The Institution of Fire Engineers-USA Branch’s Vision 20/20 project was awarded a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant focusing on gaining a better understanding on the use of smoke alarms in the home, increasing their use and expanding the integration of Community Risk Reduction (CRR) in communities across the country.
Through this grant, Vision 20/20 will continue to promote an integrated approach to CRR into fire department operations by updating it’s Fire Fighter Recruit Training CRR curriculum, its Model Evaluation Measures Training and develop an Expert Network Academy to support CRR efforts. A national summit of CRR leaders will be convened and Vision 20/20 will expand its ongoing partnership with seven high-risk states (Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia) to help institutionalize CRR and reduce the impact of fire. In partnership with the Motorola Solutions Foundation, Vision 20/20 will deliver a series of CRR training in eight locations across the nation, expanding its cadre of CRR instructors.
“An Integrated approach to Community Risk Reduction is a proven strategy that combines all the tools we have to improve public safety and create an outcome based orientation for the fire service. It makes communities measurably safer from not only fire, but many other risks,” said Vision 20/20 Project Manager Jim Crawford. “By making it a part of the fire service culture, we can see measurable results, now and for the future.”
Vision 20/20 will also expand the offerings of its groundbreaking Fire Safety Materials Generator with materials and messages for use in rental properties. The Fire Safety Materials Generator is a free online tool where fire departments can create customized materials, such as door hangers or flyers, using tested fire safety messaging.
In partnership with Johns Hopkins University Center for Injury Prevention and Policy, this grant will provide additional information on the performance of smoke alarms in the field, aiding collective efforts to assure that more homes have an adequate number of working smoke alarms.
The Vision 20/20 Web site contains a number of free resources, including reports, presentations, videos and links to the Fire Safety Materials Generator, Advocacy Toolkit and Guide to Home Safety Visits.
