WASHINGTON D.C.--A landmark study issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the size of firefighting crews has a substantial effect on the fire service's ability to protect lives and property in residential fires. The study found that four-person firefighting crews were able to complete 22 essential firefighting and rescue tasks in a typical residential structure 30 percent faster than two-person crews and 25 percent faster than three-person crews. The report is the first to quantify the effects of crew sizes and arrival times on the fire service's lifesaving and firefighting operations for residential fires. Until now, little scientific data have been available. Read more


Working at the State Level: Getting Fire-Safety Legislation Passed
Using partnerships, planning, education and determination is a common-sense approach to getting legislation passed according to the International Association of Fire Chiefs. This article describes how these tools are best used to get good fire-safety legislation passed and poor legislation killed.


FEMA awards Fire Prevention and Safety grant to NFPA
The National Fire Protection Association will be broadening its outreach to the nation's fire service with important messages about the life-saving impact of home fire sprinklers. The new "Faces of Fire" campaign, set to launch later this year, will include targeted messaging to the fire service via the Fire Sprinkler Initiative Web site, social media channels, and paid advertisements in national publications. The Web site will feature a special toolkit containing media materials, fact sheets, and other content to support sprinkler advocacy at the local level.

Association partners for home fire sprinkler contractor accreditation
To address the huge upswing in demand for contractors who are accredited to install residential fire sprinkler systems driven by these new regulations, The Center for Public Safety Excellence, the International Code Council, and the National Fire Sprinkler Association have signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding that includes the creation of a new Commission for the Accreditation for Dwelling Fire Sprinkler Contractors.


Foremost puts up a fire hazard education page
Three major factors leading to home fires are cooking, candles and extension cords, according to an insurance company that has launched an interactive Web page to publicize those perils. Foremost Insurance, based in Caledonia, Michigan, said it created the page after asking their claim adjusters what one thing they thought customers should be told about preventing a fire. The fire safety page is at www.Foremost.com/safety/home-safety/interactive-fire-safety.


CCFS speaks out about reducing false fire alarms
The results of Campus Safety magazine's annual fire survey are in, and once again, false/nuisance alarms continue to be a thorn in the sides of university, school and hospital protection professionals. Nearly half (47 percent) of survey respondents indicated that false alarms are among their four biggest fire safety challenges.
Campuses that don't address this issue run the risk of wasting precious public safety resources each time an officer is dispatched to check on yet another red herring.


Characteristics of Home Fire Victims Jennifer D. Flynn, March 2010
This National Fire Protection Association report provides a comprehensive analysis of the fatal and non-fatal victims of home fires, with information about victim age, sex, race, and region. Relative risk is also addressed, and additional information is provided about the relative importance of socioeconomic factors in predicting differences in the risk of fire and fire death. This report also discusses leading fire causes and risk factors such as activity when injured, victim location, and factors contributing to injury.


Demographic and Other Characteristics Related to Fire Deaths or Injuries Fire Analysis and Research, NFPA One-Stop Data Shop, March 2010
This report includes key findings from two National Fire Protection Association reports - Characteristics of Home Fire Victims and U.S. Fire Experience by Region.
Abstract: The risk of fire death and injury varies by age group, race, region, and community size. Children under five and adults 65 or older face the highest risk of fire death, although they do not account for the majority of fire fatalities. The risk of non-fatal fire injury is highest for those between 20 and 49. Higher fire death rates are seen in states with larger percentages of people who possess one or more of the following characteristics: are black, poor, smoke, have less formal education, or who live in rural areas. In more affluent areas, race played less of a role. The South and Midwest had the highest fire death rates per million population in 2004-2008. The rate in the rural South was the highest by far.