There’s an old saying that goes, “It takes a village.” The idea behind that is that for a community or a group of people to function and prosper, they all need each other and must work together. When you consider fire safety in a neighborhood or locality, it’s no different. All the links in the chain of protection must be strong for a community to have the best defense against fires. This is vital because even a small home fire can be disastrous for an entire neighborhood. Today, we’ll be discussing what a group of people working together should consider when coming up with a fire protection plan for the area in which they work and live.
If a neighborhood or community wants to be as safe as it can possibly be, every shareholder in the community has to be involved, even if it's just the individual homeowner committing to practice fire safety in his own home. In addition to homeowners and residents, business owners, city planners, first responders, employees, etc. all must do their part in protecting the community from fire. One weak link and the chain of protection falls apart.
As a collective group, a community needs to consider a few important elements when it comes to risk reduction as it relates to fire. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) compiled the 5 Es of Community Risk Reduction - essentials for fire safety within any particular locality. These fundamental items should be addressed as a concerned group in the community and then strategies should be discussed so ideas and plans can be implemented. The following essentials listed below are the 5 elements provided by the NFPA:
- Enforcement: Passing, strengthening and enforcing laws or rules to lower risks and provide for a safer community
- Engineering: Technological resources and materials to minimize fire risks
- Emergency Response: Adding or enhancing emergency response to improve protection
- Economic Incentives: Offering certain incentives to motivate people to engage in safer behaviors and habits
- Education: Instructing the public about fire risks to positively influence their knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and behaviors
Conducting a community risk assessment is a process that has many parts, but gathering individuals to begin to address these essential elements is a great starting point. If just a few concerned community members would make the first move, the positive impact from that would have an enormous ripple effect on an entire area. And, the NFPA has so much information available to help!
At Certifed Flameproofing, we know firsthand the power of a community approach. Everyone benefits when the ring of fire protection in a neighborhood or community is strong at every bend. We are honored to protect NYC and the Greater Metro NY area through our flameproofing services. When fabrics, upholstery, curtains, drapes and decorative items are treated with flameproofing treatments, the chances of a fire growing out of control are considerably lowered.
If your business has questions about community risk reduction or about anything relating to fire and protection, please call. We'd love to chat with you. We'd love to link with you in protecting our great city and provide you a free, no-obligation quote: 800-590-5530.