NFIRS Reporting for Mutual Aid ????

[Jim M.]

Just purchased a copy of Firehouse software. Very impressed with the product.

In the process of keying in all of our runs for 2000 year-to-date, I encountered one reporting problem that has me puzzled. If I respond mutual aid to a structure fire in another City or Town, what incident type code should I use? If I report this as a structure - I need to complete all the various information forms required for a structure. It also throws off the count as far as statistical fire reports go - looks like I have more structures and more dollar loss in my Town than I really do. Can't seem to find a more appropriate code and can't seem to find any Q & A at the NFIRS site.

Anyone else have the same problem? What solution did you adopt?

Thanks.

[Halligan84]

We use a different program, but as long as we check the mutual aid given box, we can assign it as a structure fire and the program skips all the other data required if it were our own fire.

[Halligan84]

We use a different program, but as long as we check the mutual aid given box, we can assign it as a structure fire and the program skips all the other data required if it were our own fire.

[eCappy]

With our program, an alarm you described would be reported as:

Situation found: # 57 (cover assignment, standby, move up).

Action taken: # 8 (fill in, move up).

Mutual aid: # 2 (given).

Correct address: whatever plus zip

Zip codes outside our service area will cancel rest of program.

[Brian Dunlap]

We use the same type of system as eCappy has mentioned...

#57 Under Incident Found...Move up/Transfer
Because you responded to a local/District diffrent from your own

# 8 Under Action Taken.....Fill in Move up
Which is exactly what your company did..you filled in equipment to the next town

# 2 Under Mutial Aid Given/Received you were the provider so you would fill in "Given"

Hope some of this helps you out !! Good Luck

[Jim M.]

I may be reading the instructions incorrectly but I think that NFIRS wants the incident code to reflect the situation found, not the situation you were dispatched to. I may be dispatched to a "fill in, move up, transfer" but if we end up at the fire scene, I think we're supposed to use the structure fire incident code. Am I off base? This may be a change from NFIRS 4 to NFIRS 5 or just a mistake or my part. I appreciate all your input.

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Remember, it IS as bad as you think and they ARE out to get you!

[eCappy]

Due to some critical daytime manpower shortages we respond to several "automatic" mutual aid alarms. Doing so we naturally have experienced several different scenarios, all of which must be explained by the limited, and sometimes ambigious, NFIR system. So here are a few examples:

a) When we respond to our neighboring fire department's firestation and JUST standby we use # 57 (standby at firestation) for situation found.

b) If we are called directly to our neighboring fire department's active or working fire scene we STILL use # 57 (cover assignment & move-up) for situation found because the HOST town's NFIR must report the situation found - NOT our NFIR. (It's their fire, not ours; we're just moving up to help). The HOST town's NFIR, and NOT our NFIR will also have to show dollar loss, area of origin, etc, etc.

c) Now sometimes one innocent mutual aid call can generate multiple NFIRs, (and this happens to us a lot), for example: We get called into the town North of us and standby in their firehouse while they are out handling a small garage fire. While standing by in their firehouse we get sent to a car fire somewhere else in their community. We NOW have two NFIRs. Our first NFIR will be a # 57 for standing by in their station, and our second NFIR will be a # 13 for a vechile fire. Then, immediatley after the car fire we get sent to a kitchen fire in their community; and there is a $5,000 dollar fire loss. That's our third NFIR; a # 11 for a structure fire, BUT the dollar loss on our NFIR for the kitchen fire is charged - based on the address and zip code - to the HOST town's annual fire loss figures - not ours. (If we go back to their firehouse after the kitchen fire and standby some more - it's our fourth NFIR (a # 57) because it is a new mutual aid activity away from our community).

[eCappy]

One more example (sorry to bore everyone):

Let's say that your neighboring town or city is tied up with an incident (a large tanker spill) and your fire department is called in to respond directly to another incident (smoke in a house). Upon arrival you find a clothes dryer fire. NOW your NFIR is a # 11 structure fire, #1 extinguishment, and #2 mutual aid given; and ALL the other data (origin, area, etc) must be entered on your NFIR - but the dollar loss, (maybe$1,000 for the dryer and smoke damages) will be charged to the town or city that called you in.

[Whip]

If you are dispatched to the scene then for the most part you fill in the situation found, ie. structure fire, spill, or what have you, then as previously stated, you then check the "Mutual Aid Given" then the "Fire" tab will disappear. As previously stated, it is not your call, but as soon as you tab the Given box, then it relieves you from the responsibility of filling in the other sections. If you do a station stand by or a fill in, then use #57, if you read what it says you are doing, that is the correct one for coverage, not for scene assistance. You also may want to contact your reporting agency, ie. the State or Local Fire Marshal's office they may be able to tell you what they are looking for.

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Stay Safe.

Lt. Whip FSI/EMT
Ledyard CT FD

[Break-N-Entry]

"Situation Found" on all NFIRS programs I've seen, including the old hand written, pertains only to the FIRST arriving unit.

If you're rolling in from out of town to assist at the same fire they're fighting, it's # 57.

Only if you roll in and are first due at a different fire will you use the codes for structures, vehicles, hazmat, and so on.

[Jim M.]

Thanks for all the answers and examples. They cleared up the issue very nicely.