Improving NFIRS for Free

Take Action to

Improve NFIRS

In Your Department

FREE!

Report writing isn't a barrel of fun.

Sometimes you're back from astructure fire at 0-Dark-30.

Or you face a stack of reports with errors.

The SAME ERRORSyou saw last week.

You want to doyour best but thereis a quality problemand you don't knowwhere to start.

Start at the Top

Leadership support is key for improvement. If there is a disconnect between Leadersand NFIRS it's difficult to do anything.

Data Champions

LeadersNFIRS

advocates

are people who speak upabout NFIRS and care about the quality of theSystem. Vocal leadership support creates more !

Data Champions

Data Champions

Grow Data Champions by expressing yoursupport. Everybody in your departmentshould know what NFIRS is, what it does,and how it affects the Fire Service.

Creating a department policy on NFIRScultivates Administrative support withan added bonus of reducing errors.

NFIRS Policy

Start with responsibility. Who will completereports, who will check them, and who willsubmit them?

NFIRS Policy

Detail expectations for data quality. Considerexpanding from the minimum requirements.You'll lose valuable data if you don't.

NFIRS Policy

Include when the reports should be finished,checked, and submitted. Submission should bein-line with your State's guidelines.

Don't forget to include updating reports! Leaving off information that you know couldcause problems later on.

A policy is great but how do you getthe information in the first place?

Field Notes FormLocation:Alarm Date/TimeCall Type:Actions Taken:Incident Commander:Patient:Owner:

Trucks Taken: Personnel:

A good field notes formensures that informationis collected right fromthe beginning, even at3am.

Click here to see an example

Now about that stack of errors that yousee again and again...send them back!

Think of it as an individualized trainingopportunity. If you keep fixing errors foreveryone you'll keep seeing them. Sendthe reports back for correction with anexplanation of the errors.

Return to writer

Decide how many errors or whichtypes of errors will result in areturn to writer.

Further reduce errors by creating cheatsheets that are specific to your department.

Cheat Sheets

Eliminate rarely-used codesfrom cheat sheets and usecategories to bring order tothe many options.

Fire

Medical

MVA

571-Gas Station

449-Hotel

571-KwikShop

449-Best Western

Use names rather than generic descriptions. Property Use is a perfect place to use names.

Facing an error you just can'tget past?

Phone a friend.

There's no reason to struggle alonewhen hundreds of people are familiarwith NFIRS. Your State ProgramManager has probably fixed thatsame error a thousand times.

Literally.

Hi!

While you're at it, make sure your StateProgram Manager knows who the contactis for your department. You may bemissing out on cheat sheets, training, andchanges otherwise.

These steps are actionable, free,and within the control of all firedepartments. Now it's time to putthose great reports to use!

Do you have tips on how yourdepartment cleans up data quality?I'd love to hear from you! -Sara

Sara.Wood@ksfm.ks.gov

That's it!