Page 16 - InCommand Volume 36

State Fire Marshal’s Office
Starting a Prevention Education Program? Consider a Community Risk Reduction Initiative
Chief Ken Klouda
State Fire Marshal’s Fire Prevention Bureau
Author Bio
Chief Ken Klouda became the head of the Fire Prevention Bureau in November 2016. Most recently,
he served as Assistant Chief of
the bureau, a role he assumed in November 2013. He joined the State Fire Marshal’s office in December 2010 as a Fire Training Officer 2. Before coming to Columbus, Klouda began his career in the fire service
in 2003 at the Mantua-Shalersville Fire Department in Mantua, Ohio as
a firefighter/EMT-paramedic. Klouda also served that role at the Hiram Fire Department in Hiram, Ohio. While at Hiram Fire Department he facilitated fire inspections in the Village of Hiram and Hiram Township.
Klouda has extensive education and training, including an associate’s degree in Fire Protection Technology and a bachelor of science degree in Emergency Management from the University of Akron.
Chief Klouda is looking forward to having the Fire Prevention Bureau
be the forefront of Community Risk Reduction in the state of Ohio. He feels the bureau’s role as leaders in the state is to help every community address their fire and life safety risks.
Ken and his wife, Shannon, live in Pataskala with their son.
How can my fire department start a public education program?
That is a question we in the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Prevention Bureau are asked quite regularly,
and the answer isn’t so simple. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has a standard listing
the minimum job performance requirements and the State Fire Marshal’s office provides the highest- quality training possible for both Fire & Life Safety Educator level 1 and 2 based on those standards. Identifying the specific areas of concern in your own community, however, requires development on a much deeper level.
Community Risk Reduction (CRR) is a process that prevention experts
all over the world use to identify and prioritize local risks. By pinpointing the precise areas of concern, you can develop a much more tailored and effective prevention program to deliver to your citizens. And collaboration
is key here! Remember, every service your fire department provides is vital in planning and addressing the life safety risks impacting your friends and neighbors.
Through the CRR process,
perhaps the best strategy for finding your community’s specific areas of concern is to conduct a community risk assessment. The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) USA Branch Vision 20/20 Project offers several self-guided opportunities. The project website, strategicfire.org, offers a multitude of resources, including guides for developing your own community risk assessment. The guide describes various processes and methods used in the first two steps of
developing a CRR plan: identification of risks and prioritization of those risks. The guide also includes an example of a risk assessment, as well
as a comprehensive list of additional resources for putting one together.
Keep in mind not all of these risks are simply fire concerns. They include any targeted risk that can endanger the well-being of a community and its members. Ideally, when a fire department builds a plan from its community risk assessment, the fire chief is the true CRR coordinator.
The National Fire Academy offers several advanced two-day, six-day, and 10-day courses
related to CRR. Best Practices in Community Risk Reduction, Station Based Risk Reduction, Leadership Strategies for Community Risk Reduction, and Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction are all excellent classes to help educate fire department members, so they may assist your community in addressing these needs.
The members of the Fire Prevention Bureau are happy to assist with developing not only your public education program, but also any CRR efforts you are taking on. Please reach out to our office by sending an email to sfmprevention@com.state.oh.us or give us a call at 614-752-7115.
16 InCommand OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 • www.ohiofirechiefs.org