Best Practices in Community Risk Reduction

Course Description

Prerequisites

There is a pre-course assignment due one week before class that should take about one hour to complete. To prepare for attending the course, please take time to perform six simple actions. Please bring documentation showing you accomplished the prerequisites and provide to your instructor on the first day of class.

1. Acknowledge that taking a strategic approach to fire prevention is not a new concept. Using a strategic approach to prevention has been mentioned in previous national fire protection plans dating back to 1913. In 2006, an ad hoc group of individuals and representatives from organizations with a history and shared mission focused on improving fire prevention efforts in the United States, initiated a project entitled Vision 20/20. These veteran fire service leaders recognized that although fire loss statistics in the U.S. had improved since the 1970s, progress had not equaled what was occurring in other industrialized nations.
2. Please visit the Vision 20/20 website located at https://strategicfire.org/.
   Once arriving at the site, please explore the About Us and Strategy Overview sections. Several short videos are available and are intended to assist in your understanding of community risk-reduction concepts, provide tools to help departments promote a balanced prevention program, and emphasize the importance of evaluating prevention programs. You will find the videos under the “CRR Connect” and “CRR Videos” tabs. In preparation for the course, take time to view one of the following videos: “Prevention Saves” or “Model Performance Measures.” If you have more time, please look over the entire website, as it will be used extensively during your upcoming National Fire Academy (NFA) course.
3. Sign up for Fire is Everyone’s Fight™. This national effort is led by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to lower the number of home fires and home fire injuries in America. Along with USFA and partner organizations across the country, the fire community is speaking out with a unified message of fire prevention and safety to the public. The goal is to change how people think about fire and fire prevention, using social marketing strategies to address the broadest audience.
   Go to https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/fief/index.html. Scroll down a couple lines, and click on Fire is Everyone’s Fight. Continue scrolling down the page until you see the box on the right to register as a partner to use the Fire is Everyone’s Fight logo on materials you create. The Fire is Everyone’s Fight logo is trademarked, so we require that you complete a simple registration form to use it. Once you register, you’ll have access to various versions of the logo optimized for website, print and online materials.
   You are encouraged to download the Fire is Everyone’s Fight Guide at: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/fief/fief_outreach_guide.pdf. This will help you develop creative ways to get your community involved.
4. Consider taking a short self-study NFA Online course titled “Community Safety Educators.” The course guides you through the basic steps of conducting community risk reduction. 
5. Next, consider three risks that are currently a problem in your community. You will select one to focus on while attending the BPCRR course.
6. Please consider a risk-reduction program or activity that your department currently delivers. Be prepared to discuss it with your peers as part of the NFA experience.

Course Completion Requirements

Participant Must Provide: 

A photo identification on the first day of class. See the Participant Handbook opens in a new tab for approved forms of identification and additional guidelines. 

You will need your FEMA SID # the first day of course. 

To obtain a SID

1. Register at https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid

2. Select “Need a FEMA SID?” on the right side of the screen.

3. Follow the instructions to create your account. 

4. You will receive an email with your SID. Save this number in a secure location. 

Attendance Requirements

To meet NFA attendance requirements, participants must complete each training module and successfully complete all required course assignments, activities, quizzes, and pass the end of course exam to receive course completion. During the course, your instructor will review any additional requirements. 

Recommended

ICS100, 200, Incident Command System (ICS)-100-level and ICS-200-level training. Preferred courses are Q0462 and Q0463, available through NFA Online.

Upon successful completion, you will be able to:

• Data was used to build a rationale for developing the program.
• A risk assessment was used to identify and prioritize the root causes of the problem.
• Potential target populations were identified.
• A problem statement was developed.
• Stakeholders were identified and engaged.
• A sense of urgency was created for action to be taken.
• Buy-in from the community was achieved.
• An action/evaluation plan was developed to address the problem.
• The program was deemed to be cost-effective investment.
• A strategy was created to sustain the program over the long term.
• Evaluation was used to monitor the development, outreach, impact, and long-term outcome of the program.

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Suggested Audience

All Emergency response and public personnel. 

Continuing Education And Professional Credits

• Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP)
• State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas (SFFMA)

Other Information

To request this class in your jurisdiction or department, please use the Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) Extension Course Request Form. ESTI Extension Course Request