NFPA Community Risk Assessment Pilot Project Seeks US Fire Departments For Phase II Of Community Risk Assessment Dashboard Project

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is seeking U.S.-based fire departments for the second phase of their Community Risk Assessment (CRA) dashboard project.

Much like Phase I, participating departments in Phase II will receive free access to a personalized NFPA CRA Digital Dashboard for three months, in addition to professional networking and development opportunities surrounding Community Risk Reduction (CRR), in return for feedback about the tool.

NFPA CRA Digital Dashboard

With user-friendly maps, graphs, and other tools that can assist leaders in recognizing the people, places, and conditions that impact safety and risk, the CRA Digital Dashboard can be used to:

• Assist teams in developing data informed CRR plans.
• Communicate findings with stakeholders, grantors, and partners.
• Drive effective and impactful program development in the prevention space.

This new generation of customized dashboards has been updated to reflect the comments gained from current participants, and now feature two unique options that can better serve the needs of different communities. The new dashboard options will make it easier for even more communities to engage in the CRR process.

3-person liaison for each participating fire department

To support participation in the project, each applying fire department should be prepared to appoint a 3-person liaison team that comprises a CRR leader, the fire chief and a third member who represents a community agency or provides additional fire department support. They should -

• Has basic knowledge about fire department data
• Is connected to the CRR efforts in the department and community
• Is willing to use the tool as part of a larger CRR plan
• Will provide feedback to the NFPA CRR team to assist in tool improvement
• Can meet additional data requirements, if interested in Dashboard B
• Can be granted authority to serve in this role

Community Risk Reduction

Community Risk Reduction is a data-driven process that helps leaders identify high risks to their communities

Community Risk Reduction (CRR) is a data-driven process that helps leaders identify high risks to their communities, as well as strategic ways to prioritize and alleviate them. “CRA is the first step in any CRR plan, but it can be difficult to know the best way to use your data,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy.

She adds, “The NFPA CRA digital dashboard will help those involved in CRR tell the data story of their community.”

NFPA 1300, Standard on Community Risk Assessment

NFPA 1300, Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development is the foundation for these customized dashboards, which are powdered by mySidewalk, a creative Community Intelligence Platform specializing in digital data visualization. During this phase 250 fire departments will be accepted on a rolling basis until December 16, 2020.

Selections to fill the 250 slots will take place at three points during the application period, which closes on December 16th. The pilot will run through June 2021.