Michael D. Brown, under secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, announced today the availability of the newest edition of Fire in the United States.

The United States Fire Administration publishes Fire in the United States – a running 10-year statistical overview of fires in the United States, focusing on the latest year in which data were available at the time of preparation.

“This report is designed to support the fire service members, organizations, media and others with information that facilitates corrective action, sets priorities, targets specific fire programs, serves as a model for state and local analyses of fire data, and provides a baseline for evaluating programs”, said Brown.

The 13th edition of Fire in the United States covers the 10-year period from 1992 to 2001, with emphasis on 2001. The primary source of data is the National Fire Incident Reporting System, along with data from the National Fire Protection Association, National Center for Health Statistics, state fire marshals offices, U.S. Census Bureau, and the Consumer Price Index.

“For every fire prevented, the residents of this nation’s communities and the firefighters who respond to their emergencies, are safer,” said R. David Paulison, United States Fire Administrator. “As we continue our mission to reduce death and injuries due too fire, this report is a wonderful basis on which to focus community safety.”

The report can be accessed through the USFA web site by downloading the online version at www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/publications/ under featured publications. Printed publications are expected to be available by the end of the year.