EMMITSBURG, Md.-- The USFA has begun posting civilian fire fatality information on their website at www.usfa.dhs.gov. This information is gathered from media through the Quick Response Program.
"We need to remind ourselves, and the public, that each day in this country people die needlessly in preventable residential fires," said Acting Administrator Charlie Dickinson.
"Hopefully, by adding this resource to our website, the fire service, media and the general public will be more motivated to continue our Nation's efforts to prevent deaths and injuries by fire."
The Quick Response Program was started fifteen years ago as a tool for getting fire safety and prevention messaging to local communities that suffered a fire fatality. USFA safety messaging is sent to local media and fire departments in the vicinity of the fire fatality. This is a proactive effort by the USFA to reach citizens at a time when they are receptive to learning about protecting themselves and their families from a similar fate. We define this as a "teachable moment."
Through the daily process of scanning the Nation's media for fatal fire incidents, USFA has developed a database that aids in tracking deaths in almost "real time." The Quick Response Program database contains reports starting from the beginning of January 2007 and includes all fatalities reported through Quick Response.
To view this new USFA website resource, go to www.usfa.dhs.gov and locate the feature titled, "Fire Fatalities." Click on the link titled, "Details," and you will be taken to "Residential Fire Fatalities in the News." Here you will find a running total of fire fatalities from across the Nation. Also on this page are the daily reports as provided to USFA. Near the bottom of the page, there is a link called, "2007 Fire Fatalities as Provided through Quick Response." From there you will be able to access the Excel files which identify city, state, age of victim and other pertinent information compiled from the reports.
