Lanterna Rally

Author: Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Agency. United States Fire Administration

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 97

ISBN-13:

America's fire death rate per capita is improving, but continues to be higher than more than half of the industrialized countries of the world. Fire departments in the United States respond to an average of 4,658 fire calls each day. Over the last ten years, fire losses in the United States have averaged about 1.7 million fires, 3,760 deaths and 20,010 injuries, though the rate of fire deaths and injuries has declined over this period. To put this in national context, the combined average annual losses in the United States from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters or terrorist attacks is a fraction of the casualties from fires. Annually, direct property loss from fire is estimated at more than $10 billion and the total cost of fire - including the cost of adding fire protection to buildings, the cost of paid fire departments, the equivalent cost of volunteer fire departments ($20 billion annually), the cost of insurance overhead, the direct cost of fire-related losses, the medical cost of fire injuries and other direct and indirect costs to the American economy is estimated to be more than $165 billion. A dismal fire record in the 1970's led to the creation of the United States Fire Administration (USFA). Congress established USFA to decrease the tragic losses. In 1974, Public Law 93-498 established the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration (NFPCA). In 1978, Public Law 95-422 changed the name from NFPCA to USFA. The USFA's mission is to reduce loss of life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies by providing leadership, advocacy, coordination, and support. This is accomplished in coordination with federal agencies, and in partnership with fire protection and emergency services in communities nationwide. The USFA provides public education, training, technology and data initiatives. Since the creation of the USFA, the Nation's fire loss has decreased significantly. Through USFA's public education and awareness initiatives, training, research, technology development, data collection and analysis, and partnering with other fire safety interests, the rate has steadily improved. Over the last 10 years, fires have declined by 13 percent. During this same period of time, a 12 percent decline in civilian deaths and a 32 percent drop in civilian injuries have also been experienced. Although the dollar loss figures have increased since 1997, this can reasonably be explained by normal increases in construction costs and prices in general. Over the years, USFA's place within parent organizations has changed. USFA, with its National Fire Academy (NFA), National Fire Data Center (NFDC) and National Fire Program offices, originally was part of the United States Department of Commerce (DOC). In 1978, USFA was transferred from the DOC to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by way of Reorganization Plan Number 3 and remained an entity of FEMA until October 1, 2005. The Emergency Management Institute, formerly part of USFA, was separated from USFA as part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Act Second Stage Review (2SR) and remains with FEMA. On October 1, 2005, as a result of the DHS Act 2SR Reorganization, USFA was transferred from FEMA to the DHS Preparedness Directorate. While USFA continued to be the federal and national focus of reducing the incidents of fire and fire-related deaths, injuries and property damage, and to better prepare the Nation's fire service as the primary local emergency services, USFA staff focused on their training, programs and activities to better support accomplishing the goals and objectives of DHS. On March 31, 2007, as a result of the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006, USFA, including the NFA and most of other preparedness initiatives within the DHS Preparedness Directorate were transferred back to FEMA. Currently, the NFA resides within the USFA at FEMA, while the Emergency Management Institute resides within the new National Integration Center at FEMA, which consist of several other training programs and institutions.