Branford Fire Department Tapped To Pilot New Risk Assessment Tool

BRANFORD, CT —The Branford Fire Department is one of just 250 departments in the nation chosen to be part of a pilot program building a digital community risk assessment.

Branford firefighters are participating in the second phase of National Fire Protection Association's Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development. The tool, or “dashboard,” provides information, and "valuable insights" to allow firefighters and emergency management leaders to make "data-informed decisions around fire prevention and other risk-reduction activities in their communities."

The fire department has free access to the dashboard, which includes customized maps, charts, and graphs that illustrate the community’s risks and hazards across a variety of categories such as demographics, geography, building stock, economics, infrastructure, and event loss history.

The dashboard also provides a snapshot of local capacity for risk reduction activities with information about public safety response agencies and community service organizations.

“We are thrilled to be participating in this important project,” fire chief Thomas Mahoney said. “Not only will access to the tool give us invaluable information about our community’s needs, but it’s rewarding to know that using the tool will increase its effectiveness and help other fire departments in the long run.”

Community risk reduction, a process that identifies and prioritizes risks and ensures impactful mitigation initiatives, has been gaining traction across North America for more than 20 years, according to a news release. Innovative technology, access to data, and a shifting focus on prevention have resulted in new energy around this process.

"Reflecting that momentum," the dashboard tool "works to help fire departments aggregate and disseminate data that pinpoint where risks exist within a given community."

“Access to accurate data will allow CRR leaders to use insights and make informed decisions about where to focus efforts and resources,” community risk reduction strategist Karen Berard-Reed said. “While many fire departments have struggled to work with data sets, NFPA’s CRA tool will do the complex work behind the scenes to compile relevant data allowing stakeholders to create effective community risk reduction plans that incorporate five priorities - education, engineering, enforcement, economic incentives, and emergency response - in the most impactful ways possible.”

The first phase of the pilot project, which included participation from 50 fire departments across the country, helped identify features of the digital dashboard that will work effectively and those that need fine-tuning. During the second phase of the program, which involves participation from 250 departments nationwide, the Branford Fire Department will provide insights around the use of dashboard through June of 2021 to help continue refining and enhancing its effectiveness.