PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON — Aligning with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s National Day of Service – Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Week is scheduled for January 19 through January 25, 2026. The week is hosted by Vision 20/20, a project of the Institution of Fire Engineers USA Branch, underscoring the fire service’s commitment to community protection.
Dr. King embodied a spirit of service, sacrifice, and compassion – principles that resonate deeply within the fire service and its mission to protect communities.
Founded in 2008, Vision 20/20 convened leading fire service experts to identify critical gaps in fire prevention and develop evidence-based solutions. Recognizing the need to accelerate awareness and adoption of Community Risk Reduction across the fire service, Vision 20/20 subsequently established CRR Week as a dedicated platform for translating these strategies into practice at fire departments nationwide.
CRR is a data-driven process to identify and prioritize local risks, followed by integrated and strategic investment of resources such as emergency response and prevention to reduce their occurrence and impact for both the community and responders.
The goal of CRR Week is to ignite awareness among the fire service about the importance of Community Risk Reduction and how any fire department can mobilize proven strategies to enhance the safety of their community and their personnel.
Each year, Vision 20/20 strategically rotates focus among five crucial intervention strategies known as the Five E’s: Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Economic Incentives, and Emergency Response. This year’s focus on Emergency Response reflects the organization’s commitment to comprehensive CRR coverage. New “Emergency Response” resources have been added to the CRR Toolkit to support departments as they initiate and implement the community risk reduction process.
Comprehensive, no-cost resources
All toolkit resources are available at no cost, removing barriers for fire departments of all sizes to implement CRR. Participants can access an extensive array of free resources, including videos, podcasts, data tools, online guides, risk assessments, online forums, a fire safety materials generator, the home safety visit app, and educational courses. These resources are easily accessible on the CRR Week website. Additional resources include a Participant Patch Wall where departments can display their patches, logos, and CRR Week plans, as well as a customizable Model Proclamation that community leaders can adapt to spark awareness of CRR in their jurisdictions.
While it is suggested that each day focus on a different E, departments are free to adopt a structure that best suits their circumstances and resources.
Vision 20/20 also hosts innovative CRR training materials on the CRR Academy, and fire service professionals are encouraged to establish a free account to access these courses. Participants are also invited to visit CRR Champions to sign the pledge to actively seek opportunities to incorporate CRR into their service delivery and interventions.
Call to action
Fire departments are encouraged to begin planning their CRR Week initiatives now to maximize community impact during this vital week of awareness and action.
For more information and to participate in CRR Week, visit www.CRRWeek.org
