How to Begin Your First Fire Department Annual Report

Creating your first annual report begins with understanding the data you already have and deciding what information will best tell your department’s story. Many departments use records management systems such as Firehouse, Emergency Reporting, or New World, all of which can generate charts and graphs that can be incorporated directly into the report. Smaller departments may not have access to these programs; however, any department that reports to the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System (TFIRS) can use FEMA’s free Summary Output Reports Tool (SORT) to produce professional graphs and tables for inclusion in the annual report.

Additional information is available through the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) at www.nfirs.fema.gov.

Once the data are assembled, the next step is to determine the report’s layout and design. The University of Tennessee MTAS Knowledgebase contains examples of Tennessee fire department annual reports that can be used as models, and additional examples can be found by searching fire department annual reports online. The design should use ample white space so that pages are not overcrowded, and the information should be arranged in a logical, easy-to-follow sequence. The report should include a cover or title page featuring the department logo or a photograph of the department in action. For larger reports, include page numbers and a table of contents.

Before finalizing the report, have several members of the department proofread it for accuracy and clarity. Then provide a draft to someone outside the department and ask them to review it from a citizen’s perspective. This helps ensure the report is understandable to non-firefighters. As a final step, have a person with strong writing and editing skills review the document for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Once the report is complete, print enough copies to distribute within the department and to elected officials, city administrators, and community leaders. Place a copy in the local library so it becomes part of the community record. For the widest reach, create an Adobe PDF version and post it on the department or city website so it can be easily downloaded by the public.