Colorado's First Community Risk Assessment Roadshow: Summer Newsletter Updates 2022
The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) is leaning forward in Community Risk Reduction by commissioning a Statewide Risk Assessment (SRA). Colorado is one of the first states to undertake this type of project, which will help us better understand and reduce the different types of risks we face here in our beautiful state. With help from our communities across Colorado, the International Public Safety Data Institute (IPSDI) will collect and analyze data, based on industry best practices, to aid Colorado in recognizing the hazards facing our communities.
Static fire data tells us an incomplete story. Stakeholder feedback and engagement gives powerful context to data - a vital part to understanding the impact of fire on Colorado’s communities and residents. With this in mind, DFPC and IPSDI held ten (10) stakeholder meetings across all four corners of the state that helped us to:
- Understand how fire impacts your community
- Learn about your community’s challenges beyond fire that may have impacts on service delivery
- Meet and learn from the people working every day to reduce fire risk while balancing everyday operational needs
- Understand the varied impact across urban, rural, suburban, and undeveloped areas
- Gain stakeholder perspective on the present and future concerns that worry them
Each meeting was interactive and engaging, as participants were asked for their input through small group activities and dialog. We also understand that not everyone who is interested was able to attend one of the meetings. To ensure we capture insight from all stakeholders, we are planning several other virtual meetings in the near future. In addition, a follow-up survey instrument will be available for those who could not attend.
This data will provide many benefits to anyone who lives, works, and plays in Colorado by revealing the risks faced at the community level so first responders and policy makers everywhere can make better, data-driven decisions to:
- Develop educational campaigns;
- Prepare their emergency responders for the likeliest hazards they will face;
- Reduce hazards through the application of best practices and more resilient building solutions;
- Develop economic incentive programs to help reduce the likelihood of an emergency or the severity of it when it does occur; and
- Take enforcement action that will aid in mitigating emergency situations.
The long-term goal will be to create an online dashboard, which is updated periodically to address any changes to the hazards affecting our communities and accessible by our community officials, that will aid decision-makers in developing efforts to mitigate these hazards. Stay tuned to our website for additional information and updates. If you would like to learn more or if you have data to share to aid in the development of the Colorado Statewide Risk Assessment, feel free to email us at coloradosra@i-psdi.org.