Community risk reduction (CRR) shifts the focus of fire department activities away from a blanket approach to improve civilian and firefighter safety. Using data-driven strategies and resources, CRR identifies local risks and creates effective solutions for residents and businesses.
CP programs, outreach, wellness, and navigation, reducing 911 misuse — these are all components of community risk reduction. But what are the benefits?
Prevention
Community risk reduction, or CRR, is a concept that has grown in popularity in the fire service, especially over the last few years. It is more than just public education, it’s preparedness at its best. The National Fire Protection Association, or NFPA, defines community risk reduction as “programs, actions, and services that are used by a community to prevent injuries; loss of life; property damage; and resource losses associated with fire, natural disasters, and other emergency events.”
Fire departments across the nation use a variety of strategies and data collection tools to identify risks in their communities and develop a plan for prevention and preparedness. One of the most critical steps in a comprehensive CRR program is a thorough and detailed CRA, or community risk assessment. This analysis involves local data, including demographics; building reports; call volume and trends; lifestyle insights; and more to create a clear picture of the risks within a jurisdiction.
Then, fire departments can begin to prioritize those risks. This is done by analyzing the severity and frequency of each, who they affect; how easy or hard it would be to correct them; and whether they’re being addressed by other entities already. Once the list of priorities has been developed, fire departments can work to develop a strategic investment of resources to reduce those risks.
Another key element of a community risk reduction program is relationship-building and collaboration. By partnering with local organizations that frequently interact with at-risk populations, such as public health agencies, senior services, youth groups, and even local businesses, fire departments can ensure their messages are heard. They can also gain access to funds to support the prevention efforts.
In addition to reducing the risk of injury and property damage, CRR can also improve firefighter safety and promote operational efficiencies by minimizing response times. This, in turn, can help save taxpayer dollars, something elected officials always like to see. So, while the modern fire department is still known for its responsiveness, it’s no longer content to wait for the bell to ring; it works just as hard to keep that bell from ever ringing in the first place.
Education
Fire departments are known for being responsive when they get a call, but they also work hard to prevent the bell from ever ringing in the first place. One of the best ways to do this is through community risk reduction, or CRR, which focuses on proactive measures that will help reduce risk for residents and emergency responders alike.
While the term “community risk reduction” may bring to mind visiting schools and discussing “stop, drop, and roll,” a real-world CRR program is much more multifaceted than that. It uses a variety of tools and outreach plans based on research to form an integrated, strategic, and focused program designed to reduce the occurrence and impact of local risks.
NFPA’s CRR standard defines community risk reduction as “programs, actions, and services used by a community that prevent or mitigate the loss of life, property or resources associated with safety, fire, and disasters.” While the fire service has long been lauded for its response capabilities, it is increasingly recognized for its ability to identify and address issues before they even become calls for emergency services.
A key component of a CRR program is creating and maintaining an environment that fosters cooperation and collaboration between agencies to identify issues and find solutions. By working together, departments can take advantage of the full range of available tools to create a strategy that works for their community. This collaboration is good for the community and can improve department morale by fostering a sense of belonging among all staff members, including those who may spend most of their time in the firehouse.
Another benefit of a comprehensive CRR program is identifying and prioritizing local risks for action. By doing this, departments can focus their efforts on the areas of greatest need and impact. This approach can save time, money, and resources.
While it is easy to understand the benefits of a community risk reduction program, it’s equally as important to make sure the right people are involved in developing and implementing the plan. For this reason, it’s important that the entire fire service is trained in the principles of CRR. Public Safety Group offers a course that provides the knowledge and skills necessary to implement a successful CRR program.
Enforcement
As fire service organizations struggle to balance the ever-increasing demands on their resources, it is vital to look for innovative ways of addressing those demands. The traditional model of preparing for the worst and hoping for the best is not sustainable, and community risk reduction is an excellent tool for enabling departments to work more effectively while using limited resources.
Traditionally, most fire departments have focused on fire prevention, inspections, and public education as a primary way to reduce risk in the community. While these are important and effective activities, they do not address the underlying problem of the need for firefighters to be able to respond to incidents quickly and safely.
To do that, communities must be empowered and encouraged to take active measures to mitigate risk in their homes, businesses, and neighborhoods. That can be done through education, enforcement, and economic incentives. Educating citizens about risks and how to prevent them will save lives, money, and property. Enforcing laws and regulations to reduce the risk of dangerous activities will help keep firefighters safe on the job. Encouraging residents and businesses to install and maintain safety devices like sprinklers will reduce their risk of loss.
Finally, economic incentives like rebates or tax credits can encourage residents and businesses to invest in safety measures and be proactive about their own risks. These efforts will reduce the need for firefighters to be called out to incidents.
This new approach to risk reduction is being embraced by the nation’s fire service, and many departments are establishing dedicated divisions of their agencies to implement community risk reduction programs. In addition to the benefits that come from reducing risks for civilians and firefighters, this model also drives efficiency within a department and county or city as a whole.
One of the key challenges to working in this new paradigm is getting the right people at the right table to work together. That’s why the National Fire Protection Association’s Urban Fire and Life Safety Task Force has developed a new white paper that aims to help fire service leaders gain management support for launching a CRR program in their departments. The full report is available on the Task Force’s website here.
Economic Incentive
Community risk reduction is a process that identifies and prioritizes local risks, followed by the integrated and strategic investment of resources (emergency response and prevention) to reduce those risks. It is the new way of thinking and working that has been embraced in other nations such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, and is now starting to gain momentum within the fire service here in the United States.
For some, the term “community risk reduction” may seem like a radical shift from the traditional approach of “respond and hope for the best.” It is an evolution that embodies all aspects of readiness, response, recovery, mitigation, and prevention while emphasizing proactive measures and community partnerships.
Some of the most successful CRR programs have been a result of economic incentives. Aside from the obvious benefit of saving money on medical bills and other insurance premiums, promoting and supporting a CRR program can also help a department reduce operational costs and improve efficiency. The benefits of a CRR program are far-reaching and can significantly impact the overall safety and wellness of residents and firefighters alike.
The concept of a CRR plan can be incredibly beneficial to departments of any size and locale. It can be just as valuable to a large urban department as it is to smaller rural and volunteer departments. It can even be used to provide a vehicle for agencies to gain a better understanding of the need to implement DMAIC principles in their daily operations.
To be effective, however, a CRR plan must begin with the proper training and mindset among all members of your department. It must be a top priority for everyone involved, not just the prevention or life-safety division personnel. This culture change should occur during initial training and continue throughout each member’s career. It will take a strong commitment by all to get on board and start reaping the rewards of a comprehensive community risk reduction program. Fortunately, the benefits are well worth it. Educating your residents on the benefits of a sprinkler system or providing free car seat inspections can save lives and property and create a sense of pride for your entire community.
