The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to begin the development of a National Fire Data System (NFDS). The goal of NFDS is to address the priority needs of the U.S. fire service and generate quality local and national data for both operational and community risk reduction decision-making. The powerful new tool will incorporate substantial learning from the recently AFG-funded NFORS project and utilize all available and relevant data sources. The NFDS will serve the needs of fire departments, firefighters/officers, local policy makers and those engaged in fire prevention/community risk reduction efforts. A key component of the NFDS initiative is an in-depth assessment of the needs of key stakeholder groups