Houston Fire Department selected to participate in pilot program

The Houston Fire Department has been selected by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to participate in the second phase of a pilot program to build a digital community risk assessment (CRA) tool. The tool, or “dashboard,” enables community leaders to gain valuable insights and make data-informed decisions around fire prevention and other risk-reduction activities in their communities.

According to NFPA, the concept of community risk reduction (CRR) — a process that identifies and prioritizes risks and ensures impactful mitigation initiatives- has been gaining traction across North America for more than 20 years. Innovative technology, access to data, and a shifting focus on prevention have resulted in new energy around this process. Reflecting that momentum, NFPA’s CRA tool works to help fire departments aggregate and disseminate data that pinpoint where risks exist within a given community.

“Access to accurate data will allow CRR leaders to use insights and make informed decisions about where to focus efforts and resources community risk reduction strategist at NFPA

that incorporate five priorities — education, engineering, enforcement, economic incentives, and emergency response — in the most impactful ways possible.”

The first phase of the pilot project, which included participation from 50 fire departments across the country, helped identify features of the digital dashboard that will work effectively and those that need fine-tuning. During this second phase of the program, which involves participation from 250 departments nationwide, the Houston Fire Department will provide insights around the use of dashboard through June of 2021 to help continue refining and enhancing its effectiveness.

“Participation in this project allows each fire department to provide important feedback that will be used to improve future versions of the dashboard, positions the community among CRR leaders in the United States, and signals an interest in leveraging technology to drive high- quality community safety initiatives,” said Berard-Reed

As a participant in the pilot program, Houston Fire Department will have free access to the dashboard, which includes customized visualizations (maps, charts, graphs) that illustrate each community’s risks and hazards across a variety of categories such as demographics, geography, building stock, economics, infrastructure, and event loss history. The dashboard also provides a snapshot of local capacity for risk reduction activities with information about public safety response agencies and community service organizations. In addition to dashboard access,

participants will be provided rich networking and professional development opportunities with other communities engaged in CRR.

“Participating in this important project is a matter of pride for us,” said Chief Christian M. Hartley of Houston Fire Department. “The tool will give us invaluable information about our community’s needs, it’ll help a lot of fire departments in the long run. And being invited to participate is an acknowledgment of other prevention activities we are engage in.”

Houston provides education to students at Houston Middle School and Houston High School classes on portable fire extinguishers, kitchen fire response, and injury prevention. The fire department also stands by at professional fireworks displays, public education at multiple city events, wood chipping at no cost early in the for Community Wildfire Prevention Day annually, public education and injury prevention information at the fireworks stands on numerous major holidays, and open houses for Fire Prevention Week.

Follow NFPA’s CRR efforts on social media using #itstartswithinsights, or for more information online, visit www.nfpa.org/crr.