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| "Firefighters" Nicole Huber |
The general goal of the fire prevention organization is to prevent the loss of life and property damage due to fire. Where NFPA 1730 provides guidance on what needs to be done to accomplish this goal, NFPA 1452 provides practical guidance on how this can be achieved.
The Guide for Training Fire Service Personnel to Conduct Community Risk Reduction, provides direction for fire departments to design and implement the community risk reduction plan. A key component for effective risk reduction is face-to-face interaction with community members. This can be achieved through public events, fire station visits, and, most effectively, home visits. Community risk reduction programs, and fire crews involvement in them, produces three distinct benefits.
Material distribution.
Home visits, interaction, and direct contact with the public can provide an excellent opportunity to distribute and discuss fire prevention, life safety, and emergency preparedness literature. With the abundance of documents and materials available, make sure that the selected items and literature are directly tied with the communities risk reduction plan and goals. Fire department personnel should take advantage of these opportunities to to answer questions and create conversations that promote risk reduction initiatives.
Supports other programs.
Personal interactions and home visits improve the public perception of the fire department, and allow the promotion of additional fire protection and life safety programs. Based on the conditions or personnel observed, some programs that may be promoted include:
- smoke alarm installation
- CO detection and alarm installation
- radon dangers and awareness
- residential fire sprinklers
- fire escape planning
- Drowning prevention
- senior citizen risks and fall prevention
- Fire safety for children
Continuity of CRR programs.
Effective community risk reduction is an endless cycle of planning, implementation, and evaluation. Home visits and discussion with community members and groups can provide feedback on current programs, and data for future community needs. As these programs gain traction and their effectiveness is tracked and demonstrated, community support for the department and CRR will be enhanced.
