Rochester Fire Department Historic Incidents Master List

Link to Data Dictionary : https://rochesterny.maps.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/dbc4cc3c88ca49d2b46c8e059e77bb1f/data Dataset Description: This dataset contains historical fire incident reports from the Rochester Fire Department, covering the period from January 1, 1980, to December 31, 2005. The data includes fields such as the date and time of incidents, the location of the incident (with cleaned address data), and whether there were any casualties or property damage. Data Source: This data was sourced from a paper process and legacy mainframe system used by the Rochester Fire Department prior to 2006. More recent data (from 2006 onward) is stored in a newer system and is not yet available for public release. Purpose of Release: This dataset is being released in response to multiple Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests. By making the data publicly available, the City of Rochester aims to improve transparency and reduce the administrative burden associated with individual FOIL requests. Data Cleaning: To prepare the dataset for public release: • Personally Identifiable Information (PII) has been removed. • A cleaned address column has been added to support geocoding and location-based analysis, while maintaining privacy. Key Fields: This dataset contains 165 columns of data which is outlined. The full data dictionary with attachments are included. Link to Data Dictionary : https://rochesterny.maps.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/dbc4cc3c88ca49d2b46c8e059e77bb1f/data • RFDKEY: Unique identifier for each incident. • RFITIME: The date the incident occurred. • INJRYCIV: Civilian or firefighter injuries or a total for both if both occurred. • STR_NAME_&_SUFFIX_NEW: Cleaned address (geocodable) of where the incident occurred. Known Limitations: • No Data After 2005: This dataset covers incidents up to the end of 2005 only. Fire incidents that occurred after 2005 are stored in a different system, and the data is not yet ready for public release. • Casualty: Casualty figures are based on reports filed at the time of the incident and may not reflect later revisions or corrections. • Personally Identifiable Information: Personally identifiable information has been removed from this data set. How to Use This Data: This dataset is suitable for analyzing trends in fire incidents over time, understanding the frequency and distribution of different types of fire incidents, and evaluating the response to incidents in different areas of Rochester. • Example Questions You Can Answer: • How many fatal fires occurred between 1980 and 2005? • Which neighborhoods experienced the most fire incidents in the 1990s? • What was the average property damage caused by fires in 2000? Suggested Use Cases: • Journalists: Reporters can use this data to identify trends and patterns in fire incidents over time and in different parts of the city. • Researchers: Academics can analyze the data to study the long-term impacts of fire safety initiatives or the correlation between fire incidents and other urban factors. • Public: Citizens can use the data to understand the history of fire safety in their neighborhoods and the response patterns of the Rochester Fire Department. Important Context for Users: This dataset is historical and represents data collected from 1980 to 2005. It was extracted from a paper record and manual entry into a legacy system and reflects the standards and reporting practices of that time. While every effort has been made to clean and prepare the data, there may be some inconsistencies due to the transition from the old system. Some records may contain unusually high or low values for casualty counts, property damage estimates, or incident types. These outliers have been retained to maintain the dataset’s integrity but should be interpreted cautiously. Users are encouraged to cross-reference outliers with additional contextual data where possible. Users should be mindful that this dataset does not include data beyond 2005, and any analysis involving more recent trends will require data from newer systems, which is not yet available. For any conclusions drawn, users should account for these limitations and the possibility of updates in the future. Additional instructions on data usage and interpretation: RFD Historical Data - Attachments