Editor’s Note: Jim Crawford is the fire prevention columnist for FireRescue magazine/FirefighterNation.com. We’re congratulate him on receiving this honor!
The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and the International Fire Service Training Association at Fire Protection Publications, Oklahoma State University (IFSTA/FPP/OSU) are pleased to announce that Jim Crawford has been selected as the 2013 Dr. Anne W. Phillips Leadership in Fire Safety Education Award recipient. Mr. Crawford is the Project Manager for the nationally recognized Vision 20/20 Project National Strategies for Fire Loss Prevention. This pioneering initiative is a grassroots collaborative vision to unite efforts for a national strategic plan for fire and life safety, with the goal of generating action to reduce injury and the loss of life and property from fire in America. National leaders, organizations, and stakeholders developed, supported and implemented Vision 20/20 and Mr. Crawford skillfully facilitates it.
Jim Crawford’s 37-year fire service career began with the Clackamas County (Oregon) Fire District #1. From his beginnings as a line firefighter, he rose through the ranks to Division Chief — Fire Marshal in Portland, Oregon and the Fire Marshal/Planning Chief in Vancouver, Washington. Chief Crawford has served in many national leadership roles, including President of the International Fire Marshals Association, member of the National Fire Protection Association Standards Council, and founding chair of the NFPA Technical Committee for Professional Qualifications for Fire Marshal (NFPA 1037). Author of Fire Prevention Organization and Management (Brady), and the chapter on Prevention in the ICMA Managing Fire and Rescue Services, he is also a regular columnist on trending issues in fire prevention for Fire Rescue Magazine.
Jim Crawford’s impact on public fire safety is perhaps best characterized by his recent contributions to build and lead Vision 20/20. Funded primarily by Assistance to Fire Fighters Grants, Vision 20/20 is a project of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), USA Branch. Since 2007, Vision 20/20 has engaged hundreds of stakeholders in planning and generating agreement on five national fire prevention strategies. With oversight by a Steering Committee representing more than 20 national fire organizations, steady progress is being made on all five strategies. Vision 20/20 is identifying best practices in fire prevention and providing local fire departments with proven models, free training, and tools to build and evaluate local prevention programs.
Chief Crawford has championed local community risk reduction (CRR) programs with risk assessments conducted, prevention strategies developed and implemented by fire station crews. Local CRR projects have proven successful, especially home safety visits and smoke alarm installations in high-risk homes conducted by firefighters and community partners.
Bill Jenaway, CFSI President, Craig Hannan, Director of Fire Protection Publications at OSU, and Mike Wieder, IFSTA Executive Director issued a joint statement honoring the 2013 recipient. “Jim Crawford has carried a vision for enhanced and more effective fire prevention strategies throughout his career and now, he is leading the partnerships and collaborations of Vision 20/20 to supplement existing prevention programs where additional work will help improve our loss prevention strategies. We take great pride in acknowledging the impact of his work by presenting Jim with the 2013 Dr. Anne W. Phillips Award for Leadership in Fire Safety Education.”
Recognizing IFSTA’s support of the program, Jenaway extended his thanks to IFSTA/FPP and Oklahoma State University. “On behalf of my fellow board members, including Louis J. Amabili who served with Anne Phillips on the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, I extend my personal thanks to IFSTA/OSU-FPP for its continued support of CFSI. This particular award program is very important to maintaining a constant awareness of fire and life safety education throughout the nation.”
The award will be presented on May 9 at the 25th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner in Washington, DC.
For more information contact Bill Webb at CFSI 202 371-1277 or Nancy Trench at IFSTA/FPP 405-744-8100.
Please visit the Congressional Fire Services Institute’s website (www.cfsi.org) for additional information about the 25th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner and Seminars Program. Approximately 2,000 fire and emergency services leaders throughout the nation are expected to attend the annual program. In addition to the dinner and seminars, attendees will schedule meetings with their members of Congress to discuss important fire and life safety issues.
