Archive
Fire Service Operations for the Southeastern Tornados – April 2011
Fire Service Operations for the Southeastern Tornados – April 2011 (PDF)
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has completed a review of fire service operations surrounding the challenges faced in April 2011 as fire departments in the southeastern United States responded to a significant weather event.On April 27, 2011, a devastating series of tornados struck Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. The dollar loss has been roughly tallied at $6 billion in insured losses and a total of over $10 billion for all losses. An estimated 336 lives were lost in the region’s tornados and related events, with 239 of those in Alabama. At least 10,000 homes were heavily damaged or destroyed and dozens of public facilities were rendered inoperative. Many areas that were isolated by road closures and power outages extended over two weeks in some rural areas. At least five tornados were rated at EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale).A series of meetings was held in the summer of 2011 to look at fire department and emergency medical services (EMS) organization activities in Alabama and Georgia during the tornados. Over 50 representatives of impacted departments attended and each had an opportunity to respond to specific questions as well as provide a free range of their own inputs.The report, Fire Service Operations for the Southeastern Tornados – April 2011 (PDF,1.5 Mb), condenses those meetings and inputs and provides an insight into the routines, challenges and needs of local fire and EMS agencies during preparation for, response to and recovery from, natural disasters. It serves as a benchmark to provide USFA an opportunity for evaluation to ensure we are providing the services that the first responder community requires for success, as well as to guide directions for future activities.
USFA Announces 2011 Onduty Firefighter Deaths
USFA Announces 2011 Onduty Firefighter Deaths
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) announced today the release of the report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2011. There were 83 onduty firefighter fatalities in the United States as a result of incidents that occurred in 2011. This represents a continuing decline in the overall number of firefighter fatality deaths in recent years and an almost five percent decrease from the 87 fatalities reported for 2010. When analyzing the overall trend in the United States going back to 1977, accounting for the Hometown Heroes added to totals since the law changed in 2004, the 2011 total represents the lowest year of record for the second year in a row.
The 83 fatalities occurred in 33 states, one U.S. territory, and one overseas U.S. military facility. Texas experienced the highest number of fatalities (7). North Carolina experienced six firefighter deaths and was the only other state with five or more firefighter fatalities.
Heart attacks were responsible for the deaths of 50 firefighters (60 percent) in 2011, nearly the same proportion of firefighter deaths from heart attack or stroke (63 percent) in 2010. Ten onduty firefighters died in association with wildland fires, the lowest number of annual firefighter deaths associated with wildland fires since 1996. Fifty-four percent of all firefighter fatalities occurred while performing emergency duties.
Four of the firefighters who died while responding to incidents in 2011 were killed by trauma caused by motor vehicle collisions, including three in privately-owned vehicles and one in a fire department apparatus.
Operational Templates and Guidance for EMS Mass Incident Deployment
Operational Templates and Guidance for EMS Mass Incident Deployment (PDF)
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), supported by the DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA) and the National Emergency Medical Services Management Association (NEMSMA), announces the release of a new guide for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers: Operational Templates and Guidance for EMS Mass Care Incident Deployment (PDF, 1.5 Mb).
"This guide provides important information on preparing for events that can impact EMS preparedness and response in local departments," said U.S. Fire Administrator Ernest Mitchell. "The model policies and practices referenced in the guide will lead to a better prepared EMS deployment to mass care incidents."
The guide is intended to provide information to local-level EMS and fire departments on the development and enhancement of the organization and preparedness for mass care incidents, including natural and man-made disasters, large gathering and pandemic events, and other emergencies potentially resulting in large numbers of patients.
USFA, Office of Health Affairs Release Funding Alternatives for Emergency Medical and Fire Services
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), supported by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Health Affairs (OHA), and in partnership with the International Fire Services Training Association (IFSTA), announce the revision and release of Funding Alternatives for Emergency Medical and Fire Services (PDF, 3.7 Mb). The latest edition provides the most up to date information regarding funding for local level Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and fire departments. The document includes sources of federal funding as well as other new and innovative funding sources not discussed in previous editions.“Adequate funding is one of the most challenging issues facing EMS and fire departments today,” said U.S. Fire Administrator Ernest Mitchell. “This document provides valuable information for local-level departments facing financial challenges.”A key part of the project initiative was an enhanced study of critical funding issues for both fire and non-fire service based EMS systems.
+ Full Document (PDF)
USFA, Federal Highway Administration Complete Study of Traffic Incident Management Systems
USFA, Federal Highway Administration Complete Study of Traffic Incident Management Systems
Source: U.S. Fire Administration and Federal Highway Administration
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Highway Administration, working in partnership with the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) have, through a study of current traffic incident management practices and policies, updated the 2008 edition of the Traffic Incident Management Systems (TIMS) (PDF, 5 Mb) manual. The 2012 edition provides the most current technical information and training programs in traffic incident management for fire and emergency service providers in this area as well as guidance to local fire departments on compliance with the latest edition of the DOT Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
“Effective traffic incident management can enhance roadway safety for firefighters and other emergency responders of which too many have been killed on duty from being struck by vehicles,” said U.S. Fire Administrator Ernest Mitchell. “The USFA was pleased to work with the DOT Federal Highway Administration and IFSTA towards reducing this number.”
This project included research into effective roadway operations safety and management examining such technology and practices as:
- roadway safety vests and other personal protective equipment,
- effective distance of placement of roadway warning signs,
- correct amount and type of emergency vehicle warning lighting (e.g., intensity, color, etc.), and
- roadway operations safety training.
+ Full Document (PDF)
USFA Releases Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings (2008-2010) Report
USFA Releases Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings (2008-2010) Report
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) issued a special report today examining the characteristics of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings. The report, Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings (2008-2010) (PDF, 916 Kb), was developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center and is based on 2008 to 2010 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).
According to the report:
- Ninety-two percent of all civilian fatalities in residential building fires involve thermal burns and smoke inhalation.
- The leading specific location where civilian fire fatalities occur in residential buildings is the bedroom (55 percent).
- Fifty percent of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings occur between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. This period also accounts for 47 percent of fatal fires.
- Thirty-six percent of fire victims in residential buildings were trying to escape at the time of their deaths; an additional 35 percent were sleeping.
“Other unintentionally set, careless” actions and “smoking” (each accounting for 16 percent) are the leading causes of fatal residential building fires.
Approximately 44 percent of civilian fatalities in residential building fires are between the ages of 40 and 69. Thirteen percent of the fire fatalities in residential buildings were less than 10 years old.
+ Full Report (PDF)
USFA Releases 2010 Fire Estimate Summary Series
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) issued the 2010 Fire Estimate Summary Series today which presents basic information on the size and status of the fire problem in the United States as depicted through data collected in USFA’s National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The data summary series was developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center and is further evidence of FEMA’s commitment to sharing information with the American public, fire departments, and first responders around the country to help them keep their communities safe.
USFA Releases Residential Building Fires Topical Report
USFA Releases Residential Building Fires Topical Report
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) announces the release of a special report focusing on the causes and characteristics of fires in residential buildings. The report, Residential Building Fires (PDF, 973 Kb), was developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center. Residential buildings include what are commonly referred to as homes, whether they are one- or two-family dwellings or multifamily buildings. It also includes manufactured housing, hotels and motels, residential hotels, dormitories, assisted living facilities, and halfway houses.
According to the report:
- An estimated 374,900 residential building fires are reported to U.S. fire departments each year and cause an estimated 2,630 deaths, 13,075 injuries, and $7.6 billion in property loss.
- Cooking is the leading cause of residential building fires (44 percent). Nearly all residential building cooking fires are small, confined fires (94 percent).
- Residential building fire incidence is higher in the cooler months, peaking in January at 11 percent.
- Residential building fires occur most frequently in the early evening hours, peaking during the dinner hours from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., when cooking fires are high.
- Forty-six percent of nonconfined residential building fires extend beyond the room of origin. The leading causes of these larger fires are electrical malfunctions (16 percent), unintentional or careless actions (15 percent), intentional (12 percent), and open flame (11 percent).
- Smoke alarms were not present in 21 percent of the larger, nonconfined fires in occupied residential buildings.
+ Full Report (PDF)
USFA Releases Annual Report on Firefighter Fatalities in the United States
USFA Releases Annual Report on Firefighter Fatalities in the United States
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) today released the report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2010 (PDF, 2.5 Mb). The report continues a series of annual studies by the USFA of onduty firefighter fatalities. The USFA is the single public agency source of information for all onduty firefighter fatalities in the United States each year.
Eighty-seven onduty firefighters from 31 states lost their lives as the result of 83 fatal incidents that occurred in 2010. This is the second consecutive year of substantially fewer firefighter deaths in the United States. During the previous six-year period of 2004-2009, the average number of annual onduty firefighter deaths was 112. Illinois experienced the highest number of fatalities with nine firefighters killed; New York and Ohio had the next highest totals with eight firefighter deaths each.
+ Full Report (PDF)
USFA Releases Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings Report
USFA Releases Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings Report
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) issued a special report today examining the characteristics of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings. The report, Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings (PDF, 1.0 Mb), was developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center and is based on 2007 to 2009 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).
According to the report:
- Ninety-one percent of all civilian fatalities in residential building fires involve thermal burns and smoke inhalation.
- Bedrooms (55 percent) are the leading location where civilian fire fatalities occur in residential buildings.
- Fifty-one percent of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings occur between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. This period also accounts for 49 percent of fatal fires.
- Seventy percent of fire victims in residential buildings were escaping (36 percent) or sleeping (34 percent) at the time of their deaths.
- Smoking was the leading cause of fatal residential building fires.
- Males accounted for 57 percent of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings; women accounted for 43 percent of the fatalities.
- Approximately 43 percent of civilian fatalities in residential building fires are between the ages of 40 and 69.
- Thirteen percent of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings were less than 10 years old.
+ Full Report (PDF)
USFA Releases International Fire Death Rate Trends Topical Report
USFA Releases International Fire Death Rate Trends Topical Report
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) announces the release of a special report examining the nature of the United States fire death problem and compares it to other industrialized nations.
The report, Fire Death Rate Trends: An International Perspective (PDF, 584 Kb), was developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center. The analyses in this report reveal the magnitude of the fire death problem; trends in overall rates and differences between the countries are also explored. The report is part of the Topical Fire Report Series and is based on fire death data from the World Fire Statistics Centre and U.N. Demographic Yearbook population estimate data.
According to the report:
- From 1979 to 2007, fire death rates per million population have consistently fallen throughout the industrialized world. The North American and Eastern European regions’ fire death rates have fallen faster than other regions.
- From 1979 to 2007, the fire death rate in the United States declined by 66 percent. Today, the United States still has one of the higher fire death rates in the industrialized world, however, its standing has greatly improved.
- Japan, a leader in fire safety, shows a slight worsening of fire death rates over the years studied.
+ Full Report (PDF)
USFA Releases University Housing Fires Report
USFA Releases University Housing Fires Report
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s United States Fire Administration (USFA) has issued a special report focusing on the causes and characteristics of fires in college and university residential buildings that include dormitories and fraternity and sorority houses. The report, University Housing Fires (2007-2009), was developed by the National Fire Data Center and is a part of the USFA’s Topical Fire Report Series. An estimated average of 3,800 university housing fires occur each year. Annually, these fires are responsible for 25 injuries and $9 million in property loss. This report is based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).
According to the report:
- 95 percent of university housing fires occur in dormitories or dormitory-type residences, and 5 percent occur in fraternity and sorority houses.
- University housing fires occur most frequently in the late summer and fall – peaking in September – and mainly in the early evening hours between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., when students prepare snacks or cook meals.
- Cooking accounts for 88 percent of all university housing fires and is the leading cause.
- Confined cooking fires, those confined to the container, account for 81 percent of all university housing fires.
+ Full Report (PDF)
University Housing Fires (2007-2009)
University Housing Fires (2007-2009) (PDF)
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s United States Fire Administration (USFA) has issued a special report focusing on the causes and characteristics of fires in college and university residential buildings that include dormitories and fraternity and sorority houses. The report, University Housing Fires (2007-2009) (PDF, 788 Kb), was developed by the National Fire Data Center and is a part of the USFA’s Topical Fire Report Series. An estimated average of 3,800 university housing fires occur each year. Annually, these fires are responsible for 25 injuries and $9 million in property loss. This report is based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).
According to the report:
- 95 percent of university housing fires occur in dormitories or dormitory-type residences, and 5 percent occur in fraternity and sorority houses.
- University housing fires occur most frequently in the late summer and fall – peaking in September – and mainly in the early evening hours between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., when students prepare snacks or cook meals.
- Cooking accounts for 88 percent of all university housing fires and is the leading cause.
Confined cooking fires, those confined to the container, account for 81 percent of all university housing fires.
USFA Releases Two Topical Reports on Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals with Disabilities
USFA Releases Two Topical Reports on Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals with Disabilities
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) announces the release of two special reports highlighting the characteristics of residential building fires involving individuals with mental and physical disabilities. The reports, Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals with Mental Disabilities (PDF, (745 Kb) and Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PDF, 899 Kb), were developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center. The analyses in these reports address residential building fires where a possible mental or physical disability, as reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), were the human factors contributing to the ignition of the fire.
Annually, an estimated 1,700 residential building fires involving individuals with mental disabilities are reported to U.S. fire departments and cause an estimated 85 deaths, 250 injuries, and $61 million in total loss. Additionally, there are an estimated 700 residential building fires involving individuals with physical disabilities that occur each year, resulting in 160 deaths, 200 injuries, and $26 million in property loss.
According to the reports, the majority of the residential building fires involving individuals with mental (62 percent) and physical (63 percent) disabilities occur in one- and two-family dwellings. Cooking, at 22 percent, is the leading cause of residential fires where a physical disability is reported as a human factor contributing to the ignition of the fire. This differs from the leading cause of residential fires where a mental disability is reported as a human factor contributing to ignition. In these types of fires, intentional is the leading fire cause, at 40 percent. Fire incidence involving individuals with disabilities occur most often in January and December. In addition, these fires show a tendency to peak in the late afternoon to early evening hours.
USFA Releases Large Loss Building Fires Report
USFA Releases Large Loss Building Fires Report
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) issued a special report today examining the characteristics and causes of Large Loss Building Fires (PDF, 834 Kb). The report, developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center, is based on 2007 to 2009 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).
From 2007 to 2009, an estimated 900 large loss building fires were reported by U.S. fire departments annually. These fires caused an estimated 35 deaths, 100 injuries, and $2.8 billion dollars in property damage. In this report, large loss building fires are defined as fires that resulted in a total dollar loss of $1 million or more.
According to the report:
- Forty-eight percent of large loss fires occur in residential buildings.
- Exposures are the leading cause of large loss building fires at 22 percent, followed by electrical malfunctions (12 percent), other unintentional, careless actions (11 percent), and intentional (9 percent).
- A peak in large loss building fires is seen between the hours of 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.
- Attics are the primary origin of all large loss building fires, along with cooking areas or kitchens.
+ Full Report (PDF)
USFA Releases One- and Two-Family and Multifamily Residential Building Fires Topical Reports
USFA Releases One- and Two-Family and Multifamily Residential Building Fires Topical Reports
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) announces the release of two special reports focusing on the causes and characteristics of fires in one- and two-family and multifamily residential buildings. The reports, One- and Two-Family Residential Building Fires and Multifamily Residential Building Fires, were developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center. One- and two-family residential buildings include detached dwellings, manufactured homes, mobile homes not in transit, and duplexes. Multifamily residential buildings consist of structures such as apartments, townhouses, rowhouses, condominiums, and other tenement properties.
…
An estimated 248,500 fires in one- and two-family residential buildings occur each year in the United States. Annually, these fires are responsible for 2,135 civilian fire deaths, 8,550 civilian fire injuries, and 5.9 billion dollars in property loss. Additionally, there are an estimated 103,000 fires that occur in multifamily buildings each year resulting in 390 deaths, 4,050 injuries, and 1.2 billion dollars in property loss.The reports are part of the Topical Fire Report Series and are based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for 2007 to 2009. According to the reports:
- Cooking is the leading cause of both one- and two-family and multifamily residential buildings fires, followed by heating.
- Fire incidence in both types of residential properties peaks during winter months partially because of increases in heating and holiday-related fires.
- Fires peak over the evening dinner hours in one- and two-family and multifamily residences when cooking fires are prevalent.
+ One- and Two-Family Residential Building Fires (PDF, 779 Kb)
+ Multifamily Residential Building Fires (PDF, 775 Kb)
USFA Releases Fire Risk Reports
USFA Releases Fire Risk Reports
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has issued three special reports as part of its Topical Fire Report Series, examining the risk of death or injury from fire by various demographics, such as age, race, and gender.
The three reports, Fire Risk, Fire Risk to Children, and Fire Risk to Older Adults, were developed by the National Fire Data Center, part of USFA. The reports explore factors that influence risk and are based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), and the U.S. Census Bureau. These reports are an update of the previous fire risk reports issued in April 2008 (Volume 7, Issues 5, 6, and 7).
- Fire Risk in 2007 (PDF, 542 Kb)
- Fire Risk to Children in 2007 (PDF, 371 Kb)
- Fire Risk to Older Adults in 2007 (PDF, 478 Kb)
Restaurant Building Fires
Restaurant Building Fires (PDF)
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
Findings
- An estimated 5,900 restaurant building fires are reported to U.S. fire departments each year and cause an estimated average of 75 injuries and $172 million in property loss.
- Cooking is the leading cause of all restaurant buildings fires at 59 percent. Nearly all of these cooking fires (91 percent) are small, confined fires with limited damage.
- While cooking is the leading cause of all restaurant building fires as well as confined restaurant building fires, electrical malfunction is the leading cause of the larger, nonconfined restaurant building fires.
- Nonconfined restaurant building fires most often start in cooking areas and kitchens (41 percent).
- Deep fryers (9 percent), ranges (7 percent), and miscellaneous kitchen and cooking equipment (5 percent) are the leading types of equipment involved in ignition in nonconfined restaurant building fires.
- Smoke alarms were reported as present in 44 percent of nonconfined restaurant building fires. In addition, full or partial automatic extinguishment systems, mainly sprinklers, were present in 47 percent of nonconfined restaurant building fires.
USFA Releases Fire-Related Firefighter Injuries Report
USFA Releases Fire-Related Firefighter Injuries Report
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) issued a special report today examining the details of firefighter injuries sustained on the fireground or while responding to or returning from a fire incident. The report, Fire-Related Firefighter Injuries Reported to NFIRS (PDF, 945 Kb), was developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center and is further evidence of FEMA’s effort to reduce the number of firefighter injuries through an increased awareness and understanding of their causes and how they might be prevented.
The report is part of the Topical Fire Report Series and is based on 2006 to 2008 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). According to the report:
- An estimated 81,070 firefighter injuries occur annually in the United States.
- 49 percent of firefighter injuries occur on the fireground and 6 percent occur while responding to or returning from a fire incident.
- Overexertion/strain is the leading cause of fire-related firefighter injuries at 25 percent.
- 38 percent of all fire-related firefighter injuries result in lost work time.
- The majority of fire-related firefighter injuries (87 percent) occur in structure fires.
- On average, structure fires have more injuries per fire than nonstructure fires.
- Firefighter injury fires are more prevalent in July (10 percent) and peak between the hours of 2 and 5 p.m.
+ Full Report (PDF)
Fire Risk to Children in 2007
Fire Risk to Children in 2007
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
Findings from this report:
- The relative risk of children under age 15 dying in a fire is lower than the general population. However, when dividing the young into subgroups, 52 percent of all child fire deaths occur to those 4 and younger.
- When dividing the young into subgroups, fire injuries are highest in the 4 and under age group, decline in the middle years, but rise again in the 10 to 14 age group. This is a different pattern than deaths, which decrease as children age.
- Boys are at higher risk of death from fire than girls.
- African-American children are at an increased risk of death from fire.
