NFPA Issues Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has just released its Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service. The report, the third installment of a similar assessment conducted in 2001 and 2005, respectively, was conducted to determine the collective needs of the American fire service; and the impact of DHS and FEMA grant awards in reducing these 'needs.'

The report can be downloaded here.

The report focused on the following needs:

Personnel and their capabilities, including staffing, training, certification, and
wellness/fitness

Facilities and apparatus

Personal protective equipment, including some of what may have been
categorized as firefighting equipment in the DHS/FEMA grants program

Fire prevention and code enforcement

Ability to handle unusually challenging incidents, including personnel,
equipment, and plans or agreements to facilitate working with others

Communications and new technologies

While there were reductions in many of the researched 'needs,' there were indications that the economy is significantly impacting equipment and staffing in U.S. fire departments and little progress in reducing these two needs.