 One of
the greatest hurdles in effecting change in fire safety in Canada is
the lack of reliable statistics. Anyone who attempts to use the
available statistics is dealing with little information, out-of-date
data and data of little value in comparing performance among the
provinces. This makes it more difficult for the fire service to
convince others of its value to public safety. As a nation, we need to
do a better job in collecting fire-loss statistics. The problem and the
solution lie in the hands of the fire service.
National
statistics are available on the Canadian Council of Fire Marshals and
Fire Commissioners website (www.ccfmfc.ca ). Unfortunately, the most
recent national statistics are from 2002 and even they are incomplete.
These statistics are prepared by Fire Protection Services, Human
Resources and Social Development Canada and compiled from information
supplied by the provinces, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)
and Statistics Canada. The compilation of the data is an exercise in
frustration for HRSDC, as often the data is unavailable and, when it is
available, needs to be massaged into a common reporting framework. The
statistics are the best available but they should never be mistaken for
an accurate picture of the fire scene in Canada. The data that is
presented includes a number of anomalies and is therefore almost
useless for making comparisons. This has proven detrimental to the fire
service when we have argued for better fire-protection standards.
Some
evidence of the anomalies is found when comparing the numbers of
reported fires by province. One would expect there to be some degree of
uniformity in the per-capita stats but according to the 2002 numbers,
there were twice as many reported fires in Saskatchewan per capita as
in Alberta! The same holds true in the Maritimes, where New Brunswick
reported twice as many fires as Nova Scotia. According to the available
statistics, both Saskatchewan and New Brunswick had between 2.4 and
three times more fires per capita than Ontario. I don't believe that
this represents reality. Fires do not spontaneously occur at a greater
rate in rural locations. If they did, how would we account for the New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia discrepancies given that the standards of
building design and the basic fire-prevention programs are the same.
Instead, it seems logical to assume that the fire statistics are not
being reported accurately. If one considers the rates in New Brunswick
as closer to the norm, then the number of fires not being reported
could easily be as high as 40 per cent nationally.
The problem
is well known and has been studied by the Canadian Association of Fire
Chiefs, IAFF and the Canadian Fire Marshals. The CCFM&FC has held
ongoing discussions on the subject and is working on the issue. The
CAFC has highlighted the reporting deficiencies as another
justification for a National Fire Service advisor. However, I disagree
that having such a person in Ottawa will solve the problem as there is
little that one staffer can do to hasten non-existent fire reports.
Simply put, we're to blame. The reports are not being generated by the
fire service regardless of whether departments are career, paid on call
or volunteer.
The problem is that there is little appreciation
by the fire service for the value of the statistics. As it stands now,
much of the data that is available is suspect and therefore few
conclusions can be drawn from the numbers. This may ultimately lead to
our inability to effect change in the fire and building codes. Without
reliable data, it is easy for those who oppose safer standards to
dismiss the demands of those who endorse them. We do not have a
credible means of reporting. Once the fire service can buy into the
need for reporting statistics we can look to the greater challenge -
providing relevant statistics. The police services have excellent means
of tracking statistics and therefore have been getting progressively
greater resources. Lack of reliable statistics is hurting the fire
service.
A familiar expression in computer programming is
"garbage in equals garbage out." This holds true for fire service
statistics. We need the fire services to begin to consistently submit
fire reports. Once we have developed this capability we can look to use
new tools to show the true value of the fire service to Canadians.
Sean Tracey, P.Eng., is the Canadian regional manager of NFPA
International and formerly the Canadian Armed Forces Fire Marshal. He
may be reached at 613-830-9102, e-mail
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