Washington D.C. - The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today a joint project with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to examine what can be done to reduce the high death rate from fire in rural America. Communities with fewer than 2,500 residents have a per capita fire death rate almost twice the national rate.

“With so many lives being lost in small communities from fire, this study of the causes of rural fires and how to prevent them is an important and essential initiative,” said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. “FEMA has a long history of project partnerships aimed to mitigate the loss of life from fire and the Department of Homeland Security is pleased be working with the NFPA in this research initiative.”

FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) will work directly with the NFPA to build on data from the USFA report, The Rural Fire Problem in the United States, and to offer information on effective strategies and techniques to local fire and government officials and educators. Strategies will focus on public fire safety education, technical improvements, including fire and smoke detection, fire codes, consumer product safety and residential fire sprinklers.

“NFPA is pleased to be part of this innovative partnership that will examine what can be done to reduce fire deaths in rural America,” said James Shannon, NFPA president. “This initiative supports NFPA’s efforts in saving lives and protecting property for conducting independent research on the reduction of the risk of fire.”

More information on this USFA and NFPA partnership may be found on the USFA web site: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/inside-usfa/research/other/rural-mitigation.shtm.