Metropolitan fire chiefs from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom met last week for the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) annual Urban Fire Forum (UFF) aimed at reinforcing the critical role urban chiefs play in ensuring safe communities.
The forum was held at NFPA headquarters in Quincy, MA, and featured special guests such as the head of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), Chief Keith Bryant, along with Chief Mark Light, who is Executive Director of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).
The UFF brings together fire chiefs responsible for protecting some of the world's largest urban centers with a goal of providing them an opportunity to learn from their peers and expert speakers. It also helps the NFPA keep its finger on the pulse of current trends and needs in the fire service. As part of the overall mission, chief officers share UFF position papers and associated information with fire officers from around the world.
Five of these important documents were adopted by those gathered as official UFF-Metro Chiefs position papers and are well worth a look:
- Safety Investigation Reports: Addressing LODDs and Injuries Post Incident
- Telling the Story: Fire Department Operational Performance Measures
- Community Risk Assessment/Threat Assessment Checklist
- Smart Cities
- Active Shooter/Mass Casualty Terrorist Events
“Today’s firefighters respond to a broad range of emergencies and catastrophic events that have become commonplace in the United States and throughout the world. To adequately handle these crises, fire chiefs must think differently today, as the first responder landscape has dramatically changed over the past decade," said NFPA Metro Chiefs Executive Secretary Russ Sanders, who coordinated the event.
"Today it is more important than ever for chiefs to understand and embrace the latest research, and have access to quality and timely data. The position papers endorsed by the Forum provide the information and resources needed to effectively address the challenges facing today’s fire service.”
