New program helps fire departments plan for older adult fire safety
A new program from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is available to fire departments and other community organizations to help plan and implement fire safety interventions for the high-risk group of older adults. The Fire-Safe Seniors program uses home assessments, smoke alarm installation, education and follow-up to ensure a comprehensive approach to fire prevention. A free toolkit is available to help you implement the program. For more information, visit the USFA website at www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/older/


Mary Marchone honored with national fire safety award
Mary Marchone, a U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Academy (NFA) training specialist for the Fire Prevention (Management) curriculum, is the recipient of the prestigious 2014 Dr. Anne W. Phillips Award for Leadership in Fire Safety Education. The award was presented on May 1 at the 26th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner in Washington, D.C.


Updated report: Residential Building Electrical Fires (2009-2011)
The U.S. Fire Administration has released an updated report on home electrical fires. From 2009-2011, an estimated 25,900 home electrical fires were reported to fire departments within the United States each year. These fires caused an estimated 280 deaths, 1,125 injuries and $1.1 billion in property loss. Home electrical fires resulted in greater dollar loss per fire than nonelectrical fires. Download the free report from our website at www.usfa.fema.gov


Theme for the 2014 Arson Awareness Week is announced
The theme for this year's Arson Awareness Week (May 4-10) is Vehicle Arson: A Combustible Crime. For more information and resources you can use to increase awareness about vehicle arson in your community, visit the U.S. Fire Administration's website at www.usfa.fema.gov/aaw/.


New resources for National Fire Incident Reporting System users
In support of National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) users, the U.S. Fire Administration is now publishing NFIRSGrams: short bulletins that provide coding help to fire department personnel using NFIRS. NFIRSGrams address frequently asked questions and common mistakes made when completing incident forms. Visit www.usfa.fema.gov/fireservice/nfirs/training/ for the latest NFIRSGram bulletins and to sign up to receive them through email.


Federal committee releases strategic plan to support emergency medical services nationwide
The Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS) has reached consensus on a strategic plan that maps action steps for federal support of optimal emergency medical services (EMS) systems nationwide. The five-year plan provides a framework to synchronize interagency efforts and strengthen EMS practices, principles and strategies throughout the United States. Download the FICEMS Strategic Plan from the EMS.gov website at www.ems.gov/ficems/plan.htm


Recommendations for safer emergency vehicle and roadway incident response
Our latest study report, Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative (2014), provides best practices and recommendations for safer emergency vehicle and roadway incident response. Topics covered include common crash causes and crash prevention, internal and external factors for improving response and roadway safety, vehicle design and maintenance, and regulating emergency vehicle response and roadway scene safety. Download this free report from the U.S. Fire Administration's website at www.usfa.fema.gov.