About Firefighter Rescue Survey
Firefighter Rescue Survey was created to highlight the most important aspect of our profession. Saving Lives. Until now fire service data has been solely focused on only the negative. "Line of Duty Deaths" and "Civilian Fatalities" were the only statistics that were available to the average civilian. Why not put the spotlight on what really matters?
By recording the number and details of a rescue made on the fireground we will be able to tailor our training to methods and techniques of what actually works. Improving our results to benefit the populations we serve.
By recording the number and details of a rescue made on the fireground we will be able to tailor our training to methods and techniques of what actually works. Improving our results to benefit the populations we serve.
A Litte History...
“While reported home fires and home fire deaths have been cut roughly in half since 1980, the death rate per 1,000 reported home fires has remained fairly consistent and was slightly higher in most recent years than it was in 1980. It appears that most of the reduction in fire deaths over the past decades has been due to a reduction in fires rather than the prevention of harm after a fire is reported” (NFPA, Home Structure Fires, 2019, p. 1)
The American fire service has never been able to determine if operations are actually saving more civilians from fire. The absence of operational direction provided by the traditional reporting mechanisms has never been called into question because there has never been a comparison.
The NFIRS data collection system is qualitative and centered on reporting negative information; losses, fatalities and injuries. This provides a myopic view of the problem and compromises solutions. This is a tragic disservice that undermines the crucial work of America Burning which called for a reporting system “to be established to provide a continuing review and analysis of the entire fire problem”” (National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, 1973, p. 9)
The United States Fire Administration, who controls the parameters of the
NFIRS, most recently stated “The lack of data, especially for these residential fatal fires masks the true picture of the fire problem” (National Fire Data Center, 2018, p. 9). A shame that 45 years of reporting has not moved the needle.
There is a void of qualitative information in fire reporting, and a nearly absent basis of information on rescued victims. In 2016, a group of firefighters who had been collecting firefighter rescue reports decided that news reports alone were not providing enough detail in regard to where the victims were located, how they were removed, and the outcome. To address this gap, the group developed the Firefighter Rescue Survey.
The survey provides an online platform for the firefighters who performed a rescue to provide information on the operation and outcome. Since its inception there have been roughly 2500 surveys submitted, containing firsthand reports of location, conditions and the process of civilian rescues by firefighters. While the data set is small in comparison to NFIRS, the quality is high. The Fire Engineering February 2020 article Search and Rescue by the Numbers demonstrates proof in concept for that value.
As the demand for evidence-based operations increases, the supply of data must rise to meet it and the Firefighter Rescue Survey is the source. Support the mission and report your rescues through the survey or download the Rescue Reporting SOP template to institutionalize rescue reporting in your department.
The American fire service has never been able to determine if operations are actually saving more civilians from fire. The absence of operational direction provided by the traditional reporting mechanisms has never been called into question because there has never been a comparison.
The NFIRS data collection system is qualitative and centered on reporting negative information; losses, fatalities and injuries. This provides a myopic view of the problem and compromises solutions. This is a tragic disservice that undermines the crucial work of America Burning which called for a reporting system “to be established to provide a continuing review and analysis of the entire fire problem”” (National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, 1973, p. 9)
The United States Fire Administration, who controls the parameters of the
NFIRS, most recently stated “The lack of data, especially for these residential fatal fires masks the true picture of the fire problem” (National Fire Data Center, 2018, p. 9). A shame that 45 years of reporting has not moved the needle.
There is a void of qualitative information in fire reporting, and a nearly absent basis of information on rescued victims. In 2016, a group of firefighters who had been collecting firefighter rescue reports decided that news reports alone were not providing enough detail in regard to where the victims were located, how they were removed, and the outcome. To address this gap, the group developed the Firefighter Rescue Survey.
The survey provides an online platform for the firefighters who performed a rescue to provide information on the operation and outcome. Since its inception there have been roughly 2500 surveys submitted, containing firsthand reports of location, conditions and the process of civilian rescues by firefighters. While the data set is small in comparison to NFIRS, the quality is high. The Fire Engineering February 2020 article Search and Rescue by the Numbers demonstrates proof in concept for that value.
As the demand for evidence-based operations increases, the supply of data must rise to meet it and the Firefighter Rescue Survey is the source. Support the mission and report your rescues through the survey or download the Rescue Reporting SOP template to institutionalize rescue reporting in your department.
Partners Pushing the Mission
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Contributors
Brian Brush |
Midwest City Fire (Oklahoma) |
Jeffrey Bryant Jr. |
Aurora Fire (Illinois) |
Dave Doornink |
Code3 Creative (Oregon) |
Nick Ledin |
Eau Claire Fire (Wisconsin) |
Justin Lorenzen |
Oklahoma City Fire Department (Oklahoma) |
Jason Marshall |
Eagan Fire Department (Minnesota) |
Justin McWilliams |
Clackamas Fire District (Oregon) |
Trent Morrison |
Alcor Safety Services (Oregon) |
Brian Olson |
Eagle Fire (Idaho) |
Jonah Smith |
Charlotte Fire Department (North Carolina) |
Ben Shultz |
West Palm Beach Fire (Florida) |
Shane Thomas |
Clackamas Fire District (Oregon) |
Lane Zahourek |
Cedar Rapids Fire (Iowa) |
Data Validation Team
Jason Crockom |
Webster Fire Department (Texas) |
Katie Hufker |
Terre Du Lac Fire (Missouri) |