At the President's Conference on Fire Prevention in May 1947, Harry S. Truman wrote the “serious losses in life and property resulting annually from fires cause me deep concern.… The substantial progress made in the science of fire prevention and fire protection in this country during the past 40 years convinces me that the means are available for limiting this unnecessary destruction.” Truman's perspective is as valid today as it was then.

Much of that committee's report focused on the three Es of safety — engineering, enforcement and education — but the significance of the report is that it was the first time the federal government focused on and recommended a more coordinated approach to fire protection in the United States.

Twenty-six years later the National Commission of Fire Prevention and Control released America Burning, a truly landmark report that set the course for what many of us have experienced in the American fire service. The report focused on the nation's fire problems and noted the need for more emphasis on fire prevention, a better trained and educated fire service, public-education efforts, and improved fire protection in buildings. There were more than 90 recommendations and important tasks outlined in the report for the proposed National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, which in 1978 was changed to the U.S. Fire Administration. Those recommendations included a comprehensive national fire data system, increased information exchange, state grants for comprehensive fire protection plans, a national fire academy, and a major public-education effort.

In June 2002, America at Risk, America Burning Recommissioned was released. The report stated to a great extent that the fire problem in America remained as severe as it was 30 years ago. If progress is measured in terms of loss of life, then the progress in addressing the problem, which began with the first America Burning, has come to a virtual standstill. The “indifference with which Americans confront the subject” that the 1973 commission found so striking continues today.

The commission concluded that the frequency and severity of fires in America do not result from a lack of knowledge of the causes, means of prevention, or methods of suppression, but rather because our nation has failed to adequately apply and fund known loss-reduction strategies. Had past recommendations of America Burning and subsequent reports been implemented, there would have been no need for this commission. Unless those recommendations and the ones that follow are funded and implemented, the commission's efforts will have been an exercise in futility.

The commission also found that the responsibilities of today's fire departments extend well beyond the traditional fire hazard. The fire service is the primary responder to almost all local hazards, protecting a community's commercial as well as human assets, and firehouses are the closest connection government has to disaster-threatened neighborhoods. Firefighters, who frequently expose themselves to unnecessary risk and the communities they serve, would all benefit if there was the same dedication to the avoidance of loss from fires and other hazards existing in the conduct of fire suppression and rescue operations.

These three reports are reflective of the time they were written, yet there are common themes that can be found in each report:

Cultural orientation

The most critical factors to consider are the public's attitude, behavior and values contributing to America's high fire loss. A high level of safety can't be achieved unless the views and attitudes of the American public are changed.

Political action infrastructure

There must be an organized and coordinated capability that, at the national level, can identify overall problems, establish priorities and make things happen. Unlike many other social and economic issues that have coordinated national representation, fire safety often only receives extensive public attention following a major incident.

New and improved fire protection technology

While knowledge is needed in the physics and chemistry of combustion, continued research is needed on a new generation of affordable, smart detection and fire suppression systems.

Fire protection information

The continuous and complete data collection and analysis to identify solutions to fire protection problems have been and still are high priorities. Unfortunately, the data collection and analysis efforts being conducted within the fire community are in disarray and not achieving the intended objectives.

Change in the traditional public safety service delivery system

Roles and responsibilities of the fire service will continue to evolve to meet the changing local government environment and an expanded mission.

While much has changed in the fire service over the past 50 years, our industry has repeatedly identified those issues that will affect the citizens we serve. The question we must ask ourselves is, “Will we be addressing these very same issues 50 years from now?”