Assignment:
To identify your community's demographic profile, visit the U.S. Census Bureau website. In the center of the opening page, you will find a box with the title Quick Facts. Inside the Quick Facts box, enter your zip code, and select your city or county of residence.
There are several primary headings, such as People, Businesses, and Geography. Within these, there are sub-characteristics. Locate the data associated, or closely associated, to each of the subcharacteristics, and create a demographic profile. Below is an example of how your outcome might look.
1. Housing/Location
a. Owner or renter-occupied units
b. Age and condition of structures
c. Percentage of vacant/abandoned or blighted structures
You will repeat this format for each of the primary characteristics. If the census data is not available for a specific characteristic, simply leave that characteristic blank, and do not invent the data. Compile this data to support your stance on the community risk reduction project.
The first segment of your proposal should be in narrative form. Include specific information about the topics below in the first segment.
Identify the risk topic, and explain why this risk is faced in your community.
Identify why your agency should initiate a risk reduction program.
Provide your problem statement and your purpose statement.
Identify the common theme with the major problems leading to the risk or loss of life.
Segment 2
The second segment will address your community demographics and department information. All of your demographics need to be in chart format. Include the following information in your demographics chart:
- population,
- square miles,
- community housing makeup,
- population breakdown, and
- identified risk locations.
The second segment will require research to provide you with demographics and department information. In order to develop a course of action to be undertaken in an effort to reduce risk, you must first gather sufficient data relative to the demographics of your community. The Demographic Profile document provides helpful information for locating information about your specific community.
Create a separate chart for department information. In the department information chart, review and provide your department's response data for overall runs and risk-specific responses (you may have to request the information from a senior fire officer). If you are not currently employed with a department, you can often ask, through the Freedom of Information Act, to get a copy of your local fire and emergency medical services (EMS) response demographics or annual reports, some of which may be found online. If you cannot get the demographics or annual reports, request reports from an adjoining county. As a part of the assignment, you will look at the number of responses associated with your project's identified risk. You do not need patient information. You may not have access to street or community locations for these responses, so you may need to rely on your personal knowledge of your community.
Combine both segments into one document for your proposal. Your completed proposal must be at least two full pages in length. You are required to cite and reference at least two outside sources. Be sure to cite and reference the sources for your demographic information and department data as well.