Tag Archives: National Fire Incident Reporting System

By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer A few months ago, I wrote an article for this space entitled Data Matters for Fire Departments across the U.S. where I discussed the importance of data collection for the present and future success of the fire service, and particularly data transmission to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Of equal importance was ...

Without quality data how can we measure our baseline performance? How can we improve our performance if we don't have an accurate baseline? The first step in utilizing a data-driven approach is ensuring you are obtaining quality data. After that we can focus on turning data into information, and information into insight.

One of my former mentors, Deputy Chief (Ret.) Jim Graham of the Chesterfield County (VA) Fire and EMS Department, was a huge proponent for the use of information whether it was on a fire ground operation or developing a new training program or addressing budget reductions. One of his favorite sayings—one that stays with me to this day—was: “We must constantly strive to become better at data-driven decision making, instead of following the ‘I think, I feel, or I believe model.” But he usually followed that up with a caveat that we should also strive to ensure that we had good information, not just any information.

Having trouble finding the validation errors? That’s your software. If your report says it’s valid, yet you receive critical errors upon uploading to the state, that’s your software. If you can’t see the full wording of a code, that’s your software. None of these are caused by NFIRS.

We know it’s a problem. It’s always been a problem. However, NFIRS information influences countless prevention campaigns, safety product development, code development, and a host of other areas so it is far past time to take NFIRS seriously. We must set complaints of data quality aside and take action.

NFIRS “goes” by many names. Some call it by a state program name, e.g., The [Enter a state name] Fire Incident Reporting System; others call it by the software program a department purchased, e.g., Firehouse™ Incident Reporting; and some simply call it “run reports.” It’s all the same thing, no matter what you call it. And it’s highly useful.