Why Fire Department–Only Data Leads to Incomplete Community Risk Reduction

Community Risk Reduction has matured.

Most departments now understand the roll of and conduct a Community Risk Assessment. We analyze:

  • Fire incident trends

  • Response times

  • Inspection activity

  • EMS call volume

  • Repeat addresses

But here’s the uncomfortable question:

If 70% of your calls are EMS…
Why is most CRR strategy still built primarily from fire department data?

Hospitals see the same population.
Public health tracks the same vulnerabilities.
Skilled nursing facilities manage the same high-risk residents.

If those voices are not at the table, your CRR strategy is incomplete.

The Gap We Rarely Talk About

Fire departments typically rely on:

  • NFIRS/NERIS reports

  • CAD exports

  • EMS transport data

  • Internal analytics

Hospitals rely on:

  • Fall-related admissions

  • Readmission data

  • Medication complications

  • Behavioral health admissions

  • Chronic disease exacerbations

Both are looking at community risk.

But rarely together.

Which means:

  • We respond repeatedly to the same falls.

  • Hospitals discharge patients back into the same unsafe environments.

  • Skilled nursing facilities struggle with repeat lift assists.

  • Behavioral health systems operate parallel to public safety.

The system is fragmented.

CRR is supposed to reduce fragmentation.

Making This Practical

You do not need:

  • A complex data-sharing MOU on day one.

  • Protected health information.

  • A legal task force.

You need conversation first.

Step 1: Start With Trends, Not Patient Records

HIPAA concerns stop many departments before they start.

You don’t need names.
You need direction.

Ask hospital partners:

  • Are fall admissions increasing?

  • Are certain ZIP codes overrepresented?

  • Are readmissions tied to mobility issues?

  • Are discharge gaps contributing to repeat EMS calls?

Aggregated trends are enough to align strategy.

Step 2: Align on One Shared Problem

Don’t fix everything.

Pick one issue:

• Repeat fall calls
• Assisted living lift assists
• Frequent EMS utilizers
• Behavioral health crisis transports

Define it together.

Then ask:

What is happening upstream?
Who already owns part of the solution?
Where are we duplicating effort?
Where is no one responsible?

That’s where CRR becomes collaborative.

Real-World Example: Environmental and Clinical Risk Models

This isn’t theoretical.

Departments are already doing this work.

Bernalillo County Fire Department

Bernalillo’s structured fall prevention assessment focuses heavily on environmental hazards — stairs, handrails, lighting, rugs, cords, bathroom grab bars, and footwear 

Residents receive room-by-room corrective guidance they can implement immediately.

This is environmental risk disruption.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue

Albuquerque’s model expands into clinical risk factors — balance instability, medication reconciliation, vitamin deficiencies, vision concerns, hearing, cognitive screening, and referrals to physical and occupational therapy 

The report explicitly encourages:

  • Medication review with pharmacists

  • Primary care follow-up

  • Physical therapy referral

  • Community exercise programs

  • HEART program coordination 

This is medical risk awareness.

Different emphasis.

Same goal.

Reduce repeat falls.

When EMS crews identify both environmental hazards and clinical vulnerabilities in the field , the fire department is surfacing system-level healthcare gaps.

At that point, partnership is not optional.

It is logical.

Expanding Access: Bilingual Prevention

These programs are available in both English and Spanish.

That matters.

Risk reduction fails when education is inaccessible.

Language equity is not just a communications issue.
It is a prevention issue.

Hospitals track disparities.
Public health monitors injury rates across demographics.

When fire departments deploy bilingual, structured prevention tools, they are reducing both injury risk and access barriers.

That strengthens cross-sector alignment.

Define Roles Clearly

Fire service responsibility:

  • Identify recurring risk in the field.

  • Provide structured education.

  • Share aggregated trend insight.

  • Initiate small interventions.

  • Flag addresses for follow-up.

Hospital responsibility:

  • Provide readmission trend insight.

  • Adjust discharge planning where needed.

  • Identify system-level mobility or medication gaps.

Public health responsibility:

  • Deploy injury prevention campaigns.

  • Coordinate exercise and balance programs.

  • Provide community health trend data.

Skilled nursing facilities:

  • Strengthen internal fall prevention protocols.

  • Address environmental and staffing gaps.

CRR works when everyone understands their lane — and their overlap.

Close the Feedback Loop

If EMS identifies repeat fall risk and notifies partners…

Does anything change?

If not, trust erodes.

Start simple:

  • Monthly 30-minute trend check-in.

  • Shared summary report.

  • Quarterly joint review of one risk area.

Consistency beats complexity.

Structured Tools Make It Scalable

When structured fall assessments are deployed consistently, departments move from anecdotal concern to measurable visibility.

Patterns emerge:

  • Percentage lacking grab bars

  • Medication load trends

  • Balance concerns

  • Lighting deficiencies

That makes partnership conversations with hospitals and public health concrete instead of speculative.

Structured field observation becomes strategic intelligence.

The Leadership Reality

If your department is carrying repeat EMS volume alone…

That is not just an operational issue.

It is a coordination gap.

CRR that lives only inside the fire department will always be limited.

CRR that aligns fire, hospitals, public health, behavioral health, and long-term care becomes transformational.

You don’t need a task force.

You need one call to your hospital administrator.

One shared trend.

One problem to solve together.

That’s where modern CRR begins.

Brent Faulkner, MAM, FO, is the CEO and Founder of Virtual CRR Inc.
A retired Battalion Chief from Anaheim Fire & Rescue, Brent brings 28 years of fire service experience, including leadership in structure fires, wildland operations, hazardous materials response, EMS incidents, and specialized rescue operations. He also served 17 years on a Type 1 Hazardous Materials Response Team.

A defining moment in Brent’s career came while leading Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) efforts at a DHS-recognized Terrorism Fusion Center. There, he oversaw initiatives to safeguard critical infrastructure from terrorism, natural disasters, and emerging threats — an experience that shaped his passion for Community Risk Reduction and ultimately led to the creation of Virtual CRR.

Brent holds a Master’s Degree in Management, a Bachelor’s in Occupational Studies, and Associate Degrees in Hazardous Materials Response and Fire Science.