NFIC Training Workshop (Training)

National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) Version 5.0

Basic Annual Report Information NFIC Training December 2007.pptm

NFIC Training Workshop (Training)

OMB: 1660-0069

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Basic Annual Report Information from NFIRS:  

A National Perspective

December 6, 2007

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What is an
Annual Report?

A document that summarizes the results of operations and financial status of a company for the past year and outlines plans for the future.”

A report card.”

An annual performance review, without a raise.”

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Annual Reports
in the Fire Service

  • No standard format 

  • Captures the essence of a multi-tasking, complex operation 

  • Varying Audiences 

  • Each report is unique 

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National vs Local
Perspective

  • Annual Report (Fire in the United States) at the National level: 

    • Presents overview of the size and scope of the U.S. fire problem and its components 

    • Provides detailed information on the components 

    • Seeks to mitigate the fire problem by understanding it 

  • The overall USFA format may not apply, but the components of the report are useful for other Annual Reports 

  • Commonalities in analysis and presentation 

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Major Analysis Areas

  • Fires 

  • Civilian and firefighter deaths 

  • Civilian and firefighter injuries 

  • Dollar loss (property loss + contents loss) 

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In the Beginning….

As you prepare your Annual Report:

  • Decide focus 

  • Identify audience 

  • Determine data needs 

  • Determine appropriate analysis tools 

  • Determine appropriate data presentation 

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Data Topics
Not Addressed Today

  • Non-NFIRS related data: 

    • Outreach (public education and other) 

    • Data on inspections 

    • Arson and arson investigations 

  • NFIRS related data: 

    • Overall run distributions; fires only
      (which excludes mutual aid) 

    • Dollar loss (missing values) 

    • Multiple entry data elements (e.g., human factors contributing to ignition, etc.)  

    • Complex analytic issues
      (e.g., combining data from multiple elements, etc.) 

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Analytic Topics
Not Addressed Today
continued

  • Trend analysis – comparison of percentage change indicators 

  • Statistical significance 

  • Computation of Rates         

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Topics to Consider

  • NFIRS “unknown” codes (U, UU, UUU) and missing data (blanks or null values) 

  • Data interpretation and presentation – is it more effective to present the data in a graph or table? 

  • Confined fires 

  • Mutual aid  

  • NFIRS version 5.0 vs. 4.1 

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What is it that we
want to know?

For the fire portion of a typical Annual Report:

    • Types of fires 

    • When fires occur 

    • Where fires occur 

    • How much loss 

    • Cause of fire 

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Data Analysis

With the audience identified and the focus of the report established:

  •  Choose analysis tools 

  •  Determine NFIRS data elements to use 

 

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Analysis Tools

  • Software (e.g., Excel, SAS, SQL Server) 

  • NFIRS 5.0 Complete Reference Guide:  http://www.nfirs.fema.gov/documentation/reference/  

  • NFIRS Training Courses:  http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/nfirs/training/index.shtm 

  • Fire Data Analysis Handbook, Second Edition, January 2004:  http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/
    fa-266.pdf 

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NFIRS Training Courses:  

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/nfirs/training/index.shtm

 

Fire Data Analysis Handbook, Second Edition, January 2004:  

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/
fa-266.pdf

 

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Determine Which NFIRS
Data Elements to Use

  • Data element(s) appropriate for the information presented  

  • Decide which specific NFIRS codes apply 

  • If NFIRS 4.1 is used, be aware of the differences from NFIRS 5.0 

  • Exclude mutual aid incidents (i.e., where AID ≠ 3
    and AID ≠ 4) to avoid double counting fires  

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Data Interpretation
and Presentation

  • Tables 

  • Graphs 

    • Appropriate scales 

    • Bar 

    • Histogram 

    • Line 

    • Pie 

  • Source 

  • Appropriate Titling 

  • Proper Labeling 

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How to Define
Fire Using NFIRS

From the NFIRS basic module

    • Version = 5.0 

    • Exclude mutual aid incidents
      (i.e., where AID ≠ 3 and AID ≠ 4) 

    • Incident type (INC_TYPE) 100, 111-173 

   

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What types of fires occur?

Structure

Vehicle

Outside

Other

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How to Define
Types of Fires Using NFIRS

  • General incident types 

    • Structures 

      • Incident type:  111-123 

    • Vehicles 

      • Incident type:  130-139 

    • Outside 

      • Incident type:  140-162, 164-173 (note, excludes 163) 

    • Other 

      • Incident type:  100-109, 163 (outside gas/vapor combustion/explosion) 

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Examples: Distribution of Fires
by General Incident Type

Graphically:

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Temporal Analyses:
When Do Fires Occur?

Month/Season

Day of Week

Year

Time of Day

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How to Define
When Fires Occur Using NFIRS

  • From the NFIRS basic module 

    • Version = 5.0 

    • Exclude mutual aid incidents
      (i.e., where AID ≠ 3 and AID ≠ 4) 

    • Define fires (based on INC_TYPE) 

    • Incident date (INC_DATE) 

    • Alarm time (ALARM) 

  • Month:  Characters 1-2 of the incident date field 

  • Day: Characters 3-4 of the incident date field 

  • Year:  Characters 5-8 of the incident date field 

  • Time:  Characters 9-12 of the alarm time field 

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Examples: When Fires Occur

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Where do fires occur?

Property Use

Area of Fire Origin

Geographic Location

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How to Define
Where Fires Occur Using NFIRS

  • From the NFIRS basic module 

    • Version = 5.0         

    • Exclude mutual aid incidents
      (i.e., where AID ≠ 3 and AID ≠ 4) 

    • Define fires (based on INC_TYPE) 

    • Property use (PROP_USE) 

    • State (STATE) 

  • From the NFIRS header module  

    • County (FD_FIP_CTY) 

  • From the NFIRS fire module 

    • Area of fire origin (AREA_ORIG) 

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Property Use

  • Assembly 

    • PROP_USE:  100-199 

  • Educational 

    • PROP_USE:  200-299 

  • Health Care, Detention and Correction 

    • PROP_USE:  300-399 

  • Residential 

    • PROP_USE:  400-499 

  • Mercantile, Business 

    • PROP_USE:  500-599 

  • Industry 

    • PROP_USE:  600-699 

  • Manufacturing 

    • PROP_USE:  700 

  • Storage 

    • PROP_USE:  800-899 

  • Outside or Special Property 

    • PROP_USE:  900-999 

  • Property Use, Other 

    • PROP_USE:  000 

  • None 

    • PROP_USE:  NNN 

  • Undetermined 

    • PROP_USE:  UUU 

  • Null or Missing Values 

    • PROP_USE:  blank 

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Examples: Where Fires Occur
Property Types

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Area of Fire Origin

  • Means of Egress  

    • AREA_ORIG:  01-09 

  • Assembly or Sales Areas 

    • AREA_ORIG:  10-17 

  • Function Areas 

    • AREA_ORIG:  20-28 

  • Technical Processing Areas 

    • AREA_ORIG:  30-38 

  • Storage Areas 

    • AREA_ORIG:  40-47 

  • Service Areas 

    • AREA_ORIG:  50-58 

  • Service or Equipment Areas  

    • AREA_ORIG:  60-68 

  • Structural Areas 

    • AREA_ORIG:  70-78 

  • Transportation, Vehicle Areas 

    • AREA_ORIG:  80-86 

  • Outside Areas 

    • AREA_ORIG:  90-98 

  • Area of Fire Origin, Other 

    • AREA_ORIG:  00 

  • Undetermined 

    • AREA_ORIG:  UU 

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Examples: Where Fires Occur
Area of Fire Origin

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Example: Where Fires Occur
Geographic Location
(Spatial Analyses)

       

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How Much Loss Occurs?

Deaths

Injuries

Contents Loss

Property Loss

Fire Spread

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How to Define
Losses Using NFIRS

  • From the NFIRS basic module 

    • Version = 5.0         

    • Exclude mutual aid incidents
      (i.e., where AID ≠ 3 and AID ≠ 4) 

    • Define fires (based on INC_TYPE) 

    • Deaths (OTH_DEATH) 

    • Injuries (OTH_INJ) 

    • Total dollar loss = Contents loss (CONT_LOSS) + Property loss (PROP_LOSS) 

  • From the NFIRS structure fire module 

    • Fire Spread (FIRE_SPRD) 

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Fire Spread and
Confined Fires

  • Confined fires, by definition, are confined to the object of origin (FIRE_SPRD=1) 

    • Confined Fires = INC_TYPE 113 to 118 

  • Abbreviated reporting may limit the number of confined fires with fire spread entries 

  • Confined fires with no (or NULL) fire spread entries then need to be counted in with FIRE_SPRD=1 

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Examples: Fire Spread

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What causes the fire?  

  • At USFA, fire cause for structures is determined by information gathered from several data fields from different NFIRS modules. 

  • Cause is mutually exclusive – one and only one cause is assigned to each incident 

  • The cause hierarchy is designed for structure fires, but currently is applied to all fires. 

  • Separate cause hierarchies are under development for vehicles and outside/other fires. 

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How to Define
Cause Using NFIRS

  • Option: Implement USFA cause methodology 

  • Option: Cause-related fields from the NFIRS fire module 

    • Cause of ignition (CAUSE_IGN) 

    • Equipment involved in ignition (EQUIP_INV) 

    • Factors contributing to ignition (FACT_IGN_1, FACT_IGN_2) 

    • Human factors contributing to ignition
      (HUM_FACT1, … , HUM_FACT8) 

    • Heat source (HEAT_SOURC) 

        None of these NFIRS variables individually defines fire cause

 

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The NFIRS Cause
Methodology

  • Cause is a complex chain of events 

  • Hierarchy of definitions 

    • Assign fire to highest category – if it does not fit in the top category, then consider the second; if not that one, then the third, etc. 

  • Three level process 

    • Priority cause – Initial hierarchy, 34 categories 

    • Cause – 34 priority groupings condensed into 16 major groups. 

    • General Cause – 16 causes condensed into 7 general causes 

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Cause Hierarchy
Components

  • Primary Variables Used 

    • Cause of ignition (CAUSE_IGN) 

    • Equipment involved in ignition (EQUIP_INV) 

    • Factors contributing to ignition (FACT_IGN_1, FACT_IGN_2) 

    • Heat source (HEAT_SOURC) 

    • Human factors contributing to ignition
      (HUM_FACT1, … , HUM_FACT8) 

    • Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) 

  • Secondary Variables 

    • Age, Equipment power source (EQ_POWER), Mobile property involved (MOB_INVOL) 

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Hierarchy Matrix

  • Cause Category Methodology Matrix: 

http://www.nfirs.fema.gov/jsps/nfirsdownload.jsp?url=

/_download/50causematrix01012004.xls

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Examples: Fire Cause

53

53

 

54

54

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A Last Word:
NFIRS Unknown Values
and Missing Data

  • Unreported data 

  • Data reported as “unknown” or “undetermined” 

  • Adjusting for unknown data – adjusted percentages computed using only those incidents for which data were provided 

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Summary

  • Decide focus 

  • Identify audience 

  • Determine data needs 

  • Determine appropriate analysis tools 

  • Determine appropriate data presentation 

  • Write clearly, keep focused 

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Contact Information

Patricia Frazier, Director

Center for Data Analysis and Special Studies

TriData, a Division of

        System Planning Corporation

(703) 351-8300

pfrazier@sysplan.com

www.sysplan.com

Gayle Kelch,
Statistician

National Fire Data Center

U.S. Fire Administration

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department of Homeland Security

(301) 447-1154

gayle.kelch@dhs.gov

www.usfa.fema.gov

 
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