The Institution of Fire Engineers – USA Branch has been awarded a $385,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security’s Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Program to continue the groundbreaking work of Vision 20/20 (www.strategicfire.org). This project, first started in 2006, focuses on developing a national strategy for fire loss prevention. Since that time the information developed through this project has become an integral part of a number of national and local organizations working to reduce the tragic impact of fire.
Previous activities involving hundreds of experts have included national conferences, webinars, surveys and other tools to gather information on the current state of fire prevention with a goal of developing a plan to address shortcomings. Five specific strategies were identified as a result of this process:
Strategy 1Increase advocacy for fire prevention
Strategy 2Conduct a national fire safety education/social marketing campaign
Strategy 3Raise the importance of fire prevention within the fire service
Strategy 4Promote technology to enhance fire and life safety
Strategy 5Refine and improve the application of codes and standards that enhance public and firefighter safety and preserve community assets
“This grant will allow us to extend the work of the past three years in a dramatic way,” said Jim Crawford, project manager for Vision 20/20. “With the strong support of DHS and the many other organizations that have partnered with us on this effort we can make an impact on fire safety through recognized best practices.”
The new phase of the Vision 20/20 project will be to develop an Advocacy Toolkit that will provide tools for clearly communicating the magnitude of the fire problem and the benefits of prevention activities recommended in the report“National Strategies for Fire Loss Prevention”(PDF) that is available at the Vision 20/20 web site. The kits, along with training, will be shared with key fire prevention officials in every state. Using the power of the Internet, this material will be made widely available so that it can be implemented on all levels and in all communities. In concert with this effort will be a series of workshops to train representatives on implementing effective model practices that are being identified for reducing fire loss. These programs and evaluation tools for measuring program performance can then be taken back to their own states for implementation.
This funding will also facilitate ongoing support for activities of the project’s Steering Committee which is made up of experts from a diversity of background and organizations. “The Steering Committee, along with all of the other volunteers that are such an integral part of this project, is what makes this effort such a success,” said Crawford. “Because of the breadth of knowledge being brought to bear on the problem of fire in this nation we have a unique opportunity to make a difference both now and for future generations.”
More information can be found on the Vision 20/20 website atwww.strategicfire.org.
