After it was announced that federal funding for the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System was set to expire last week, the IAFC -- which runs the program -- quickly moved to salvage the renowned fire service tool before it was too late.
In a short-term plan announced on Friday, the IAFC will self-fund the program, which will keep Near-Miss operational through the end of October.
While the organization has had difficulty finding private donors to help make the program independent from federal funding, the potential of the website shutting down has helped it garner attention in its time of need, according to IAFC CEO and Executive Director Mark Light.
"We've been very pleased that a number of private funders have come forward to express interest in preserving this program," he said in a statement.. "We've been actively exploring alternatives to grant funding for many years with little opportunity to move the concept forward, so it's a pleasant surprise to see folks interested in stepping up now."
This week, the organization announced that it has created a Near-Miss Sustainability Task Force comprised of research, technology, and fire and emergency service experts that will help manage the short-term and long-term plans for the program.
IAFC officials are meeting with staff from the federal grant program to discuss the proposal that was recently denied, thus ending the funding, in order to change its approach in the future.
