Smithfield Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force 

Smithfield Fire Department selected among 250 fire departments nationwide to participate in second phase of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) community risk reduction pilot program

January 25, 2021 – The Smithfield Fire Department has been selected by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to participate in the second phase of a pilot program to build a digital community risk assessment (CRA) tool. Aligned to NFPA 1300, Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development, the tool, or “dashboard,” enables community leaders to gain valuable insights and make data-informed decisions around fire prevention and other risk-reduction activities in their communities. 

According to NFPA, the concept of community risk reduction (CRR) – a process that identifies and prioritizes risks and ensures impactful mitigation initiatives- has been gaining traction across North America for more than 20 years. Innovative technology, access to data, and a shifting focus on prevention have resulted in new energy around this process. Reflecting that momentum, NFPA’s CRA tool works to help fire departments aggregate and disseminate data that pinpoint where risks exist within a given community.

“Access to accurate data will allow CRR leaders to use insights and make informed decisions about where to focus efforts and resources,” said Karen Berard-Reed, community risk reduction strategist at NFPA. “While many fire departments have struggled to work with data sets, NFPA’s CRA tool will do the complex work behind the scenes to compile relevant data allowing stakeholders to create effective community risk reduction plans that incorporate five priorities – education, engineering, enforcement, economic incentives, and emergency response – in the most impactful ways possible.”

The first phase of the pilot project, which included participation from 50 fire departments across the country, helped identify features of the digital dashboard that will work effectively and those that need fine-tuning. During the second phase of the program, which involves participation from 250 departments nationwide, the Smithfield Fire Department will provide insights around the use of dashboard through June of 2021 to help continue refining and enhancing its effectiveness.

“Participation in this project allows each fire department to provide important feedback that will be used to improve future versions of the dashboard, positions the community among CRR leaders in the United States, and signals an interest in leveraging technology to drive high-quality community safety initiatives,” said Berard-Reed.

As a participant in the pilot program, Smithfield Fire Department will have free access to the dashboard, which includes customized visualizations (maps, charts, graphs) that illustrate each community’s risks and hazards across a variety of categories such as demographics, geography, building stock, economics, infrastructure, and event loss history. The dashboard also provides a snapshot of local capacity for risk reduction activities with information about public safety response agencies and community service organizations. In addition to dashboard access, participants will be provided rich networking and professional development opportunities with other communities engaged in CRR.

“We are thrilled to be participating in this important project,” said Captain John O’Rourke, Smithfield Fire Prevention Division. “Not only will access to the tool give us invaluable information about our community’s needs, but it’s rewarding to know that using the tool will increase its effectiveness and help other fire departments in the long run.” 

Follow NFPA’s CRR efforts on social media using #itstartswithinsights, or for more information online, visit www.nfpa.org/crr.

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Founded in 1896, NFPA® is a global self-funded nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.

The Town of Smithfield has partnered with SeeClickFix to announce a new platform that will allow citizens to report quality-of-life issues and request town services.

With the free SeeClickFix mobile app and web tools, Smithfield citizens will now be able to provide town staff with pictures, videos, specific descriptions, and more valuable information needed to get the job done efficiently. In addition, the SeeClickFix platform provides Smithfield officials with a centralized issue management system to manage issues from creation to resolution — engaging citizens throughout the process.

This partnership not only allows Smithfield citizens to report problems, but also to view and comment on problems submitted by their neighbors. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all the issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests — not just the ones they report.

The SeeClickFix mobile app is available for download on Android and iPhone. In addition to the mobile apps, citizens can send reports to Smithfield’s website, and seeclickfix.com.

Click the “New Request” button on the map below to get started

About SeeClickFix
SeeClickFix was founded in 2008 to empower citizens with tools to publicly document quality of life concerns in their neighborhoods. By radically improving the quantity and quality of this data, SeeClickFix was quickly adopted by local governments, who needed a better way to receive information from citizens.
This exchange helped to build one of the largest neighborhood networks in the world — upon which public agencies and public citizens engage to improve communities. Today, SeeClickFix has official partnerships with hundreds of cities, engaging hundreds of thousands of citizens in the resolution of millions of issues.
SeeClickFix has worked with government partners to develop municipal management tools on top of this citizen network. As SeeClickFix is adopted into the everyday lives of government users, the benefit of the engaged citizen base continues to grow.

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The Smithfield Town Council has a new initiative program called “Smithfield Samaritans,” and encourages anyone in the community to self-nominate or submit a name to the Town Manager, of a Smithfield resident or business in town who is doing or has performed an act of kindness or a good deed that is notable or charitable.

The Town Council will review all nominations that are submitted and will each month select one individual or business to be recognized with a citation and the opportunity to speak at the council meeting explaining their good deeds “on the record.”

The nomination form is available online here as well as printed copies available in town hall.

Click the image to print, view or download the .pdf form

Troop 2359 Smithfield is a brand new troop in town that meets every Wednesday from 7-8:30 PM at the Elks Lodge at 326 Farnum Pike in Smithfield. Boy Scouting is for boys age 11-17, and is a community-oriented program that instills values such as citizenship, teamwork, honesty, respect, responsibility, and fitness, while being a lot of fun. We practice skills for life, from first aid to public speaking to wilderness survival, while helping our community through service projects.

We welcome you to come to a meeting and check it out for yourself. For more information, contact Troop 2359 Scoutmaster Mike at mguilmain@cox.net or call 401-578-5261.

Pack One Smithfield is a Cub Scout Pack in town that meets every Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at the RC LaPerche Elementary School on Limerock Road in Smithfield. Cub Scouting is for boys and girls in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Up to age 11, and is a community-oriented program that helps our children grow up in a way that promotes mutual respect for others while understanding more about the community we live in.

We welcome you to come to a meeting and check it out for yourself. For more information, contact Pack One Cubmaster Mike at mguilmain@cox.net or call 401-578-5261.