The Role of United States Fire Administration - Essay Example

The United States Fire Administration is an entity of the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The prime objective of the USFA is to achieve a significant reduction in the loss of life and property caused due to fire while fostering a solid foundation in prevention, preparedness and response to the local fire and emergency services. Of the various causes of fire, Electrical Fire is caused due to electrical system failures, appliance misuse, overloaded circuits, or incorrectly installed wiring and accounts for a significant proportion of fire accidents. The USFA has been playing a vital role in promoting electrical safety in homes and workplaces by conducting researches, spreading awareness about the causes of electrical fire and the safety precautions. According to the research data collected by USFA, the electrical home problems alone account for 67800 fires each year claiming 485 deaths and $868 million in property loss.
Providing the basic software to enable the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) to be executed at the state levels has been a major contribution of the USFA. The NFIRS is a three-tiered information system working at three levels – local fire departments, state fire agencies and the federal government and aims at promoting fire incident reporting and tracking firefighter fatalities. The software provided by the USFA empowered the state-level execution of the NFIRS which is faster, cost-effective and more accurate in detecting the cause of the fire, which is primarily due to electrical malfunctioning. The organization funds the National Fire Information Council (NFIC) through a series of cooperative agreements to promote fire incident reporting. The United States Fire Administration along with National Fire Academy also sponsors the NFIRS program management course. Using a hierarchical sorting based on the Ignition factor, the USFA smartly investigates the cause of the fire and states the electrical distribution and appliance misuse as the major causes of an electrical fire. The curtailed number of electrical fire accidents in recent times can be accredited to USFA for the widespread use and awareness of the NFPA 70, National Electric Code.
The USFA has been a pioneer agency involved in encouraging people to safeguard against electrical fire by maintaining and sharing data as well as setting standards for the appropriate electrical wiring and appliance specification systems. The organization has been proactively involved, in not just spreading the awareness against safety precautions, but also in guiding the public and the legislation regarding the choice of proper smoke alarm based on the building size and location. The mission of the USFA is to provide leadership, coordination and support to fire prevention and control by assisting the first responders and health care leaders to be educated and trained to react to hazards efficiently. USFA programs involve data collection, public education and awareness, training and research. Evaluating the scene for the safety hazards in case of electrical fire is a major part of the training.
The USFA has played a significant role in spreading the concept of residential fire sprinklers and initiating every household to understand the usefulness of the same. Read More