Reducing Residential Fire Fatalities with Effective Data Driven CRR Efforts

This presentation provides an in-depth exploration of the Residential Fire Mortality issue, specifically through a statewide lens, utilizing recently collected data from the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM). It draws on key findings from the recently published report, "Residential Fire Issues: Data-Driven Analysis of Fire Fatalities in 1 & 2 Family Homes." The presentation will detail the project's evolution, major discoveries from the research, and strategies for leveraging the Community Risk Reduction (CRR) tool to address residential fire deaths.

Unlike traditional incident reporting systems, this tool is designed to track fire fatalities and uncover patterns that can be used to prevent future deaths. It highlights the importance of focusing on the root causes of fire fatalities rather than just cataloging individual incidents. The project involved the collection of over 3,000 reports from more than 20 states, relying on hundreds of volunteer hours from State Fire Marshal Offices (SFMO) and other stakeholders. Spearheaded by a steering team of ten experts, the project rapidly expanded, accumulating valuable data that inform targeted prevention strategies.

Attendees will learn how this data is used to guide Community Risk Reduction programs, how GIS analytics play a role in identifying behavioral and structural patterns that contribute to fire deaths, and how this system can continue to evolve to further reduce residential fire fatalities.

The presentation will also delve into the collaborative efforts between participating states, the challenges faced in maintaining consistent use of the system, and the long-term goal of reducing fire fatalities nationwide through continuous support and updates. By focusing on data-driven insights, this presentation aims to guide fire prevention strategies that are responsive to both state-specific and national-level concerns.