Who Writes The Fire Incident Reports?

[Dr. Zuki 1]

After any fire, is a written report required? If so, what member of the fire dept writes them???

Thanks and Happy Memorial Day.

[Guest]

If I remember correctly, EVERY SINGLE INCIDENT (every single fire call) in NYS requires a report. It may vary, but at least in my dept. the officer in charge fills it out.

[Jason762 2]

After any fire, is a written report required? If so,  what member of the fire dept writes them???

Thanks and Happy Memorial Day.

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In CT, an NFIRS report is filled out for every run a dept. goes on regardless of incident type. We have the first due officer complete the report. If you catch a busy day this can tack on an extra hour to you shift. An actual building fire report takes a considerably longer amount of time to complete as compared to your AFA report.

Edited May 17, 2006 by Jason762

[ex-commish 490]

After any fire, is a written report required? If so,  what member of the fire dept writes them???

Thanks and Happy Memorial Day.

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Any incident requires a report. We file them via computer. Usually the junior officer on the run gets dumped with the report.

[capt36 9]

Any incident requires a report. We file them via computer. Usually the junior officer on the run gets dumped with the report.

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Every run requires an NFIRS written and it's the duty captain's resposibility to enter the report into the computer whether or not he went on the run. It happened yesterday, I was on the engine and the ladder caught a run.

[TRUCK6018 50]

As mentioned, every run requires a NFIRS report whether it's a fire, AFA, or EMS assist. If it's a department response, it gets entered. After the reports get entered, they need to be sent to OFPC (for NY) on an (at least) monthly basis. Luckily with the computerization of the reports, they can be filed electronically with the state. No more hard copies to send out.

[SQDBOSS 6]

We task our 1st Lt with this responsibility. We have an in-house form that is filled out after every alarm, and then a few times a month he enters them in NFIRS.

[Jason762 2]

We task our 1st Lt with this responsibility.  We have an in-house form that is filled out after every alarm, and then a few times a month he enters them in NFIRS.

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For all the dept's that have a specific person that writes the reports, how does he write the narrative section and determine incident type if he wasn't on the call. It seems to me the person who actually conducted the investigation or administered the patient care should be the one writing the report. If years down the road the case goes to court and the report is called into question the member making the report will not actually know what happened.

[Guest]

Regarding NY reports:

From what I've seen, the narratives aren't too complicated (compared to, for example, a PCR). A typical narrative for say, an automatic fire alarm would be 'Investigated alarm, food on the stove, no FD action needed'.

Regarding incident types, there's different codes and bubbles to fill in, similar to a PCR.

[mfc2257 464]

This is a long post and may sound crazy to some, but I’ve seen diligent reporting save the butts of a few of my colleagues over the years. There are classes that you can take in writing reports like this for EMS and Fire but I've never participated in one.

Run report narratives are extremely important and have been a point of contention of mine for years. Too many departments (not necessarily my own) don't take any time to make a proper report, and as mentioned before, hand it off to an officer who wasn't even on the call to fill out and submit.

I've seen too many of these reports that basically say "we responded to the parkway extricated a patient, assisted with EMS, and cleared".

Even though Millwood doesn't provide emergency medical services I would write all reports to look something like the following to cover potential legal issues later.

MFD & BMFD dispatched at 2312hrs as dual response to TSP NB just south of RT 100 for MVA reported 2 vehicles into the guard rail.

Units responding: 2251,2253,2051,2052,R-36,R-37,E248, E94, 36M1, 53B1, 54B1, 53B2, 34M1, NYSP, NCPD, Stiloski's Recovery Svcs.

AOS (arrive on scene): E248 AOS first Lt. 2256 establishing command and correcting location/description as TSP NB just south of Pines Bridge Road, 1 vehicle into guard rail 1 vehicle overturned in median with double ejection. 2256 requests 3rd BLS to the scene and NYSP to shut down TSP in both directions. All MFD apparatus respond via PinesBridge Road BMFD respond via Rt100 to TSP NB via southbound lane. 2251 AOS shortly after assuming TSP command with 2051 assuming Operations Command. TSP shut down shortly after via NYSP SB @ RT134 & NCPD NB @ RT100.

Operations: Vehicle 1 (Silver Toyota 4Runner) overturned in median with double ejection. 2 female pt aprox 30yrs old in the median. Pt. 1 identified herself as Jane located north of vehicle in median. Pt CAO (conscious, alert, oriented) complaining of severe pelvic pain with obvious break to right tib-fib with bone protruding. 2253 and E248 crew assigned to Pt 1 stabilization awaiting EMS. E248/2253 apply no-neck collar and stabilize tib-fib with rolled towels and triangle bandages to limit movement. Care transferred to 53B1 & 36M1 with departure for WCMC after approximately 13 minutes. Pt. 2 found unconscious in median face down south of vehicle. Identified by Pt. 1 as Alison. 2052 & R-36 assigned to Patient 2 with second member of 36M1 advising load and go to WCMC via 54B1. 2052 & R-36 assist 54B1 with collar, and boarding of Patient 2 while 36M1 began ALS protocol. 36M1 Reporting Patient 2 as having distressed vital signs and apparent additional trauma to abdomen with possible internal bleeding. 54B1 w/ 36M1#2 departed for WCMC after approximately 6 minutes. Vehicle 2 (Red Mazda RX-7) found in NB #1 lane nose against bridge abutment with single occupant (Pt. 3) identified as John aprox 21years old out of vehicle CAO reporting no injuries other than air bag burns to wrists. No other obvious trauma noted by R37/E94 crew assigned to Vehicle 2. Pt. 3 refused medical attention and requests by crew to board and collar as precaution. R37/E94 turned care of Pt. 3 over to 53B2 & 34M1 after aprox 7 minutes. Pt 3 RMA at scene with 34M1 securing signature from Patient 3. Pt. 3 tx by NCPD to unknown location at Pt. req. R36, E248, 2251, 2051 remained OS to provide lighting for NYSP investigation until aprox 0209hrs (+1 day from dispatch). Stiloski’s removed vehicles following investigation.

Follow up: All MFC apparatus responded to and from alarm without incident and to the extent known so did all other agency’s apparatus. No noted injuries or hazardous exposures of MFC or other personnel reported over duration of incident. MFC FF Jones reported a tear to T/O pants while securing battery of Vehicle 1. Pants placed O/O/S to AAA for repair and spare set issued. BMFD reported missing backboard & trauma bag following alarm. MFC apparatus checked and items found on R36. To be returned to BMFD by Lt2256.

End of narrative. Submitted by John Q. Fireguy, Chief Millwood FD, Car 2251

[res6cue 67]

A NFIRS report is filled out each and every time 44 Control sounds our tones, even if it's in error, as well as any incidents we respond to that 44 Control might not dispatch us to, for whatever reason. In the case of dispatch in error, that is done with the assumption that some members may only hear the tones and respond anyway, so it's best to have a report on file in case there is an accident or the like. For incidents that 44 Control didn't dispatch us to (verbal, additional location not classified as an exposure or related to the initial alarm), 44 Control is notified to create an additional incident, and we file a NFIRS report as well. The reports are almost always completed by the incident commander, but occasionally he may designate someone to do it (generally another officer or senior member).

Edited May 18, 2006 by res6cue

[firemoose827 324]

hey all.

A few quick responses to this post. First to Jason762. In our dept., as mentioned before, we have a run sheet that we fill out after each call with all pertinent info, like times, location, nature of run, units responding, mutual aid called or rendered, actions taken and even the VIN and product info. Than when I have time I go down and enter the info into the NIFR's for the chiefs. Our chiefs hate doing them so they let me do it. I dont mind, im not an officer yet and like to help out.

For mfc2257. The NIFRs have numerous pages for you to enter all sorts of info about the call. I think that the narrative section allows for anything that wasnt covered in the report that you feel would be pertinent to the incident. Like when I sometimes enter a call as "Unknown Type Fire" as Call Type, I write what we found on arrival like "Controlled Burn attended by owner. Did not call dispatch to inform. Advised to call in the future and explained." I took some training for the Firehouse Software 6 package that we use to enter NIFR's and they explained that the state really has no time to read all of the narratives and they only take the info from the report, reffering to the narrative only when they have a question about the call that wasnt covered in the report. It is for the stats, so that the state can focus on problems with faulty equipment causing numerous fires, FD response times, ect ect.

For legal issues we use the info in both our run sheets and the NIFR's that we keep on file. Hope that helps.

Jonesy

[mfc2257 464]

Jonsey you are right about the NIFR reports. I'm really referring to the internal FD documentation that goes along with NIFR reporting. If anything ever happened and the department needed to recall and justify itself, having a descriptive narrative on file to cross reference against a specific NIFR report is important.

To the extent that it is possible, I think NIFR narratives should be as descriptive and congruent with the individual department's internal record and narrative as possible so that in the event of a lawsuit, the brief narrative on the NIFR report is very similar to the detailed description that is on file at the FD.

Lawyers will have a field day with poorly documented events. There is always a reason to over document.

hey all.

A few quick responses to this post.  First to Jason762.  In our dept., as mentioned before, we have a run sheet that we fill out after each call with all pertinent info, like times, location, nature of run, units responding, mutual aid called or rendered, actions taken and even the VIN and product info.  Than when I have time I go down and enter the info into the NIFR's for the chiefs.  Our chiefs hate doing them so they let me do it.  I dont mind, im not an officer yet and like to help out.

For mfc2257.    The NIFRs have numerous pages  for you to enter all sorts of info about the call.  I think that the narrative section allows for anything that wasnt covered in the report that you feel would be pertinent to the incident.  Like when I sometimes enter a call as "Unknown Type Fire" as Call Type, I write what we found on arrival like "Controlled Burn attended by owner.  Did not call dispatch to inform.  Advised to call in the future and explained."  I took some training for the Firehouse Software 6 package that we use to enter NIFR's and they explained that the state really has no time to read all of the narratives and they only take the info from the report, reffering to the narrative only when they have a question about the call that wasnt covered in the report.  It is for the stats, so that the state can focus on problems with faulty equipment causing numerous fires, FD response times, ect ect.

For legal issues we use the info in both our run sheets and the NIFR's that we keep on file.  Hope that helps.

Jonesy

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