Jackson Hole Fire/EMS to participate in new safety strategy

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI)-The National Fire Protection Association has selected Jackson Hole Fire/EMS to help it build a digital community risk assessment tool.  

The second phase of the pilot program is creating a “dashboard” to help community leaders make informed decision around fire prevention and risk-reduction activities.

The Association said the concept is a process that identifies and prioritizes risks and ensures mitigation initiatives to address them.  

“Access to accurate data will allow CRR leaders to use insights and make informed decisions about where to focus efforts and resources,” said Karen Berard-Reed, community risk reduction strategist at NFPA. “While many fire departments have struggled to work with data sets, NFPA’s CRA tool will do the complex work behind the scenes to compile relevant data allowing stakeholders to create effective community risk reduction plans that incorporate five priorities - education, engineering, enforcement, economic incentives, and emergency response - in the most impactful ways possible.”

The second phase of the program will involve 250 fire departments across the country, including JH Fire/EMS.  It will help refine and enhance the effectiveness of the new dashboard.

“Participation in this project allows each fire department to provide important feedback that will be used to improve future versions of the dashboard, positions the community among CRR leaders in the United States, and signals an interest in leveraging technology to drive high-quality community safety initiatives,” said Berard-Reed.

The dashboard includes customized maps, charts, and graphs, demographics, geography, and a host of other specific information about public safety challenges. 

“We are very pleased we get to be a part of this opportunity,” said Bobbi Clauson, JHF/EMS Fire Inspector and Fire & Life Safety Educator.  “The information that we gather from the dashboard will be invaluable when assessing our community’s needs and will help guide future prevention programs.”