Today, the board of directors of the International Association of Fire Chiefs approved a
management plan to keep the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System online and
operational through September 30, 2013. The plan was presented
by the Near-Miss Sustainability Task Force, which was organized when the
popular program was denied federal grant funding in September.
The Near-Miss Program Gap Plan addresses
basic program functions of reporting, data collection and search capabilities,
reducing costs to minimum levels until additional funding is secured. This
program-management approach is supported by IFSTA/Fire Protection Publications,
a division of Oklahoma State University, through an in-kind donation of
database and application-hosting services, and IAFC funding of staffing and
operational needs.
"To see the IAFC family rally around this program is a tremendous
testament to how strongly the whole organization believes in the life-saving
capability of the Near-Miss Reporting System," said Chief Bill Metcalf,
IAFC first vice president and chair of the Near-Miss Sustainability Task Force.
To date, the IAFC’s EMS; Volunteer and Combination Officers (VCOS); and
Safety, Health & Survival Sections (IAFC SHS) and the Great Lakes Division
have each stepped forward to commit funds to support this plan, with additional
funding provided through the IAFC operational budget. Members of the Safety,
Health and Survival Section will also contribute volunteer hours to help create
educational and training materials.
"We still have a way to go to solidify the future of this program, but
this plan sets us on the right path," said Chief Hank Clemmensen, IAFC
president and chairman of the board. "I want to say thank you to all of
the IAFC members and many others in our industry who are stepping forward to
support this program."
Maintaining Critical Capabilities
The task force identified several low-cost, core capabilities of the program
that will be maintained as part of the program plan:
Website operation, including the
ability to submit and search reports and to access the resources page
Regular publication articles
Customized search requests,
as needed
Near-Miss Matters
electronic newsletter, to be distributed monthly in place of the Report of
the Week
Deliverables not currently supported by the
gap plan, such as data analysis, the annual training calendar and the
development of training resources, are postponed until further funding can be
identified. All previously planned technology and database enhancements are also
postponed.
The Near-Miss Sustainability Task Force will continue to
explore several long-term funding opportunities in 2013, including pursuing
federal funding opportunities.
