Today marks the end of the first (albeit short) fiscal year of the National Fire Information Database Pilot Project. The project got underway in November–just a few months ago–and good progress has been made.
The first stages of any successful project begin with putting the right framework and structure in place so that we can move with speed and confidence during the implementation phases. We’ve got those pieces in place as a result of the focused and sustained work of the members of the project team.
In our last update we talked about the importance of getting the governance framework in place. We’re glad that’s done so we can get to work on the more substantive elements of the Pilot. A number of key activities are either complete or are being undertaken right now including the following:
- International Review–The NFPA has provided support to the project by preparing an international review of other similar initiatives that have been undertaken in the United States and in other countries that might advise the ongoing development of the NFID. It’s a pragmatic and thoughtful analysis of what the NFPA and others have learned as they have sought to accomplish similar outcomes in their jurisdictions.
- Communications Program–One of the key commitments we made as a team is to ensure that we’re constantly communicating to the fire community about this project. We’ve created this website, established social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter, and put in place a Newsletter. We’ll also be speaking about the project at as many events as we can over the duration of the project.
- Research Funding–One thing we didn’t want to simply issue a research report at the end of the Pilot describing what we found. Instead, we want to share what we’re learning throughout the course of the project. With that in mind, this project includes $200,000 of funding for researchers to make use of the NFID to conduct original research and demonstrate what’s possible when it comes to supporting evidence-based decision making. We’ll be sharing more information about the Research Program and how you or researchers you know can access the funding.
Our next area of focus will be working with the data that we receive from the Provinces and Territories in order to start to assemble the National Fire Information Database. Then we’re going to conduct a world first when it comes to how the data can be used. But you’ll have to stay tuned for more information on that.
Trefor Munn-Venn
Deputy Project Manager