§ 2201 — Congressional Findings

The Congress finds that— (1) The National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, established pursuant to Public Law 90–259, has made an exhaustive and comprehensive examination of the Nation’s fire problem, has made detailed findings as to the extent of this problem in terms of human suffering and loss of life and property, and has made ninety thoughtful recommendations. (2) The United States today has the highest per capita rate of death and property loss from fire of all the major industrialized nations in the world. (3) Fire is an undue burden affecting all Americans, and fire also constitutes a public health and safety problem of great dimensions. Fire kills 12,000 and scars and injures 300,000 Americans each year, including 50,000 individuals who require extended hospitalization. Almost $3 billion worth of property is destroyed annually by fire, and the total economic cost of destructive fire in the United States is estimated conservatively to be $11,000,000,000 per year. Firefighting is the Nation’s most hazardous profession. (4) Such losses of life and property from fire are unacceptable to the Congress. (5) While fire prevention and control is and should remain a State and local responsibility, the Federal Government must help if a significant reduction in fire losses is to be achieved. (6) The fire service and the civil defense program in each locality would both benefit from closer cooperation. (7) The Nation’s fire problem is exacerbated by (A) the indifference with which some Americans confront the subject; (B) the Nation’s failure to undertake enough research and development into fire and fire-related problems; (C) the scarcity of reliable data and information; (D) the fact that designers and purchasers of buildings and products generally give insufficient attention to fire safety; (E) the fact that many communities lack adequate building and fire prevention codes; and (F) the fact that local fire departments spend about 95 cents of every dollar appropriated to the fire services on efforts to extinguish fires and only about 5 cents on fire prevention. (8) There is a need for improved professional training and education oriented toward improving the effectiveness of the fire services, including an increased emphasis on preventing fires and on reducing injuries to firefighters. (9) A national system for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of fire data is needed to help local fire services establish research and action priorities. (10) The number of specialized medical centers which are properly equipped and staffed for the treatment of burns and the rehabilitation of victims of fires is inadequate. (11) The unacceptably high rates of death, injury, and property loss from fire can be reduced if the Federal Government establishes a coordinated program to support and reinforce the fire prevention and control activities of State and local governments.