FA 171 / June 1997

Uses of NFIRS

The Many Uses of the National Fire Incident

Reporting System

Federal Emergency Management Agency

United States Fire Administration
National Fire Data Center

USES OF NFIRS
The Many Uses of the National Fire Incident
Reporting System

June, 1997

Federal Emergency Management Agency

United States Fire Administration
National Fire Data Center

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INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................................1
HOW NFIRS WORKS...................................................................................................................................1
HISTORY OF NFIRS PARTICIPATION...................................................................................................2
STATE USES OF NFIRS...............................................................................................................................3
LOCAL USES OF NFIRS .............................................................................................................................4
U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATION USES OF NFIRS.....................................................................................6
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY USES OF NFIRS.......................................................................................8
U. S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION USES OF NFIRS..........................................9
THE CENTER FOR FIRE RESEARCH...................................................................................................12
THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION...........................................12
PRIVATE INDUSTRY USES OF NFIRS..................................................................................................12
THE COURTS AND LAW FIRMS............................................................................................................14
NONPROFIT FIRE-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS..............................................................................15
THE MEDIA.................................................................................................................................................16
ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS...................................................................................17
PUBLIC FIRE EDUCATORS ....................................................................................................................17
THE FUTURE OF NFIRS...........................................................................................................................18
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................20

USES OF NFIRS

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How NFIRS Works

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History of NFIRS Participation

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Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
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New Hampshire
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New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Oklahoma

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Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
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Texas
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State Uses of NFIRS

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Local Uses of NFIRS

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Prevention. "Motor
Vehicle Fires in Massachusetts, 1990." Publication number 16965-17-200-10-1-91 P.S. Report dated
September 25, 1991.
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U.S. Fire Administration Uses of NFIRS

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Other Federal Agency Uses of NFIRS

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U.S. Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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2

U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Office of Compliance. Letter to Sleepwear Manufacturers

dated December 9, 1996.
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U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Office of Information and Public Affairs. "CPSC and
Industry: Saving Lives Cost-Effectively Through Cooperation, Child-Resistant Cigarette Lighters",
available on CPSC's Internet site at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/success/lighters.html, revised on
May 5, 1996.
4
Fire Incident Study; National Smoke Detector Project. U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Report dated January 1995, pp. 3-4.
5
U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1995, pp. 4-5 and p. 9.
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Recently, your community was struck by
fire and someone died. The U.S. Fire
Administration advises that 80 percent of all fire
deaths and injuries are preventable.
More than 4,500 Americans die each year in
fires and more than 30,000 were injured. Many
of them might be alive today had they had the
information they needed to survive when disaster
struck.
Did you know that over seventy percent of
all fire deaths occur in the home. And that most
of those fires can easily be prevented. Deaths
due to not being able to escape a fire are
particularly avoidable. Following these simple
tips can boost survival rates dramatically. For
example, having a working smoke detector more
than doubles one s chances of surviving a fire.
The following fire tips are offered by the fire
administration.

home. Check the batteries every month and

change them at least once a year.
v Smoke detectors
1. Place a smoke detector on each level of your
home and in all outside bedrooms.
2. Check smoke detectors monthly by pushing
the test button. If you can't reach the button
easily, use a broom handle.
3. Change the batteries in your detector twice a
year. perhaps when you change your clocks for
Daylight Savings Time.
4. Teach children what the smoke detector
sounds like and what to do-leave the building
immediately by crawling under the smoke-when
the hear it sound.
5. If cooking smoke sets off the detector, do not
disable it. Turn on the range fan, open a window
or wave a towel near the detector.
6. Do not remove the batteries to put in other
appliances such as personal stereos or games.
7. Smoke detectors wear out over time. Replace
yours if it is 10 years old or more.
8. Consider buying a lithium-battery powered
smoke detector which will operate for 10 years
and is sealed so it can't be tampered with or
opened.

v Escape planning
1. Make sure everyone in the family knows two
routes to escape from bedrooms.
2. Buy a collapsible ladder for escape from upper
story windows.
3. Keep the fire department's number by the
phone.
4. Have a flashlight by your bed to help you see,
and a whistle to alert your family.
5. Practice feeling your way out of the house
with your eyes closed.
6. Never open doors that are hot to the touch.
7. Teach your family to stop, drop to the ground
and roll if their clothes catch fire.
8. Designate a meeting place outside and take
attendance.
9. Remember to escape first then call the fire
department.
10. Install a smoke detector on every level of
your

For more information on how to prevent fire

deaths please contact your local fire chief or the
U.S. Fire Administration at (800)238-3358. Tips
are available on alternative heaters, appliance
safety, arson, careless smoking, children and fire,
cooking fires, escape planning, seniors and fire,
smoke detectors, and winter fires.
(From a United States Fire Administration news
release)

23