FAQ

Questions

Answers

What is a near-miss event? (top)

A near-miss event is defined as an unintentional unsafe occurrence that could have resulted in an injury, fatality, or property damage. Only a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented an injury, fatality or damage.

Why should I submit a near-miss report? (top)

A near miss experienced by a firefighter can improve the knowledge, skills and abilities of everyone who is made aware of it. Reporting your near-miss event to www.firefighternearmiss.com will help prevent an injury or fatality of a firefighter. Near-miss reporting has worked effectively in other industries, especially aviation, since team members have more knowledge. Industries using near-miss reporting systems have lower injury rates and fewer worker fatalities.

What is the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System? (top)

The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System is a voluntary, confidential, non-punitive and secure reporting system with the goal of improving fire fighter safety. By collecting and analyzing information on near-miss events, improvements can be made in command, education, operations and training.

Who is funding/supporting the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System? (top)

The reporting system is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The program was originally funded by DHS and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company.

How can I contact the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System? (top)

Mailing Address:
National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System
4025 Fair Ridge Dr
Fairfax, VA 22033

E-mail: info@firefighternearmiss.com
Phone: 703-537-4848
Fax: 703-273-0920

What are the main goals of this reporting system? (top)

There are three main goals: 1. To give firefighters the opportunity to learn from each other through real-life experiences; 2. To help formulate strategies to reduce the frequency of firefighter injuries and fatalities; and 3. To enhance the safety culture of the fire and emergency service.

What is going to be done with the information? (top)

Fire fighters can use submitted reports as educational tools. Analyzed data will be used to identify trends which can assist in formulating strategies to reduce fire fighter injuries and fatalities. Depending on the urgency, information will be presented to the fire service community via program reports, press releases and e-mail alerts.

What kinds of questions are on the report? (top)

Section 1: 7 questions about the reporter (title, years of fire service experience, department type, etc.)
Section 2: 9 questions about the event (type, cause, etc.)
Section 3: Event description: Describe the event in your own words.
Section 4: Lessons Learned: Describe the lessons learned, suggestions to prevent a similar event, etc.
Section 5: Contact Information (OPTIONAL and CONFIDENTIAL)

Who can submit a report? (top)

Any member of the fire and emergency service community is encouraged to submit a report when he/she is involved in, witnesses, or is told of a near-miss event.

How do I submit a report? (top)

Reports can be electronically submitted or the report form can be printed, completed by hand and mailed (4025 Fair Ridge Dr., Fairfax, VA 22033) or faxed (703-273-0920).

How long will it take me to submit a report? (top)

On average, it takes about 3-5 minutes to enter the demographic and event questions. You decide how much time you want to spend on the event description and the lessons learned section. Depending on the extent of the near-miss event, it may take 5-15 minutes to complete the event description and the lessons learned sections.

What types of events should be reported? (top)

Situations that qualify as near misses are essentially in your eyes. If you are involved in or witness an event you believe is a near miss, then submit a report. When in doubt, fill it out.

Should I only submit current near-miss events? (top)

No. Regardless of when the near-miss event occurred, all reports contain valuable information.

What happens to the report once it is submitted? (top)

Within 72 hours of report submission, reports are read and analyzed by a reviewer. A reviewer will remove or generalize any names, departments, dates, times and other related information, in order to protect the identity of the reporter. Reviewers are trained to identify any safety hazards requiring immediate action. Reviewers also code the reports into a database (once all identifiable information has been removed) in order to analyze trends. Once the report is de-identified and reviewed for content, the report may be posted on the website for other firefighters to use as a learning tool.
If contact information was provided and the reviewer needs additional information, you may be contacted. Remember: Contact information is optional and reports can be submitted anonymously without contact information.

If I elect to give my contact information, how will it be used? (top)

If you elect to provide your contact information, a reviewer will contact you one time to have any questions answered. Your contact information will be deleted from the system. Your contact information will NOT be made available to a third party.

Do I have to give my name when I submit a report? (top)

No. There is an OPTIONAL contact information section if you want to include your name, phone number and/or e-mail address so a reviewer can contact you if further information is required. The contact information collected will not be used for any other reason. Reports can be submitted anonymously without this optional contact information.

Who will have access to read my report? (top)

Two reviewers and two administrators will have access to reports. All four have signed confidentiality agreements. The reviewers are fire service professionals with at least 15 years experience in urban, suburban and rural service areas, both as career and volunteer firefighters. The administrators perform system maintenance and data collection.
Once all identifiable terms are removed from the event description and the lessons learned sections, the report may be posted on the website. Your contact information will NOT be posted on the web site.

How is my identity protected when I submit a report? (top)

Your report has all terms or other indicators that could tie the report to you or your department removed by a reviewer. A second reviewer ensures that all identifiers are removed. Removed text is indicated by brackets. Generic terms have been developed so the report retains its content, but does not reveal personal names, unit numbers, departments or other identifiers. The original submission is then destroyed.

Can I read sample reports? (top)

Yes. To view previously submitted reports, click on “Search Reports” in the tool bar. Then select a “type of event” and at least one other field. Then click “Search Reports”. Click on one of the report numbers to view a report.

Does this system replace any other reporting systems? (top)

The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System does not take the place of any reporting system required by a department, local, state or federal government.

SECTION 1: REPORTER INFORMATION (top)

The seven fields in this section are designed to provide basic knowledge about the report submitter.

Department type

Reporters can select the type of department that best describes their department. There is also an "Other" field.

Job or rank (Required)

Reporters select their current job or rank. There is also an "Other" field.

State

The reporter should enter the two letter abbreviation for the state or province where the incident occurred. The de-identification process will automatically assign the event to a FEMA geographical region.

Service area

This field is self-declared.

Department shift

This field describes the work shift in the department. It applies to career (hours on/hours off, days/nights, straight days) and volunteer (stand-by, duty night, respond from home) departments. If your work shift does not appear, select “Other” and provide details. This field is not required.

Experience at Time of Event

This field is asks for the reporter’s fire service experience. If the reporter is submitting a report that was told to him/her or that they investigated, this field may be left blank.

Age at Time of Event

This field asks for the reporter’s age. If the reporter is submitting a report that was told to him/her or that they investigated, this field may be left blank.

SECTION 2: EVENT INFORMATION (top)

The questions in this section provide general information about the near-miss event.

Event date and time

This is one of two required fields in Section 2. If the near miss you are reporting occured several years ago, dates and times may be approximated.

Event type

Reporters select from five categories plus an "Other" choice. The categories mirror the five main categories where statistics indicate firefighter suffer injuries and fatalities.

How many hours into the shift were you when the event happened?

The reporter indicated the number of hours into a shift prior to the event occuring.

Weather at time of event?

Reporters select the appropriate description.

Loss potential

Reporters select up to five critical loss items.

What was your event participation?

Reporters are asked to describe what role they played in the event.

Could this happen again?

This question asks the reporter to make an educated opinion of whether the event could be repeated. Considerations would be whether or not the department responded by enacting a policy or program to prevent re-occurrence, the work group took steps to prevent re-occurrence, etc.

Event cause

Reporters are asked to select causes from the picklist (maximum of 5) that describe what contributed to the near-miss.

SECTION 3: EVENT DESCRIPTION (top)

This section contains a free text field that asks the reporter to provide a narrative about the event. A detailed narrative is the key to successful data collection and trend analysis. It is helpful to type the event description in a word processing document and then copy and paste it into this field on the reporting form.

SECTION 4: LESSONS LEARNED (top)

The key to any near miss report is the lesson learned. Reporters are asked to describe what they learned to prevent the near-miss from happening again and what lesson they can share with the fire service community at large to prevent the event from occurring again.

SECTION 5: CONTACT INFORMATION (OPTIONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL) (top)

This field is for the reporter to provide contact information. It is optional. The information is kept confidential. If a reviewer has questions and the reporter has provided contact information, the reviewer will make contact with the reporter one time to have the questions answered Then the contact information is deleted and is not kept in association with the report in anyway.