January 17 - 23, 2022: Community Risk Reduction Week

WHEREAS, according to the National Fire Protection Association, somewhere in the nation every 23 seconds a fire department responds to a fire, every 89 seconds a home fire is reported, every three hours and 24 minutes a home fire death occurs, and every 46 minutes a home fire injury occurs; and,

 

WHEREAS, 107 Michigan residents died in 94 residential home fires in 2021; and,

 

WHEREAS, in 2020, local fire departments responded to an estimated 1.4 million fires in the United States that caused 3,500 civilian fire deaths, 15,200 reported civilian fire injuries, and an estimated $21.9 billion in property damage; 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, in 2022, 15 Michigan cities will participate in a Community Risk Assessment (CRA), a strategic planning process with a comprehensive evaluation that identifies, prioritizes, and defines risks pertaining to the overall community and gives results in a full understanding of the community's unique risks, capabilities, and characteristics; 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 five areas known as the five Es: Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency response, and Economic incentive; and,

 

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

 

WHEREAS, Monday, January 17, 2022, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day - a nationally recognized day of service and an opportunity for communities to reduce the risk in their community through a series of educational and other proactive programs; and,

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim January 17 - 23, 2022, 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.