CRR Terminology

Community Risk Reduction utilizes specific terms and concepts of which many firefighters are not exposed, or are often misunderstood. It is important to understand these terms when developing a CRR plan.

• CERT: Community Emergency Response Team. A FEMA program that educates civilians about disaster preparedness for hazards that may affect their area, and trains them in basic disaster response skills.
• ERF: Effective Response Force. Minimum number of firefighters and equipment that must reach a specific emergency incident location within a maximum prescribed travel time.¹
• Hazard: A natural or manmade source or cause of harm or difficulty. A hazard can be actual or potential. Known physical features that have the potential to cause negative impacts to life, property, and/or natural resources.
• ISO: Insurance Services Office. A source of information about property casualty insurance risk. The ISO Public Protection Classification program is designed to help establish fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties based in part on a community’s fire protection services.
• Loss: Death, injury, property damage, or other adverse or unwelcome circumstance.
• Mitigation: An effort to reduce the impact and/or loss of something.
• Prevention: An action that stops something from happening.
• Risk: The potential that a chosen action, activity, or inactivity will lead to an undesirable outcome or loss.
• Risk Management: Coordinated activities to direct and control an organization or community with regard to risk.
• Stakeholder: Person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by a decision or activity.