227507 Utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) to improve fire prevention services in an urban environment

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Wendy C. Shields, MPH , Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Andrea C. Gielen, ScD, ScM , Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
David M. Bishai, MD MPH PhD , Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, Baltimore, MD
Tim M. Shields, PhD , Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Peter Hanna, Fire Fighter, GIS Specialist , Baltimore City Fire Department, Baltimore, MD
Background/Purpose: Residential fires are a significant public health problem, especially in urban areas. Smoke alarms are effective at reducing deaths in the event of a fire. The Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) has been installing free smoke alarms city wide for two decades. In 2007 the BCFD conducted 181,757 smoke alarm installation home visits. Visits were planned and conducted by each of the city's 57 engine companies independently. Though data on each visit were entered into a large database, no system existed to analyze the data so that it could be used to evaluate coverage city wide or plan for future visits. The purpose of our work was to create such a system.

Methods: The Maryland state tax assessment database was queried to determine the number of residences in need of a visit in accordance with the BCFD policy. Each of the 181,757 visits was entered into an access database and coded to identify if the BCFD personnel had interacted with residents (“pass door”) and installed alarms. 177,213 (97.5%) visits were successfully geocoded and compared to the states tax assessment data record to determine city wide coverage and pass door rates. Frequencies of visits were run by individual addresses to measure efficiency.

Results/Outcomes: 206,850 residences were in need of a home visit from the BCFD. 122,121(59%) residences received a home visit from the BCFD in 2007. 55,092 visits, comprising 31% of all home visits were at repeat addresses. The pass door rate was 22% (46,429) of all residences.

Conclusions: The BCFD can use this system to reduce repeat visits and better target where home visits are needed. GIS can be used to improve fire prevention services and therefore more effectively utilize the limited human and financial resources available for fire prevention.

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe residential house fires as an important public health problem in US cities. 2. Describe the Utilization of GIS to determine coverage rates and improving efficiency of routine fire prevention services 3. Discuss the need to enhance collaboration between public health and fire department professionals.

Keywords: Geographic Information Systems, Injury Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I manage the large randomized trial which the presented work will be generated from. I presonally designed and managed the specific analysis described in this presentation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4234.1: Geographical Information Systems and Public Health