NFIRS

10 Reporting (NFIRS) Myths BUSTED

1. We only need to submit fire calls.

   1. Only 5% on average of total call loads are working fires.

   2. Would you make accurate decisions affecting Public Safety with only 5% of the picture:

   3. Approach NFIRS with an "all-in" mentality. Report everything you can to NFIRS. When you need accurate numbers all your information will be in one place.

2. Only mandatory fields matter.

   1. Many important fields are not mandatory simply because of the system's validation design. Example: apartment isn't mandatory because won't always be at an apartment. However, when you are, that information is important to the address.

   2. Instead of minimum effort...Focus more on good reporting and less on mandatory fields. You'll get out of NFIRS what you put into it. Minimum in? Minimum answers coming out. 

3. We can't get the information.

   1. We can't get enough information. It can be tough getting enough information from the people on the call to complete a report. 

   2. Implementing a good field notes form can literally fix the problem overnight, so long as personnel are using it.

4. Nobody cares if we don't submit.

   1. Failing to report doesn't just affect your department. Each department is a piece of the puzzle that details the needs and services for the State of Wyoming. If there are too many pieces missing nobody will be able to tell what the picture is supposed to be.

   2. It can also impact the amount of funding Wyoming receives.

   3. No calls for the month? Smaller departments may not have calls every month. That's Okay. If you are using ER as your reporting system it will automatically generate a "NO Activity" report for those departments who have not entered any calls in the system. 

   4. If your reporting system if not ER, then just email the state NFIRS program manager and let them know and they will enter a "No Activity" report for your department.

5. Reports can't be updated later.

   1. Treat your incident reports as "living documents" that you can update at any time. 

   2. You don't want to keep "undetermined" in a field if you have the exact information. It looks bad and it doesn't help the system. 

   3. Do you want to go to court with outdated info?

6. Reporting doesn't help my department.

   1. By using NFIRS (your reporting system) you can determine call volume, peak times, when you should schedule training, what kind of training to give, if trucks are in the right stations, Standards of Cover, trends, trouble areas, funding proposals, grant proposals, city/county reports to superiors, prevention measures, equipment needs, comparisons, coverage, performance review, community impact...  The list goes on.

   2. Still don't think it's worth it? Fire departments who don't participate in reporting can be ineligible to receive grant funding.  You can affect how much funding your city gets, your county gets, your state, and yes even how much funding the Federal government believes fire departments need. You will also miss out on points for your ISO rating.

7. We can't afford software.

   1. If you don't have software for completing reports, there is a free program offered by the State Fire Marshal's Office. Contact your county fire warden or your state program manager to get set up with a login and password. 

8. We shouldn't worry about entering old reports.

   1. Oops! You found a report that wasn't submitted. Enter it in, despite the date. If you want to establish trends you need several years of data. 5 years is good. 20 is better. There's no such thing as an "old" report to a system like this.

9. My department is too small to matter.

   1. Are you too small to need equipment? Are you too small to need personnel? Why would you be too small for representation? Think of all the small departments you know. If you all decided that you're too small to matter, now we are taking about a growing black hole of information.

   2. 
      

10. A few bad reports are fine. 

    1. Imagine 1 in 10 reports are incorrect in your department per year. If 10% of reports were incorrect at the state level it could be 20,000+.  At the national level?   Roughly 2 Million.  That doesn't seem so fine. 

Wyoming State Statute

35-9-107 9 (a) (vii) Keep a record of all fires which occur in the state, including the origin, facts, statistics and circumstances of the fire determined by investigation under this act. The record, except for testimony given in the examination, shall be open for public inspection at all times;

35-9-109 (a) The county fire warden or chief of the fire department of a city, town, county or fire district shall investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of each fire occurring in the city, town, county or district that was reported or subject to emergency response, by which property has been destroyed or damaged.

(b) The officer investigating a fire shall notify the state fire marshal and within one (1) week of the fire shall furnish him a written statement of all facts relating to its cause and origin, and other information required by forms provided by the state fire marshal.

Ignore the myths.

Focus on good reporting.

Your department will reap the benefits of good data. 

You'll have strong statistics for proposals and some serious insight into your department, 

all while supporting the Fire Service everywhere.