Virtual CRR

06/02/2026

Having been a chief officer and a vendor, I have seen both sides of the fire department technology relationship up close.
And here is the most important thing I can tell you before anything else: the vast majority of vendors are honest, want their product fully implemented, and genuinely want good outcomes for the departments they work with.

The frustrations that arise on both sides are almost never about bad faith. They are about gaps in communication, expectations that were not documented, and questions that were not asked at the beginning.

This article is for fire departments who want to ask better questions, understand their data rights, and build the kind of vendor partnerships that let good vendors do their best work.

Read the full article here: https://virtualcrr.com/fire-department-vendor-relationships-both-sides-of-the-table/ .VfaLe4Qt.dpbs

Having been both a chief officer and a vendor, I've seen both sides of this relationship. Here's what fire departments need to know before signing anything.

06/01/2026

The June 2026 CRR Monthly Newsletter is out!

Each month we curate the latest news, articles, and training opportunities from across the fire service — all focused on Community Risk Reduction.

Whether you're a fire chief, prevention officer, or anyone passionate about reducing risk in your community, this newsletter is for you.

Share it with someone who needs it.
Submissions welcome at [email protected].

👉 Read it here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/crr-monthly-newsletter-june-2026-mbintel-net-tmzec

This newsletter serves as a curated collection of news, articles, and training focused on Community Risk Reduction, sourced from across the fire service over the past month. Its purpose is to keep professionals informed of emerging trends, strategies, and resources shaping the industry.

05/28/2026

Community Risk Reduction cannot live only in a prevention bureau.
The company officer is the most influential force in whether CRR becomes part of the culture — or stays theoretical.
Every shift, at the company level, risk intelligence is being generated that no prevention program will ever capture unless a company officer decides to act on it.

This article is for company officers, battalion chiefs, and fire service leaders who want CRR to work at the scale their community actually needs.

Read the full article here: https://virtualcrr.com/company-officer-role-community-risk-reduction/ .1Z69gWOl.dpbs
Vision 20/20

CRR cannot live only in prevention bureaus. Learn why company officers are the most influential force in whether CRR becomes cultural or stays theoretical.

05/26/2026

Do the elected officials in your community understand what Community Risk Reduction is — and what is actually lost when prevention funding gets cut?

Most don't. Not because they don't care, but because nobody has explained it in terms that connect with how they think and what they are accountable for.

This article breaks down what every city council member and elected official should know about CRR — from the real cost of prevention versus response, to liability, to the vulnerable populations who bear the consequences when prevention funding disappears.

If you work in the fire service, share this with someone who needs to read it.

Read the full article here: https://virtualcrr.com/what-city-council-members-should-know-about-crr/ .XbrjGbJr.dpbs

City council members control CRR funding but rarely understand what they're cutting. A frank guide to what every elected official needs to know.

05/21/2026

Article 100 on the Virtual CRR blog is about the population that Community Risk Reduction most consistently underserves — not because we don't care, but because we usually stop at fall prevention.

Adults 65 and older account for 32% of residential fire deaths while representing just 13% of the population. In the 2025 Eaton wildfire, the average age of those who died was 77.

The risks go far beyond falls — notification failures, evacuation delays, medication dependence, cognitive impairment, social isolation, and shelter access barriers all contribute to outcomes that CRR programs have the potential to change.

This one matters. Read it here: https://virtualcrr.com/beyond-fall-prevention-crr-elderly-mobility-challenged/ .Z0C0edHo.dpbs
IAFC - International Association of Fire Chiefs IAFC Fire and Life Safety Section IAFC - VCOS Section IAFC - EFO Section

Fall prevention is just the beginning. Learn why elderly and mobility-challenged residents face far greater fire and emergency risks that CRR programs must address.

05/18/2026

Most fire departments spend 1-2% of their calls on fire suppression.
But most fire department recruitment materials look like 100% of the job is flames and dramatic rescues.

Here's something worth thinking about. When firefighters take their oath, the National Firefighter Code of Ethics calls for professionalism, integrity, compassion, loyalty, and honesty. Not courage alone — compassion, listed explicitly alongside every other quality the profession holds as foundational.
If compassion is already in the oath, shouldn't it be in the recruitment message too?

This article takes an honest look at whether the fire service is recruiting the right people for the job as it actually exists today.

Read the full article here: https://virtualcrr.com/are-we-recruiting-the-right-firefighters/ .2bkhNi7T.dpbs

Most fire departments spend 1-2% of calls on fire. Are recruitment messages honest about what the job actually requires? A frank leadership conversation.

05/18/2026

CRR Conference alert!!! I’m in an airport with the official “Virtual CRR Blue” Scally cap which can mean only one thing, CRR conference time! This week is the IAFC Fire and Life Safety Section CRRL conference. Come by the booth to chat about your CRR triumphs and trials. Can’t wait to speak with you all! IAFC - International Association of Fire Chiefs IAFC - EFO Section Boston Scally Company

05/16/2026

We can't wait to see you in Glendale, AZ. Please come by and let us know what your successes are in CRR as well as your struggles. let's get better together!

IAFC - International Association of Fire Chiefs IAFC Fire and Life Safety Section IAFC - VCOS Section IAFC - EFO Section

05/14/2026

Is your fire department's CRR program addressing the risks that are actually driving harm in your community — or the risks that default programs have always addressed?

Every community has hazards hiding in plain sight. Behavioral patterns, housing conditions, cultural practices, emerging technologies, and socioeconomic gaps that standard prevention programs were never designed to find.

This article explores the categories of risk that CRR programs most commonly miss — and makes the case that a rigorous Community Risk Assessment is the only way to know what your community actually needs.

Every community has risks that traditional CRR programs miss. Learn how to identify overlooked hazards and why local risk assessment is the only way to find them.