work must done in13 hours
Principles of Fire Prevention
Chapter Two
Public Fire Prevention Organizations and Functions
*
Learning Objectives (1 of 2)
- Discuss the role of the federal and state governments in the prevention of fires and the reduction in fire deaths and injuries.
- Contrast the roles between the two levels of government in the prevention of fires.
- Name the “watershed” federal fire programs, and describe the events or national conditions that led to their creation.
*
*
*
Learning Objectives (2 of 2)
- List the fire prevention functions performed by traditional fire prevention bureaus.
- Describe nontraditional systems for delivery of those services.
- List federal agencies with fire prevention missions, and describe their missions and programs.
*
Fire Prevention—Motives Behind the Cause
- Public welfare -
- National security -
- Profit -
*
Fire Prevention Organizations
- Governments
- Not-for-profits
- Businesses
*
Fire Prevention Bureaus
- Unit within the fire department
- Inspection and enforcement of the fire prevention code
- Fire investigation
- Acceptance testing of fire protection systems
- Public fire education
Traditional Fire Prevention Bureau
- Fire Marshal
- Deputy Fire Marshal
- Fire Inspector
- The number of Deputy Fire Marshals and Fire Inspectors depend on:
- Size of Town or City
- Union Contract
*
Fire Prevention Bureaus
- Fire Code Inspections by in-service fire companies.
- Life Safety Inspection vs. Code Inspection
- Building Surveys-Pre Fire Planning by in-service fire companies.
*
*
Nontraditional programs
- Co-location of all inspection functions within a single agency(Building Dept)
- Overgeneralization can lead to inadequate technical expertise
- Danger posed by lack of FD operational input
(Fire Operational vs. Fire Marshal)
*
State Level Programs (1 of 2)
- State fire marshal offices first appeared in the early 1900s.
| State Police or Public Safety |
| Department of Insurance |
| Department of Labor |
| Department of Housing |
| Department of Justice |
| Department of Community Affairs |
| Department of State |
| Department of Commerce |
| State Fire Commission |
*
State Level Programs (2 of 2)
- State fire marshal offices typically located within:
- State insurance bureaus
- State fire service training agencies
- State forestry departments
- State law enforcement agencies
*
Fire Prevention Efforts of the Federal Government
- Fire prevention and protection has traditionally been the duty of the states and their political subdivisions.
- Early federal efforts were focused on protecting U.S. government properties.
- Engineering studies and research
*
Federal Fire Prevention & Control Act (1 of 2)
- The need for
- More emphasis on fire prevention
- Fire departments to expend more effort on fire safety education, inspection, and code enforcement – Equal Too
- Better training and education for the fire service
- Improved built-in fire protection features in structures
Operations vs. Fire Prevention
- Mid-Size Fire Department
- 100 line personal vs. 4 FireMarshal/Inspector
- 10 Fire Apparatus vs. 4 Cars
- 12 million dollars vs. 500 thousand annually
*
*
Federal Fire Prevention & Control Act (2 of 2)
- Increased involvement of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in regulation of materials and products affecting fire safety
- Addressed the fact that important areas of research such as firefighting, burn prevention and treatment, and protection of the built environment from combustion hazards were neglected
*
Commission on Fire Prevention and Control
- Called for the establishment of the U.S. Fire Administration to:
- Establish a national fire data system-NFIRS
- Monitor fire research
- Provide block grants to states and local governments
- Establish the National Fire Academy
National Fire Incident Reporting System
- National Fire Data Center of the US Fire Administration
- Established from the America Burning Report
- Two Objectives: help state and local government assess and combat the fire problem.
- Data base used to address US fire problem
*
Facts about NFIRS
- NFIRS is voluntary
- 50 Stats and DC report NFIRS data.
- 23,000 fire departments report NFIRS.
- Participating departments report an average of 23,000.000 incidents each year.
- Participating departments report an average of 1,000.000 fires each year, 75% of all fires.
*
*
United States Fire Administration
- USFA was created in 1974 as:
- National Fire Prevention and Control Administration
- In 1979, it was renamed the U.S. Fire Administration, and it became part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- As a result of the Department of Homeland Security Act of 2002, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
*
Focus of USFA
- Public education
- Training for fire and emergency response personnel
- Fire safety technology testing and research
- Data collection, analysis, and dissemination
*
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- Nonregulatory agency within the Commerce Department
- Building and Fire Research Laboratory
- Testing and research activities in building materials’ performance, fire service technologies, fire loss reduction, and other fire-related areas
*
Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster (1 of 2)
- Funded program area in NIST
*
Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster (2 of 2)
- Research regarding the effectiveness of building and fire codes
- Structural fire response
- Occupant behavior and egress
- Aircraft impact damage analysis
*
National Construction Safety Team
- Established within NIST in 2002
- Resulted from failures identified in WTC investigation
- Patterned after the National Transportation Safety Board (NIST)
*
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF)
- Law enforcement agency within the Justice Department
- Charged with enforcing federal laws relating to alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives, and arson
*
BATF Mission
- Regulates production and importation of alcohol
- Ensures taxes are collected on alcohol and tobacco products
- Regulates explosives and firearms importation, manufacture, sales, and storage
*
BATF (1 of 2)
- Initiates investigations and assists state and local agencies in investigation of arson and bombings
- Works toward application of scientific engineering and technology in the field of fire investigation
*
BATF (2 of 2)
- Maintains a cadre of specially trained special agents who are nationally certified to perform fire scene investigation
- Delivers in-depth training to members of state and local agencies charged with investigation of arson and bombings
*
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) 1965 (1 of 2)
- During the 2002 fire season, approximately 88,458 fires burned almost 7 million acres.
- Suppression costs for federal agencies amounted to over $1.6 billion.
*
The National Interagency Fire Center (2 of 2)
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- U.S. Forest Service
- Fish and Wildlife Service
- National Park Service
- National Weather Service
- Office of Aircraft Services
- National Association of State Foresters
*
National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)
- Created in 1976 by the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to facilitate and develop common practices, standards, and training among the organizations that make up the NIFC
*
Statistics from the NWCG
- 97-98% of wildland fires are extinguished during their first burning period.(24 hours)
- Only 2 ½% went on to become major disasters.
- Suppression costs of over a billion dollars annually
- Human toll, including thirty-four firefighters in 1994, have proven to be more than can be justified.
- Fire prevention programs involving education, enforcement, and management of fire risk are used to reduce the threat of wildfires.
*
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) (1 of 3)
- An independent regulatory agency created by Congress in 1972 to protect the public against “unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products”
*
CPSC (2 of 3)
- Develops standards
- Conducts research
- Informs and educates the public
- Recalls unsafe products when necessary
*
CPSC (3 of 3)
- Recommendation from 1973 America Burning report
- “The Commission recommends that flammability standards for fabrics be given a high priority by the CPSC.”
- In 1974, the CPSC announced a consent order banning the sale of infant’s and children’s sleepwear that failed to meet the Standard for the Flammability of Children’s Sleepwear.
*
CPSC Recalls
- In 1998, 8.4 million Omega brand fire sprinklers were recalled after resolution of a federal lawsuit in which the CPSC’s jurisdiction to issue the recall was challenged.
- Central Sprinkler Company contended that fire sprinklers were not “consumer items,” and were outside the commission’s jurisdiction. Since that time, the commission has ordered the recall of several problem sprinklers.
*
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Had significant impact on fire safety in residential and healthcare occupancies through its Minimum Property Standards (MPS)
- Developed to ensure properties purchased with federally backed mortgages were constructed to minimum standards for quality, safety, and durability
*
Department of Defense (DOD)
(1 of 3)
- The fire prevention programs and efforts of the DOD are designed to protect the assets of the U.S. military and to ensure the ability of its branches to carry out their missions.
*
Department of Defense (2 of 3)
- The Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps have fire protection personnel at military installations worldwide.
- As federal firefighters, they are employed by the organization they protect—a different arrangement from that of municipal firefighters.
- Unlike municipal fire inspectors, DOD fire inspectors are often called on to help fix the problem by providing technical assistance.
*
Department of Defense (3 of 3)
- Fire suppression and crash-rescue duties
- Perform fire inspections and hot work safety
- Develop and deliver fire safety education programs
- Investigate fires
- Serve as fire safety consultants for the military
*
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Created in 1971 with a mission of workplace safety
- In 1970, there were more than 14,000 deaths from job-related injuries and more than 2.5 million workers disabled in workplace accidents and injuries.
- Since 1970, the rate of work-related fatalities has been reduced by half.
*
Other Federal Agencies
- NASA conducts fire research involving the space program.
- The Department of State has fire prevention and protection personnel at its embassies worldwide.
- The Veterans Administration provides fire suppression and fire prevention services at VA Hospitals across the United States.
louis lavecchia (ll)
louis lavecchia (ll)
Watershed
- The area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it and goes into the same place. U.S. EPA
- Public Watershed - The area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it and goes into a public water supply.
*
*
Summary (1 of 3)
- Fire prevention has traditionally been considered the responsibility of the states and their political subdivisions.
- Federal involvement has generally been limited to the protection of federal government assets and research.
*
Summary (2 of 3)
- Notable federal fire prevention campaigns have occurred during wartime to protect the defense industry and national infrastructure from sabotage and man-made disasters.
*
Summary (3 of 3)
- Watershed events in the area of federal involvement in fire prevention
- The World Wars
- President Truman’s 1947 Fire Prevention Conference
- The 1973 report of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, America Burning