Fire Prevention Definitions
Bulk Import Utility (BIU)
The Bulk Import Utility allows users of vendor software to upload their data files, which are in the NFIRS 5.0 format, so that they can be processed into the national database.
Data Entry Browser Interface (DEBI)
The internet-based data entry option for NFIRS provided by USFA.
Fire Department Identification Number (FDID)
The Fire Department Identification Number (FDID) is assigned by the Fire Prevention Section. It is five digits long. The first two digits are the County Code Numbers, the next two numbers are unique to that County, and the fifth number is a 0 (zero). In the past, the fifth digit was a designation of the fire department's pay status. It was dropped a few years ago and a zero was added when FEMA's National Fire Incident Reporting System required five digits. If you would like to find all of the fire departments in Sawyer County, you would search in the Fire Department ID listing above for all FDIDs starting with 57. To find a county code's number, look in the County Code Number link above. The counties are in alphabetical order except for Menominee County.
Fire Department Pay Status Definitions
There are three classifications of fire departments in the United States: Career, Combination, and Volunteer. The terminology is not consistent by definition across the country. For administrative purposes in regards to the 2 Percent Fire Dues Program, the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services uses three classifications of fire departments based upon the pay status of the members. The following definitions are used in Wisconsin:
Career: Fire departments that have 100 percent of their members in full or part-time paid positions are classified as Career or Paid Fire Departments. The career fire department does not rely upon paid-on-call or volunteer firefighters to complement staffing (exception being mutual aid assistance).
Examples of Career Fire Departments are: Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and Eau Claire.
Combination: Fire departments that have full-time, paid-on-call or volunteer members are classified as Combination or Part-Paid Fire Departments. The combination fire department may have one or more full-time staff, but rely upon paid-on-call or volunteer firefighters to complement the fire department. The full-time staff may be chief officers, fire inspectors, dispatchers or single engine company.
Examples of Combination Fire Departments are: Menomonee Falls, Fitchburg, Plover, and Rice Lake.
Volunteer: Fire departments that have predominantly volunteer members are classified as Volunteer Fire Departments. The classification Volunteer Fire Department may be misleading since the classification does not mean that the firefighters may not be compensated. For classification purposes, a volunteer fire department does not have any member of the fire department that is paid for 36 hours or more of work a week. Volunteer fire departments may compensate their members for fire calls, training, clothing allowance or to be on-call. The fire chief or fire inspector may be paid a yearly salary or stipend for their services. Insurance and workman's compensation organizations may have different definitions.
Examples of Volunteer Fire Departments are: Washburn, Augusta-Bridge Creek, Grantsburg and New Glarus.
Affiliate of a Fire Department:
Example: the Milwaukee Building Inspection Department.
Federal, State or Military Fire Department: Departments which are for a specific government agency such as an airport or Native American tribe.
Examples are: Mitchell Intl Airport Fire Department, Wisconsin Veterans Home - King Fire Department, and Red Cliff Tribal Fire Department.
Private Fire Brigade: Some major industries may have their own fire department because of the special type of manufacturing they perform.
Examples of Private Fire Brigades are: Kewaunee Nuclear Plant Fire Brigade and Johnson SC Fire Brigade.
Inactive Fire Department: Some fire departments consolidate into a larger fire department or district; or they may just disband. Records of these former fire departments are kept to help understand the history of fire protection and/or fire prevention services in an area.
Two-Percent Fire Dues Payment
The Fire Department Dues Fund is supported by fire insurance premiums paid in Wisconsin. The Insurance Commissioner’s Office annually collects two percent of premiums for the Fire Department Dues Fund. Money in this fund is distributed to municipalities to be used in one or more of four specified areas: 1) purchase fire protection equipment; 2) fire prevention inspection and public fire education; 3) training fire fighters and fire inspectors performing duties under s. 101.14 Wis. Stats; and 4) funding wholly or in part fire fighters’ pension funds or other special funds for the benefit of disabled of superannuated fire fighters.
Hold-Harmless Amount
An important factor in the equation is called the “hold-harmless" amount. This amount, based on the payment received in calendar year 1979, insures that each municipality never receives less than the amount they received in 1979. For some municipalities the “hold harmless” amount is higher than the current calculation and for some it is lower. It’s also the reason why some municipalities' fire dues payment remains the same from year to year.
National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)
Fire Incident Reporting: SPS 314.01(11) requires reporting of all fires within 60 days of the incident through NFIRS. We urge each department to report every incident that is encountered, not just fire incidents to give a clear picture of what you do as a department, keep your account active, and assist with grant requirements.
Summary Output Reports Tool (SORT)
The Summary Output Reports Tool (SORT) creates usable reports based on a fire department’s reported incidents. These reports provide a professional view of what is occurring within the fire department. There are currently 23 available reports from which to choose with many of the reports providing the option to choose additional filters to further customize the results. Each report includes a description and a sample of what the completed report will look like. Most SORT reports are now available in multiple formats: Word, Excel, pdf, and html.
Wisconsin's Fire Program Online System
Web-based application utilized by municipal clerks and fire department chiefs to complete the annual 2% Fire Dues Self-Certification process and as a replacement for the annual fire department update form.