety is to conduct fire safety neighborhood visits and hosting dialogue to acknowledge that a fire safety risk exists. These visits allow residents and neighbors to learn firsthand from respected fire safety authorities and to bridge connections and trust with local first responders. Fundamentally, this can prove to be beneficial in terms of saving property and lives.

Over the grant period (May 1, 2021 thru July 31, 2021), Indian River VFC has completed the following activities associated with this grant proposal:

• equipment acquisitions for apparatus which included: forestry hose, forestry fire rakes, forestry fire hoes, combo tools, forestry fire axes, forestry fire indian tanks, forestry fire shovels, and task force tips (nozzles) for forestry hose.  

• nine (9) public interventions with 62 volunteer hours by 28 fire company volunteers reaching 898 public contacts to “Fight Fire with Education” to enhance and refine the awareness of residents with respect to preventing fires and promoting fire safety.

• two (2) online training course completions with 45 volunteer hours by 9 fire company volunteers to enhance individual firefighter knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• sixteen (16) press release publications with 12.2 volunteer hours by 16 fire company volunteers reaching 683 public contacts to enhance community awareness and offer fire prevention and suppression awareness.

• thirteen (17) facebook publications with 8.5 volunteer hours by 17 fire company volunteers reaching 450 public contacts to enhance community awareness and offer fire prevention and suppression awareness. 

Fire departments are uniquely positioned to know their communities better than most other organizations. Firefighters and emergency medical service responders see firsthand, whether through fire calls, medical calls, inspections or simply driving through the community, how people live and the needs they encounter within their respective fire district(s).

A community risk reduction (CRR) program can help a department take what is already known and lower the risks within the area of operation or emergency response. CRR uses a wide variety of tools to form a strategic and integrated program focused on reducing the occurrence and impact of local risks.

The “5 E’s” is one of the models used to help combat the fire and life safety problem. The 5 E’s are:

• Education;

• Engineering;

• Enforcement;

• Economic Incentives; and

• Emergency response.

Education makes the public and first responders aware of risks and how to mitigate them.

Indian River has encouraged their first responders to enroll in these National Fire Academy self-study courses to learn more about CRR and how to create a community risk assessment for their respective fire district.

• Introduction to Strategic Community Risk Reduction

Introduction to Strategic Community Risk Reduction (ISCRR) (Q0841) is a new online self-study course that empowers the learner with an understanding of what constitutes strategic community risk reduction (CRR). Participants explore the history and evolution from fire prevention into all-hazards risk reduction. In addition to identifying the core components that build an effective CRR strategy, participants learn how the process can help foster safe, healthy, prepared and resilient communities

This course took approximately five (5) hours to complete and five (5) first responders within the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company completed this course and received certificate recognition.

• Introduction to Community Risk Assessment

Introduction to Community Risk Assessment (ICRA) (Q0843) is a new online self-study course that empowers the participant with a foundational understanding of the components, benefits, and processes of conducting risk assessments. This course brings all participants to the same level of understanding about risk assessments as they progress into more advanced courses. This course uses realistic scenarios to expose students to real-life situations. Participants receive a foundation in vocabulary, working with demographic and community data, and interacting with stakeholders.

This course took approximately five (5) hours to complete and four (4) first responders within the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company completed this course and received certificate recognition.

Engineering provides an opportunity to work with local organizations and government to promote new fire safety technologies in your community.

Fire and the emergency medical services are integrating technology to reduce personnel demands, train members, improve emergency operations, reduce community risk, and change the way responses to incidents are completed.

Enforcement identifies potential risks and non-compliance in your local properties and teaches your community how fire safety codes protect them.

The Fire Marshal Interchange provides a community for professionals to share knowledge and information about enforcement issues.    

Economic incentives can be useful to encourage individuals and businesses to make choices that their reduce risk.

Many communities have encouraged adopting residential sprinklers in their building codes. There are several incentives available to encourage sprinkler additions to local building codes.

Emergency response protects your community and your firefighters by ensuring they have the equipment and training they need.

Learning about current issues affecting emergency responders and how to reduce risk is beneficial for all parties involved.  Examples include equipment and technology, hazardous materials, health and safety, terrorism, training, and many other topics.

Overall, Indian River believes this collaborative effort will has positive impacts on fire safety and fire suppression activities within our fire district.

Source:  United States Fire Administration - Federal Emergency Management Agency