Each September, the Urban Fire Forum meets, and fire chiefs from around the world endorse important documents for today’s fire service.
2023 Urban Fire Forum
Five documents were endorsed for today's fire service:
Presentations
2022 Urban Fire Forum
Five documents were endorsed for today's fire service:
Presentations
2021 Urban Fire forum
Four documents were endorsed for today's fire service:
Presentations
2020 Urban Fire Forum
WATCH THE PRESENTATIONS - PART 1
WATCH THE PRESENTATIONS - PART 2
WATCH THE PRESENTATIONS - PART 3
WATCH THE PRESENTATIONS - PART 4
Due to the sensitive material in speaker Mike Rogers, CEO Critical Response Group’s presentation, please contact Russ Sanders to request a recorded copy of the webinar.
2019 Urban Fire Forum
The group endorsed six important documents as official UFF-Metro Chiefs position papers:
Presentations
2018 Urban Fire Forum
Five documents were endorsed for today's fire service:
Presentations
2017 Urban Fire Forum
Four documents were endorsed for today's fire service:
Presentations
- Fire Fighter Cancer Awareness Education and Prevention (PDF)
- Grenfell Tower Fire (PDF), Roy Wilsher, Chair, National Fire Council
- Hurricane Irma Response (PDF), Orange County Fire Rescue
- The Opioid Crisis (PDF), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
- Fire Service Contamination Control Research (PDF), Casey Grant, NFPA
- Fire Service Training Update (PDF), Gary Keith, Vice President, FM Global
- NFPA Update (PDF), NFPA President Jim Pauley
- High-Rise Buildings -What's Going On? (PDF) Robert Solomon, NFPA
- Exposure Risks: Carcinogens (PDF), International Association of Firefighters
- Raising Awareness of Emergency Vehicles in Traffic Using Connected Vehicle Technologies (PDF), Larry Head, University of Arizona
- Preparedness and Unified Response to Hostile Events (PDF)
- On-Scene Decon (PDF), Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby
2016 Urban Fire Forum
Three documents were endorsed for today’s fire service:
2015 Urban Fire Forum
Three documents were endorsed for today’s fire service:
NEWS RELEASE Fire Chiefs endorse position papers on warehouse fires, FireCARES and N-FORS
2014 Urban Fire Forum
Three documents were endorsed for today’s fire service:
Position Statement: Fire Behavior and Tactical Considerations (PDF, 262 KB)
Structure fires today are different from those faced by prior generations of firefighters, and they hold significant challenges for firefighter safety. Because of the changes to the modern fire environment, traditional firefighting methods may not always be the safest and most effective. Increased risks in the fire environment include larger homes, different home geometries, increased synthetic fuel loads, and new construction materials. Additionally, new materials have decreased the failure time of wall linings, windows and interior doors, which can speed the rate of fire growth. These changes can speed up the stages of fire development, creating an increased potential for ventilation-limited — or oxygen-starved —fires.
Additional resources
- Dynamic Risk Assesment (PDF, 39 KB), Cleveland Division of Fire
- Near Miss - Mayday Reporting (PDF, 26 KB), Cleveland Division of Fire
- Near Miss/Mayday Report Form (DOCX, 87 KB)
- Transitional Attack Definition (PDF, 17 KB), Cleveland Division of Fire
- Fire in a Structure (PDF, 123 KB), Cleveland Division of Fire
- Behavior resources with links (DOCX 21 KB), Los Angeles County Fire Department
- Door Control (PDF, 4 MB), Los Angeles County Fire Department
- Wind Driven Structure Fires (PDF, 6 MB), Los Angeles County Fire Department
- Los Angeles County Fire Department Responding To Structure Fires (PDF, 79 KB)
- Search Rescue in Today's Fire Environment (PDF, 9 MB), Los Angeles County Fire Department
- The Science of Fire Fighting (PDF, 873 KB), Daniel Madrzykowski
Position Statement: Fire and Smoke as a Weapon (PDF, 277 KB)
Given the threat, fire departments and law enforcement agencies, regardless of size or capacity, should find ways to coordinate appropriate and effective responses to these events. Local fire departments and law enforcement agencies should educate first responders and establish standard operating procedures to deal with these unusual, highly volatile, and extraordinarily dangerous scenarios. Education materials and standard operating procedures should include at a minimum the following information and objectives.
Additional resources
Position Statement: Fire-Based Community Healthcare Provider Programs (PDF, 262 KB)
The Urban Fire Forum supports Community Healthcare Provider programs necessary to protect and/or enhance fire-based EMS systems. Inasmuch, as the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the associated regulations are driving change in traditional fire-based EMS systems, firefighter/EMTs and Paramedics should be included in community healthcare programs.
2014 Urban Fire Forum presentations
- Research Foundation Update (PPT, 15 MB), Casey Grant VIDEO - Firefighter glass explorer story
- Training Today's Firefighters for Today's Fires (PPT, 31 MB), Chief Daryl L. Osby VIDEO - Training video
- Trends in On-Duty Firefighter Deaths and Injuries (PPT, 6 MB), Rita F. Fahy
- Complex Terror Attacks - Fire as a Weapon (PPT, 4 MB), AC Joseph W. Pfeifer and DC Thomas Currao
- Fire Service-Based EMS (PPT, 4 MB)
- The New Reality (PDF, 13 MB), Daniel Madrzykowski
- Top 20 Tactical Considerations from Firefighter Research (PDF, 8 MB), Steve Kerber, PE
2013 Urban Fire Forum
NEWS RELEASE Fire chiefs endorse documents on active shooter response, community risk assessment - NFPA hosts Urban Fire Forum
See the documents.
- Rescue Task Force (PDF, 15 MB)
- Multiphase Study on Firefighter Safety and the Deployment of Resources (PPT, 6 MB)
- PPACA Brief Overview (PPT, 488 KB)
- Active Shooter - A National Perspective (PPT, 3 MB)
- A new Consensus Approach to Firefighter Behavioral Health (PPT, 3.6 MB)
- Metrolink Train 111 Collision/Derailment September 12, 2008 (PDF, 14 MB)
- Rising to New Challenges (PDF, 2 MB)
- Active Shooter Response (PPT, 6.3 MB)
- Fire Protection Research Foundation Update (PPT, 3 MB)
- IAFF/IAFC Wellness Fitness Initiative Behavioral Health Update (PPT, 577 KB)