Employ a proactive and fully resourced whole-of-government approach, with significant involvement by the fire service, to address threats — including fire — to the health and safety of our nation’s population.
Issue
The fire service must have a greater role in federal policy development when federal agencies develop policies and programs related to public safety, such as first responder mental health and wellness, building and fire codes, and the five mission areas of the National Preparedness Goal (prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery). We must undertake a whole-of-government, proactive, resourced approach to the nation’s fire problem.
The United States faces a serious fire problem. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire accounted for nearly $16 billion in direct property loss in 2021. These fires caused 3,800 civilian deaths and 14,700 civilian fire injuries.1 According to a September 2023 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a record number of billion-dollar weather and climate related disaster have occurred in the United States year-to-date. These events have resulted in costs exceed $57 billion and 253 direct and indirect fatalities.2
1 “Fire Loss in the United States During 2021” (National Fire Protection Association; September 2022)
2 “Assessing the U.S. Climate in August 2023” (National Centers for Environmental Information, NOAA; September 11, 2023)
- Congressional Fire Services Caucus
- CFSI Legislation & Advocacy Resources
- NVFC Advocacy Resources
- IAFC Legislative Action Center
- IAFF Legislative Issues
- White House: FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Budget Invests in Reducing Gun Crime to Make Our Communities Safer (March 28, 2022)
- White House: Fiscal Year 2023 President’s Budget
- NFPA: Total Cost of Fire in the United States (October 2017)
