The State Fire Marshal Division has closed the books on the 2012 fire reporting with the highest-ever level of participation by Minnesota fire department. The steadily-improving performance in Minnesota has almost reached that perfect 100.
Minnesota was one of 13 states selected by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) in 1977 to participate in their National Fire Incident Reporting System. The paperwork-heavy “hard copy” system gave way to a faster, easier, electronic reporting process, and USFA stopped supporting the paper reports. After acquiring funding for software development in 2008, Minnesota led the nation into the age of on-line reporting with a fast, free on-line system available to every fire department in the state.
The Image Trend software does more for fire officials than submit facts. It’s an entire suite that can be used for fire reporting, personnel data, training reports, equipment inventory and maintenance records, activity tracking, scheduling, inspections, pre-fire planning and investigations.
With 785 departments in the state, 776 of them reported in 2012; that’s 99 percent–arguably the second highest rate in the country. Number one is North Carolina, where state aid to fire department depends in part on participation in fire data reporting. In Minnesota, reporting is voluntary. The participation rate is a source of pride, but it’s much more than that. The annual report, “Fire in Minnesota,” guides public education efforts and helps us provide current data to the media.
Your data is also used in code development. The Image trend system makes it easier to extract data, compare numbers and spot patterns–and those can help justify fire and building codes. Data is also used to track arson activity and establish performance measures for fire departments, as well. The more accurate and consistent your reporting, the more reliable our numbers are, and the more effective we become. We’re shooting for 100 percent reporting in 2013, and we’re confident that you’ll help us reach that goal.
Story provided by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office