Community Risk Reduction

The Vision 20/20 Project defines CRR as a process to identify and prioritize local risks, followed by the integrated and strategic investment of resources (emergency response and prevention) to reduce their occurrence and impact.

When properly applied, CRR coordinates emergency operations with prevention and mitigation efforts throughout both the community and at the fire-station level. Involvement of operations personnel at the company level is critical for both gathering local risk data and performing activities necessary to implement the CRR plan.

In the United States, the fire service must begin to change its culture—particularly among the firefighters and officers assigned to emergency operations. CRR is not just fire prevention, nor solely the responsibility of prevention or life-safety division personnel within the fire department. Instead, all members have a role in community risk reduction. Changes in attitude and culture should start during the initial training of new personnel, and continue throughout their careers. (1)

Virtually every risk reduction program in the fire and emergency services will have elements of what are called The 5 Es of Prevention. These include:

1. Education
2. Enforcement
3. Engineering
4. Economic Incentives
5. Emergency Response

Successful Community Risk Reduction strategies are directly linked to the prevention of firefighter line-of-duty injuries and deaths. (18)

The Future Firefighter Podcast Episodes

Deputy Chief Joe Powers

Join host Chris Baker and guest Deputy Chief Joe Powers as they discuss embracing career opportunities, cultivating positive relationships, and building sustainability in the fire service. During this episode, they also discuss the Vision 20/20 Project and the value of community risk reduction through risk assessments, establishing partnerships and building more resilient communities. 

Ben May

Join host Chris Baker and guest Ben May as they discuss why marketing is important for the future firefighter. During this episode, we cover a wide range of topics, including what is marketing and why it is so important, what is a brand and the most trusted brand in America, brand evolution of the fire service, and why the future firefighter is responsible for representing the brand of the entire fire service. 

2021 Campaign

This year's FPW campaign, "Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety!" works to educate everyone about the different sounds the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms make. Knowing what to do when an alarm sounds will keep you and your family safe. When an alarm makes noises – a beeping sound or a chirping sound – you must take action. (4)

FPW Safety Tip Sheet

About Fire Prevention Week

Since 1922, the NFPA has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land. (6)

Importance of Fire Prevention

In a fire, mere seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy. Fire safety education isn't just for school children. Teenagers, adults, and the elderly are also at risk in fires, making it important for every member of the community to take some time every October during Fire Prevention Week to make sure they understand how to stay safe in case of a fire. (8)

Family Action Plan

Fire Escape Checklist

Sparky The Fire Dog

Vision 20/20

Vision 20/20 is a project hosted by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) – USA Branch (IFE-USA), a 501(c) (3) non-profit global organization.

Vision 20/20 Project is guided by a coalition of national organizations and experts exemplifying how collaboration, communication, and commitment to data-based solutions saves lives and property. (12)

Fire is Everyone's Fight

Fire is Everyone's Fight™ is designed to unite the fire service and many others in a collaborative effort to reduce home fire injuries, deaths and property loss. It invites fire departments, safety advocates, community groups, schools and others to rally behind a common and compelling theme. USFA and its partners will communicate and reinforce key lessons across many proven fire safety and prevention initiatives and programs. (13)

Vision 20/20 CRR Materials Generator

Using this new tool, you can generate customized door hangers, fliers and activity guides using proven fire safety messages with your logo and information that you can then download and print out.

Developed by a team of fire safety and communications experts using messages that were tested with different audiences, these materials can be used to enhance your Community Risk Reduction and Home Safety Visit programs.

The Vision 20/20 CRR Materials Generator was funded by a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to Vision 20/20, a project of the Institution of Fire Engineers-USA Branch. (14)

Essentials of Community Risk Reduction

Essentials of Community Risk Reduction is an, online, free course from The Vision 20/20 Project and IFSTA ResourceOne. This short course helps you gain a better understanding of the importance of Community Risk Reduction to the fire service and to the community. Being a fire fighter is so much more than responding to fires and medical emergencies – it is helping to make the community a safer place to live and work, and this can range from teaching fire prevention to pool safety. (16)

CRR Week

January 17-23, 2022

CRR Week is a grass-roots effort by an informal group of fire safety professionals from across the nation. The idea is to help promote the awareness of CRR within the fire service by having a week where everyone can do CRR programs and demonstrate its importance to the fire service. (17)

 Work Cited:

1. Community risk reduction. Community Risk Reduction Planning. (2017, November 18). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://riskreduction.strategicfire.org/introduction/community-risk-reduction/.
2. Appendix G: Community risk reduction model. Community Risk Reduction Planning. (2017, October 30). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://riskreduction.strategicfire.org/appendix-g-community-risk-reduction-model/.
   
3. Deputy Chief Joe Powers, Charlottesville Fire Department (v.5.1 - Powers).
4. Fire prevention week (FPW). (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.nfpa.org/Events/Events/Fire-Prevention-Week/About.
   
5. What is your alarm telling you? smoke alarms - nfpa.org. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/FPW/Safety-tip-sheets/2021/FPW21ThemeSafetyTipSheet.ashx.
   
6. Fire prevention week (FPW). (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.nfpa.org/Events/Events/Fire-Prevention-Week/About.
7. Lessons from history: The Chicago fire of 1871. YouTube. (2015, September 8). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://youtu.be/VZhvbmqYniA.
   
8. Fire prevention week (FPW). (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.nfpa.org/Events/Events/Fire-Prevention-Week/About.
9. Fire safety minute. YouTube. (2017, October 3). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://youtu.be/wC7WV4cSdJk.
   
10. The Family's Home Safety Action Plan - nfpa.org. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Files/FPW/Educate/2021/FPW21FamilyActionPlanCombined.ashx.
    
11. I spy sounds of fire safety. YouTube. (2021, September 14). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://youtu.be/v0hZNCGJ0VA.
    
12. About us " vision 20/20. Vision 20/20. (2020, July 10). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://strategicfire.org/about-us/.
    
13. Fire is everyone's fight " vision 20/20. Vision 20/20. (2015, April 11). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://strategicfire.org/resources/fire-is-everyones-fight/.
    
14. Vision 20/20 CRR Materials Generator " vision 20/20. Vision 20/20. (2020, June 25). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://strategicfire.org/crrmaterialsgenerator.
    
15. V2020 fire safety materials generator. YouTube. (2017, August 8). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://youtu.be/rHwqqV3T4g4.
    
16. CRR Essentials " vision 20/20. Vision 20/20. (2019, June 22). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://strategicfire.org/crressentials.
    
17. CRR Week 2022. CRR Week. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://crrweek.org/.
    
18. Everyone Goes Home. (n.d.). Keys to Pulling Together Your Department's Plan. Retrieved from https://www.everyonegoeshome.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/04/PullingItAllTogether.pdf.