Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

EVALUATED COMMUNITY FIRE SAFETY INTERVENTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES: A REVIEW OF CURRENT LITERATURE

  • Published:
Journal of Community Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the state of fire prevention research, provide an updated synthesis of evaluated fire prevention programs, and discuss the role of fire fighters and data systems in prevention efforts. The review included all evaluations of U.S. based fire prevention interventions published between January 1998 and September 2004 and any earlier articles about U.S. fire prevention interventions not included in two prior review articles. We retrieved information from each identified study including evaluation findings, involvement of fire service personnel and use of existing data systems. We identified twelve articles: seven reported on smoke alarm interventions, three on multi-faceted programs, and two other programs. Five programs involved fire service personnel in the design, implementation, and/or evaluation, and three used existing data systems. Studies reviewed suggest that canvassing and smoke alarm installations are the most effective means of distributing alarms and increasing the functional status of distributed alarms. The functionality of smoke alarms, an issue noted in earlier reviews, remains a problem. Programs involving partnerships with fire departments have indicated success in preventing fires and deaths, improving smoke alarm ownership and functional status, and improving children’s fire safety knowledge. Using existing data systems to target and to evaluate interventions was effective. In the years since prior reviews, some improvements in the rigor of evaluation designs have been made, but there is still a need for high quality evaluations that will inform fire injury prevention efforts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The term, “significant” for study results is used in this review if the authors of the identified studies concluded significant results using their studies’ criteria.

References

  1. USFA and NFDC. Fire in the U.S., 1992–2001. Available at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-286.pdf. Accessed 2004

  2. USFA. Fire Loss in the United States During 2003. Available at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/statistics/national. Accessed 2004

  3. Frattaroli S, Gielen A, Ta V, Bergen G. Fire Prevention in Delaware: a case study of state and local prevention efforts, 2006, in preparation

  4. DiGuiseppi C, Higgins JP. (2000). Systematic review of controlled trials of interventions to promote smoke alarms. Arch Dis Child 82:341–348

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Warda L, Tenenbein M, Moffatt ME. (1999). House fire injury prevention update. Part II. A review of the effectiveness of preventive interventions. Inj Prev 5:217–225

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. USFA. USFA Fire Prevention Objectives. Available at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/subjects/fireprev/; Accessed 2005

  7. Jones AR, Thompson CJ, Davis MK. (2001). Smoke Alarm Ownership and Installation: a Comparison of a Rural and a Suburban Community in Georgia. J Comm Health 26:307–29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Douglas MR, Mallonee S, Istre GR. (1998). Comparison of community based smoke detector distribution methods in an urban community. Inj Prev 4:28–32

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Shults RA, Sacks JJ, Briske LA, Dickey PH, Kinde MR, Mallonee S, Douglas MR. (1998). Evaluation of three smoke detector promotion programs. Am J Prev Med 15:165–71

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Thompson CJ, Jones AR, Davis MK, Caplan LS. (2004). Do smoke alarms still function a year after installation? A follow-up of the get-alarmed campaign. J Commun Health 29:171–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mallonee S. (2000). Evaluating injury prevention programs: the Oklahoma City smoke alarm project. Future Child 10:164–174

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Mickalide A, Validzic A. (1999). Smoke alarm maintenance in low-income families. Am J Public Health 89:1584–1585

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Urban community intervention to prevent Halloween Arson–Detroit, Michigan, 1985–1996. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1997; 46:299–304

    Google Scholar 

  14. Azeredo R, Stephens-Stidham S. (2003). Design and implementation of injury prevention curricula for elementary schools: lessons learned. Inj Prev 9:274–278

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gielen AC, Wilson ME, McDonald EM, Serwint JR, Andrews JS, Hwang WT, Wang MC. (2001). Randomized Trial of Enhanced Anticipatory Guidance for Injury Prevention. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 155:42–49

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Gielen AC, McDonald EM, Wilson ME, Hwang WT, Serwint JR, Andrews JS, Wang MC. (2002). Effects of improved access to safety counseling, products, and home visits on parents’ safety practices: results of a randomized trial. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 156:33–40

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Clark DE, Dainiak CN, Reeder S. (2000). Decreasing incidence of burn injury in a rural state. Inj Prev 6:259–262

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Haddix AC, Mallonee S, Waxweiler R, Douglas MR. (2001). Cost Effectiveness analysis of a smoke alarm giveaway program in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Inj Prev 7:276–281

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Campbell D, Stanley J. (1966). Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Research. Chicago, Rand McNally

    Google Scholar 

  20. Warda L, Tenenbein M, Moffatt ME. (1999) House fire injury prevention update. Part I. A review of risk factors for fatal and non-fatal house fire injury. Inj Prev 5:145–150

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lewis MA, DeVellis BM, Sleath B. Social influence and interpersonal communication in health behavior. In K Glanz, BK Rimer and MA Lewis (eds) Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, pp. 240–264

    Google Scholar 

  22. USFA. About NFIRS. Available at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfirs/about.shtm; Accessed 2005

  23. Agency, Federal Emergency Management, Administration, United States Fire, and Center, National Fire Data. Uses of NFIRS. Available at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/nfirsuse.pdf; Accessed 2005

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant to the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Grant #R49CCR302486. We also acknowledge and thank Michael Ballesteros, PhD for his advice and technical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 North Broadway, 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Van M. Ta MPH, Shannon Frattaroli PhD, MPH, Gwendolyn Bergen PhD, MPH & Andrea Carlson Gielen ScD, ScM, CHES

Authors
  1. Van M. Ta MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shannon Frattaroli PhD, MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gwendolyn Bergen PhD, MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andrea Carlson Gielen ScD, ScM, CHES
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Carlson Gielen ScD, ScM, CHES.

Additional information

Van M. Ta is a Doctoral Candidate of the Department of Health Policy and Management, Shannon Frattaroli is an Assistant Scientist of the Department of Health Policy and Management, Gwendolyn Bergen is a Data Analyst of the Department of Health Policy and Management, and Andrea C. Gielen is a Professor of the Department of Health, Behavior and Society, all at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ta, V., Frattaroli, S., Bergen, G. et al. EVALUATED COMMUNITY FIRE SAFETY INTERVENTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES: A REVIEW OF CURRENT LITERATURE. J Community Health 31, 176–197 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-005-9007-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-005-9007-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation