- Author
- North American Coalition for Fire and Life Safety Education
- Title
- Beyond Solutions 2000: Advocating Shared Responsibilities for Improved Fire Protection.
- Sponsor
- Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC
- Book or Conf
- Beyond Solutions 2000: Advocating Shared Responsibilities for Improved Fire Protection, 2000
- Keywords
- fire protection | egress | warning systems | planning | sprinklers | life safety | fire safety | children | elderly persons | handicapped | public awareness | education | fire prevention | human beings | adults
- Identifiers
- recommendations for improved fire safety; considerations for improved fire safety
- Abstract
- Beyond Solutions 2000 provided a unique opportunity to combine expertise from the fire protection community with advocacy for those at greater risk from fire. By invitation of the North American Coalition for Fire and Life Safety Education, individuals representing over 60 organizations participated in the symposium in Washington, D.C. April 26th and 27th, 2001. As the result of their time and deliberation, this report offers recommended actions needed to progress toward fire safety for high-risk groups. National and international organizations that make up the North American Coalition for Fire and Life Safety Education agreed in 1997 on the need for a concerted effort to reduce a persistently greater fire death and injury rate within high-risk populations. A first symposium to share experience and set a course of action took place in Arlington, Virginia, in 1998. Solutions 2000, held in April 1999, was the first initiative to join expertise and networks from both communities, fire prevention and advocacy for the target audiences. Recommendations for improved safety were published in the report of Solutions 2000 for young children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Building on the efforts and recommendations of the previous symposium, Beyond Solutions 2000 focused deliberations on universal recommendations from the earlier report, which addressed issues common to each of the targeted audiences. Participants were charged with examining issues related to egress capability, early warning, and fire sprinkler protection for those who may not be able to take life-saving action in a timely manner in the event of a fire, specifically young children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Evidence was presented in opening session of successful initiatives that incorporated recommendations from the previous report of Solutions 2000 in their development. The US Fire Administration (USFA) with assistance from the NFPA International Center for High Risk Outreach developed a 2-week course, "The Road to High Risk Audiences" (R119). This certification course provides in-depth understanding of high-risk audiences, motivating and enabling public educators to better target prevention programs. The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition also made use of recommendations when designing their community education program, "Protect What You Value Most". State Farm Insurance reported on research they have supported for the design of safer products in the home, as recommended in the earlier report.