Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Receives National Grant

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue has the opportunity to step up their safety protocols thanks to a new grant.

The fire department is one of 25 departments across the nation that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) thought would benefit from a pilot program that helps departments develop a community risk assessment tool.

The $7,000 grant includes a data analytics system that allows the fire department to identify risks to property and life while also finding different conditions that exacerbate the threat.

The money will go towards the creation of a personalized dashboard that will be active through July 31, 2020 and specialized training to accompany the program, according to the department.

“Not only will access to the tool give us invaluable information about our community’s needs, but it is rewarding to know that using the tool will increase its effectiveness and help other fire departments in the long run,” Battalion Chief George Robbins, who leads the department’s community risk reduction department, said.

This September, the NFPA will hand out another 25 grants to departments. The departments are chosen based on size, geography, community support and other indicators. So far, 150 departments have applied for the grant.

#FCFRD Selected to Receive Community Risk Reduction Grant. One of 25 departments nationwide selected to receive grant from @NFPA as part of pilot program to build a community risk assessment tool. More: https://t.co/2ckoW4lUyR#SafeFairfax #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/dnljR8wyRq

— Fairfax Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) August 15, 2019