Risk Assessment - OVAP Scoring

Risk Assessment - OVAP Scoring

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this feature is to calculate the Risk Assessment Score (OVAP Score) for occupancies to identify and evaluate important factors and characteristics that determine their relative risk to a community. This scoring system helps fire departments determine inspection frequencies, incident response criteria, community fire risk levels, and economic loss potential.


Background Information

OVAP stands for Occupancy Vulnerability Assessment Profile. Risk assessment is a determination of the probability and consequences of a fire incident to a community. The higher the risk assessment score, the more likely a fire incident in an occupancy will significantly affect the community.

This tool evaluates multiple factors including building construction, life safety systems, occupant characteristics, regulatory oversight, hazard levels, and water supply capabilities. The final risk assessment score provides data-driven insights for:

  • Determining frequency of code compliance inspections
  • Establishing incident response criteria (number of fire companies needed)
  • Assessing overall community fire risk
  • Calculating economic loss potential

It is recommended that agencies create local policies for the evaluation process to maintain consistent results aligned with community parameters.

Required Permissions

The following permissions are required to complete risk assessment calculations:

Pre-Planning Bucket Permissions:

  • Calculate Needed Fire Flow - Button
  • Calculate Risk Assessment - Button

Field Management Setup:

  • Navigate to Admin > Field Management
  • Filter by Risk Assessment section
  • Select "Edit Role Permissions" for desired roles
  • Ensure "Update" is selected for all Risk Assessment fields except Exposure A-D Separation fields
  • Apply permissions to 19 total fields

Note: Unhide Risk Assessment fields for roles that require Risk Management - OVAP Score access.

Video


Step-by-Step Guide


Alert
Note: Permissions Required:
Pre-Planning Bucket - Calculate Needed Fire Flow - Button
Pre-Planning Bucket - Calculate Risk Assessment - Button






Alert
Note: Unhide the Risk Assessment fields for the roles that you desire to have Risk Management - OVAP Score available for.
Navigate to Admin > Field Management.  Filter by the Risk Assessment section.  Select "Edit Role Permissions" and make sure "Update" is selected for the Role(s) that you desire to calculate the Risk Assessment Score (see example below).  Perform this action for all fields except Exposure A-D Separation (these fields are not used in the calculation).  You will perform this action for 19 fields.







1. Open the Occupancy Record and make sure you are in the Occupancy Section.
  1. Note: Fields required to achieve a Risk Assessment/OVAP Score will be demonstrated in this KBA. Your agency may desire or require additional information within the Occupancy data set.


Open the Occupancy Record and make sure you are in the Occupancy Section.





2. Click on Area and enter data into the Area Section.
  1. Required Data:
    1. Area Per Floor
    2. Floors Above Grade
    3. Floors Below Grade
    4. Total Area
  2. NOTE: The system can calculate the area per floor and total Area, or enter the data directly into the appropriate fields.


Click on Area and enter data into the Area Section.





3. Click on Construction and select the appropriate Construction Type.


Click on Construction and select the appropriate Construction Type.





4. Click on Occupancy Loads and enter the Posted Occupancy Load.


Click on Occupancy Loads and enter the Posted Occupancy Load.





5. Click on Needed Fire Flow. See the related article on how to calculate the needed fire flow.


Click on Needed Fire Flow. See the related article on how to calculate the needed fire flow.





6. Click on Risk Assessment.
  1. The Risk Score and Category will auto populate after the data is entered and calculated.


Click on Risk Assessment.





7. Building Section
  1. Enter the Average Exposure Separation distance in feet.
  2. NOTE: Exposure A-D Separation fields are not used for the calculation.
  3. Construction Type, Floors Above Grade, Floors Below Grade, and Total Area will auto populate from data previously entered.
  4. Fire Department Access: Indicate the appropriate number of sides with fire department access for advancing hose lines, setting ladders, etc. and the placement of apparatus to support firefighting operations.

Building Section





8. Life Safety Section
  1. Posted Occupancy Load will auto populate from data previously entered.
  2. Occupant Mobility:
    1. Do occupants sleep (hotel, motel, Residential, etc.) at the occupancy?
    2. Are Occupants non-ambulatory (health care, nursing home, etc.) or restrained (correctional facility, jail, etc.)?
  3. Warning Alarm:
    1. Automatic = Automatic alarm detection
    2. Central = Central Station monitored alarm system
    3. Local = Alarm rings at occupancy only
    4. Manual = Occupant action triggers alarm
  4. Exiting System:
    1. Conforming = Egress/Exiting Systems are code compliant
    2. Non-Conforming = Egress/Exiting Systems are not code compliant

Life Safety Section





9. Risk - Frequency/Likelihood
  1. Regulatory Oversight:
    1. Highly regulated, Mandatory compliance = Code official regularly performs Code Compliance Inspections and requires compliance for continued occupancy.
    2. Highly regulated, Inspections scheduled = Code Official regularly performs Code Compliance Inspections.
    3. Regulated, inspections schedule random = Random pace of Code Compliance Inspections.
    4. Regulated, Voluntary Compliance = Code Official performs inspections and attains voluntary compliance only.
    5. Un-regulated, Un-inspected = No Code Compliance Inspections conducted.
  2. Human Activity:
    1. No access to unauthorized person = No unauthorized person allowed entry.
    2. Controlled access to unauthorized persons =Unauthorized person allowed entry upon approval only.
    3. Business activity, Sales and Retail = Normal Business activities.
    4. Group Activity, Transient population = Persons with no knowledge of the occupancy.
    5. Domestic activity, No occupant control = No control for access.
  3. Experience:
    1. Indicate the frequency of fire department activities at the Occupancy.  Consider Code Compliance Inspections, Pre-planning, fire department responses, etc.







10. Risk - Consequence Section
  1. Capacity to Control – Indicate the degree of difficulty that can be expected during firefighting activities.
  2. Hazard Index – Indicate the appropriate types of hazards found in the occupancy.
  3. Fire Load:
    1. Light Hazard — This classification applies to spaces where the quantity of combustibles is low and/or the combustibility of contents is low which would result in relatively low rates of heat release if ignited. Examples of spaces with a light hazard classification might include offices, healthcare facilities, churches, schools, etc.
    2. Ordinary Hazard (Group 1) — This classification applies to spaces in which the combustibility of materials present is low and the quantity is moderate, with no stockpiles of combustible material exceeding 8 feet (2.4 meters). Examples of spaces with this classification might include mechanical plants, laundries, food processing facilities or other manufacturing operations in which a fire would release moderate rates of heat.
    3. Ordinary Hazard (Group 2) — This classification applies to spaces where the quantity and combustibility of contents are moderate to high, and which may have stockpiles of materials up to 12 feet high (3.7 meters) that could release moderate rates of heat release if ignited. Examples of this occupancy include distilleries, barns and stables, dry cleaners, libraries, machine rooms, and auto repair shops.
    4. Extra Hazard (Group 1) — This classification applies to spaces where the quantity and combustibility of contents are very high and dust, lint, or other materials are present, which introduce the probability of fires that burn hot and spread fast, such as upholstery shops, sawmills, plywood manufacturers, or textile factories. This classification may include spaces with some small amounts of combustible or flammable liquids, but the classification is primarily based on the presence of highly combustible solids.
    5. Extra Hazard (Group 2) — This classification applies to spaces in which moderate to substantial amounts of flammable or combustible liquids are routinely present or where there are large amounts of combustibles, such that the extensive use of heat shields are needed to keep them from igniting. Examples of these include plastic manufacturing operations, steel manufacturing, and automobile paint spray booths.


Risk - Consequence Section





11. Water Demand Section
  1. Fire Flow Required - Will auto populate from data previously entered.
  2. Fire Flow Available: Consider the fire department’s ability to utilize the available water supply system(s) (e.g. hydrants, tender/tanker water shuttles, drafting sites, etc.) to deliver the needed fire flow.
    1. Yes
    2. No
  3. Fire Sprinklers:
    1. Yes = Sprinkler system present and in-service
    2. No = No sprinkler system present
    3. Partial = Partial coverage in an occupancy by a sprinkler system
  4. Standpipe systems:
    1. Yes = Code Compliant Standpipe Systems present
    2. No = No standpipe Systems
  5. NFPA Fire Year Inspection:
    1. Yes = Sprinkler and/or Standpipes have had a NFPA Inspection within the last 5 years and are Code Compliant.
    2. No = Sprinkler and/or Standpipes do not have a current NFPA Inspection within the last 5 years.

Water Demand Section





12. Impact to Community - Value Section
  1. Consider factors such as the number of employees impacted, tax revenue impacts, economic impact, etc.


Impact to Community - Value Section





13. Click on Calculate Risk Score.


Click on Calculate Risk Score.





14. If data is missing, expect to see this error message with the fields missing data displayed:







15. The Calculated Risk Score and Risk Classification will be displayed.


The Calculated Risk Score and Risk Classification will be displayed.





16. The Calculated Risk Score and Risk Classification will be displayed at the top of the Risk Assessment Section of the Occupancy Record:








17. Risk Classifications:


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Best Practices

  • Establish local agency policies for consistent evaluation processes aligned with community parameters
  • Ensure all required permissions are properly configured before beginning assessments
  • Complete related calculations (Needed Fire Flow) before starting risk assessment
  • Review and verify all auto-populated data for accuracy
  • Consider conducting periodic reviews of risk assessments to account for occupancy changes
  • Use risk scores consistently for inspection scheduling and response planning decisions
  • Document rationale for subjective assessments to maintain consistency across evaluators

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Why am I getting an error message when calculating the risk score? A: The system will display specific fields that require data entry. Complete all missing required fields and recalculate.

Q: Some fields are not visible in my Risk Assessment section. How do I access them? A: Check Field Management permissions. Navigate to Admin > Field Management, filter by Risk Assessment section, and ensure proper role permissions are set for "Update" access.

Q: Can I modify the risk assessment after calculation? A: Yes, you can update any input fields and recalculate the risk score. The system will automatically update the score and classification.

Q: Which Exposure Separation fields are used in the calculation? A: Only the Average Exposure Separation field is used. Exposure A-D Separation fields are not included in the risk score calculation.

Q: How often should risk assessments be updated? A: Risk assessments should be updated when significant changes occur to the occupancy, construction, life safety systems, or operational characteristics. Establish agency-specific policies for periodic reviews.


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