CFP News

Benchmarking a fire department against its peers is an essential tool in measuring that department’s ability to deliver services to the community. The analysis can help inform strategic planning, budget requests, staffing decisions, equipment purchases, training needs, and more. However, many communities aren’t equipped to make these analyses on their own, because they consume valuable time and limited resources.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a fire department as “an organization for preventing or extinguishing fires.” Fire prevention has always been part of a fire department’s responsibilities. But for many years, it seemed like the pendulum was frozen at the extreme end of the extinguishment side, taking up most of the time, money, and energy.

While a helicopter hovering over a large-scale emergency scene isn’t an uncommon sight to most people, spotting a drone might be—but, it’s happening more and more.

Recently, ISO joined representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) to present the city of Palm Coast, Florida, with a plaque recognizing its recent achievement: earning a Class 4 rating from the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).

By all accounts, the fire service is in the midst of a revolution driven by many factors, such as better risk reduction programs, new technology, changing fire risks, and health concerns. Fire departments must adapt to these changes to fulfill their mission of protecting communities. To get his perspective on the future of the fire service, Community Fire Protection News interviewed Fire Chief Michael R. Duyck, EFO, CFO, MIFireE, of Tualatin Valley (Oregon) Fire & Rescue (TVF&R).

When most people think of municipal services, they probably don’t think of words like “easy,” “convenient,” or “customer-friendly.” Milpitas, California’s Building and Safety Department is changing that dynamic. Through modern technology, they’re streamlining processes to make them simpler, easier to use, and more accessible to customers and professionals who work with them.

A community’s investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses. Insurers recognize this and generally offer lower premiums in communities with better protection. To determine a community’s fire protection ability, many insurers rely on ISO’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) program, which evaluates and rates municipal fire protection efforts in communities throughout the United States.

Having a reliable water supply to meet the basic fire flow needs of a community is a major factor in determining that community’s Public Protection Classification (PPC).

One of the many services ISO’s Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS®) program provides is presentations around the country on the program, how it works, and the importance of the classifications to community stakeholders. We do about 20 presentations a year and speak with building industry groups, floodplain managers, emergency managers, building officials, municipal officials, and others.

There are more than 1.3 million photovoltaic (PV) solar systems installed in homes and businesses nationwide, with 1.2 million of them on residential buildings. And the number is growing. The systems produce renewable energy through rooftop solar panels and are part of the green building movement. Renewable energy sources offer many benefits, but also present some additional safety considerations for firefighters.