Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service
The USFA and NFPA have released a report detailing their most recent survey results regarding what the fire service in U.S. needs most. Here are a few interesting points from the executive summary:
- Used vehicles accounted for an average of 42% of apparatus purchased by or donated to departments protecting communities with less than 2,500 population.
- There are just over a million active firefighters in the US, of which just over three- fourths are volunteer firefighters. Nearly half the volunteers serve in communities with less than 2,500 population.
- An estimated 233,000 firefighters, most of them volunteers serving in communities with less than 2,500 population, are involved in structural firefighting but lack formal training in those duties.
- An estimated 41% of fire department personnel involved in wildland firefighting lack formal training in those duties, with substantial needs in all sizes of communities.
- An estimated 792,000 firefighters serve in fire departments with no program to maintain basic firefighter fitness and health, most of them volunteers serving communities with less than 5,000 population.
- Just over 13,000 fire engines (pumpers) (16% of all engines) are 15 to 19 years old, another 17,000 (21%) are 20 to 29 years old, and just over 10,000 (13%) are at least 30 years old. Therefore, half of all engines are at least 15 years old.
- An estimated 57,000 firefighters lack personal protective clothing, most in departments protecting communities with less than 2,500 population. An estimated one-third of personal protective clothing is at least 10 years old.
- Only 11% of fire departments can handle a technical rescue with EMS at a structural collapse of a building with 50 occupants with local trained personnel.
- Only 13% of fire departments can handle a hazmat and EMS incident involving chemical/biological agents and 10 injuries with local trained personnel.
- Only 26% of fire departments can handle a wildland/urban interface fire affecting 500 acres with local trained personnel.
- Only 12% of fire departments can handle mitigation of a developing major flood with local trained personnel.
Many of the issues found should be addressed by the local and/or state governments. Local and state authorities know what types of incidents they are faced with. These agencies should make sure that the fire service in their jurisdictions can meet the challenge of those types of incidents.
The federal government should use this report to tailor the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Money from the program could be directed to those areas that need the most improvement.
Here is a link to the report (160 pages).
Here is a link to an article at Firehouse.com with more analysis.
