January 18 - 24, 2021: Community Risk Reduction Week

WHEREAS, according to the National Fire Protection Association, every 24 seconds, a fire department in the United States responds to a fire somewhere in the nation; and,

 

WHEREAS, 123 Michigan residents died in 102 residential home fires in 2020; and,

 

WHEREAS, house fires were responsible for 11,200 civilian injuries and 74% of all civilian injuries in 2018 in the United States; and,

 

WHEREAS, an estimated $25.6 billion in property damage occurred as a result of fires in 2018; and,

 

WHEREAS, the Michigan fire service responds to a growing number of medical calls for service, surpassing 80% of total call volume in some jurisdictions; and,  

 

WHEREAS, community risk reduction (CRR) is a data-informed process to identify and prioritize local risks, followed by an integrated and strategic investment of resources to reduce their occurrence and impact; and,

 

WHEREAS, the  community support from local, state, MI Prevention partners, and national partners to address community risks is recognized as invaluable to meeting the demands of paid, combination, and volunteer fire departments across Michigan; and,

 

WHEREAS, the goal of MI Prevention and other CRR efforts is to reduce the occurrence and impact of emergency events for both Michigan communities and emergency responders through deliberate action in the areas of the five E’s: Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency response, and Economic incentive; and,

 

WHEREAS, most fire-related and many medical calls for service are preventable, with the five E’s performed as part of an integrated CRR program; and,

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim January 18 – 24, 2021, as Community Risk Reduction Week in Michigan and recognize a grassroots initiative of MI Prevention and fire service professionals statewide to raise awareness of the importance of CRR in the fire service community and an opportunity to make communities safer across our nation.