The Liberty Lake City Council on Jan. 3 authorized a mayor's proclamation designating the week of Jan. 16-22, 2023, as Community Risk Reduction Week in the city of Liberty Lake. The proclamation recognizes the public safety activities of the Spokane Valley Fire Department -- and first service staffs across the nation -- in serving the safety, security, and emergency medical needs of local residents.
The full text of the proclamation is copied below, and you can view the officially signed document here.
Whereas, the City of Liberty Lake, Washington, is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all those living in and visiting Liberty Lake; and
Whereas, every 23 seconds, a fire department in the United States responds to a fire somewhere in the nation; and
Whereas, fires nationally were responsible for 3,800 civilian deaths and 75% of these fatalities in 2021 occurred in the home; and
Whereas, fires nationally were responsible for 14,700 civilian injuries and 76% of these injuries in 2021 were also related to fires in the home; and
Whereas, an estimated $15.9 billion in property damage nationally occurred as a result of fire in 2021; and
Whereas, wildland/urban interface (WUI) related fires remain a concern nationwide with multibillion-dollar losses as a result in 2021; and
Whereas, the fire service responds to a growing number of medical calls for service, surpassing 80% of total call volume in some jurisdictions; and
Whereas, Community Risk Reduction is a data-informed process to identify and prioritize local risks, followed by integrated and strategic investment of resources to reduce their occurrence and impact; and
Whereas, the value of community support from local, state, and national partners to address community risks is recognized to meet the demands on paid, combination, and volunteer members of the fire service; and
Whereas, the goal of Community Risk Reduction is to reduce the occurrence and impact of emergency events for both community members and emergency responders through deliberate action in the areas of the five E’s of Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency response, and Economic incentive; and
Whereas, most fire-related and many medical calls for service are preventable, with the five E’s performed as part of an integrated Community Risk Reduction program; and
Whereas, Monday, January 16, 2023, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and is nationally recognized as a National Day of Service and an opportunity for communities to reduce the risk in their community through a series of educational and other programs.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
That the week of January 16 – 22, 2023, be designated as CRR Week, a grassroots initiative of fire service professionals across the nation to raise awareness of the importance of CRR in the fire service community and an opportunity to make communities safer throughout this City, and I urge all the people of Liberty Lake to support the many public safety activities and efforts of the Spokane Valley Fire Department, serving the residents of Liberty Lake.
Dated this 3rd day of January, 2023.
Cris Kaminskas, Mayor