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Published: 2015

Total Pages: 72

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The Newport News Fire Department (NNFD) has not re-evaluated programs administered and delivered by the Fire Marshal's Office and Public Education Bureau for a number of years with exception of fluctuations in staffing. Therefore it was unknown if the community risk reduction programs delivered by these bureaus matched the risks faced by the community on a daily basis. This problem was utilized as the basis for this research and the problem statement: The problem is that it is unknown if the NNFD community risks reduction programs are directed towards the most prevalent risks to the residents and visitors of Newport News. The purpose of this research is to determine if the public education and prevention programs delivered by the NNFD match the most prevalent risks faced by the residents and visitors of Newport News. Descriptive research was employed to answer the following four questions: What are the top three community risks in which the department frequently responds, how does the department address these risks, how do other departments address the same community risks, and have these methods been effective in reducing the risks? The research was conducted using department information, a survey of other departments and an extensive review of current literature. The results indicated that while the department does offer some programs to address most of the risks, it does not offer programs to the breadth and depth of those that had achieved significant reductions in the same risks. The programs offered by the NNFD were not identified as active but more passive and relied on word of mouth or the public seeking out the information. The research showed that with commitment of resources, development of programs, partnerships and some change in philosophy the department' s community risk reduction programs could further reduce risks faced by the community.