NFIC Training Workshop (Training)

1. NFPA’s Survey and
   How It Relates to NFIRS
   

1. Marty Ahrens

   NFIC

   December 2007

 

1. To Be Covered

• What is NFPA’s survey? 

• What does it do that NFIRS doesn’t? 

• What does NFIRS do that the survey doesn’t? 

• How are national estimates calculated for specific fire problems? 

• Upcoming changes to the survey 

• Common questions 

• A bit about NFPA statistics 

 

1. What is the NFPA Survey?

• Based on a statistical sample 

• • All local departments protecting populations of at least 50,000 

  • Random sample, stratified by population, of small and medium communities         

• Collects fire department experience data for past year 

• Summary data only 

 

1. Survey Contents

• Fire department characteristics 

• Responses by broad incident type 

• • Greater detail on false alarms 

• Fires, civilian deaths and injuries, direct property damage by broad incident type 

• • Structure fires by broad property type 

• Firefighter injuries by duty 

• • Firefighter fireground injuries by cause 

• Fire department vehicle accidents 

• Major fires         

 

1. What Does the  Survey Do  
   that NFIRS Doesn’t?

• Projections are possible because of the statistical sample 

• • Same rules throughout the country 

  • In NFIRS, different states have different reporting requirements 

• Previous year’s analysis is complete by late summer or early fall 

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1. What Does NFIRS Do
   that the Survey Doesn’t?

• Lots! 

• • More detail 

  • Incident based system can answer more questions 

  • Can compare different jurisdictions if they follow the same reporting policies and practices 

 

1. How a Fire Gets Counted

 

1. What Do the Survey and NFIRS Have in Common?

• Both use NFIRS codes 

• Fire departments fill out both 

• Data quality can be an issue 

• • NFPA follows up on vehicle fire deaths 

 

1. How Are National Estimates Calculated?

• NFIRS provides the details, but not the whole universe of reported fires 

• NFPA survey is sample-based, so projections can be made about total 

• •  Lacks detail 

• Combine the two to develop scaling ratios 

 

1. National Estimates Calculations

1. Projected totals from NFPA survey

   NFIRS totals

    

• Different scaling ratios for  

• • Residential structures, non-residential structures, vehicles, and outside and other 

  • Fires, deaths, injuries, and property damage 

 

1. Upcoming Changes to Survey

• CPSC wanted survey information on confined fires 

• 2007 survey asks about the number of 

• • Confined and non-confined  

  • Residential and all structure fires 

• Mutual aid is restricted to mutual aid given 

• Some departments will not be able to answer these questions the first year 

 

1. Common Questions about the Survey

 

1. Why didn’t we get one this year?

• Random sample for smaller departments 

• Can only accept surveys from departments in the sample 

• Sample varies by year 

• • Department is likely to be in sample in some future years 

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1. Can I get a copy of the survey?

• Blank copies 

• • Yes 

• For your own fire department 

• • Yes, if we have it 

• For other fire departments 

• • No 

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1. Can I get fire statistics by state?

• For unintentional injury fire deaths 

• • Yes  

  • Death certificate data used, not NFPA survey 

• For fires 

• • No 

  • Inconsistent reporting practices 

  • NFPA survey is a national  sample 

 

1. Is an incident counted twice
   if it is in NFIRS and the survey?

• No 

• • Survey projections are calculated independently of NFIRS 

  • If all incidents captured in the survey were in NFIRS, the scaling ratio should be 1 

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1. What happens when a major fire
   is in the survey but not NFIRS?

• Incident will usually be included in the general scaling ratios 

• • September 11 and some wildland fires were not 

• Details of fire will not be in NFIRS 

• • Station Nightclub fire increased the non-residential fire death ratio  

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1. Why don’t you adjust estimates when
   you know about a fire not in NFIRS?

• National estimates are projections 

• Inclusion or exclusion of serious fires will make big difference when scaled up 

• We footnote rather than adjust 

• Adjustments will always be incomplete 

   

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1. NFPA Statistics

• CD of our reports in packet 

• • Also brief statistical fact sheets 

• Sign up for quarterly CDs and/or e-mailed reports 

• Reports are copyrighted 

• • Links are welcome 

  • We will send reports to fire service for free 

 

1. More on NFPA Statistics

• NFIRS used in almost all 

• • Thank you for making it possible 

• With lead time, we can do custom work 

• • Fee may be waived if it contributes to NFPA’s mission 

• Help us get the statistics to people who provide the data 

 

1. In Summary

• NFPA survey and NFIRS are complementary 

• Both are used for national estimates 

• Thank you for helping us understand the fire problem 

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File Title	Slide 1
Author	mahrens
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File Modified	2007-11-20
File Created	2007-11-14