Fire Public Education and Community Engagement

The Oakland Fire Department Public Education and Community Engagement program works to inform, educate, and support fire and life safety.

The Oakland Fire Department Public Education and Community Engagement program works to inform, educate, and support fire and life safety.

The department participates in the developing and delivering of programs that are beneficial at local community meetings, schools, health fairs, and other special events throughout the year. The programs focus on informing the community of fire prevention, safe practices and reducing fire related incidents. These specific outreach events give the Oakland Fire Department an opportunity to interact with tens of thousands of residents, visitors, property and business owners a year, disseminating a message of safety first. We thrive by enhancing public safety.

For more information, please email publicedofd@oaklandca.gov.

For specific event requests, please complete the Public Education In-Take form and submit by email to publicedofd@oaklandca.gov.

PUBLIC EDUCATION TRAININGS - Seniors & Disabled

PURPOSE: To eliminate and/or significantly reduce loss of life and property to Senior and Disabled citizens through the development and delivery of Fire Safety Public Education programs.

PROGRAM GOALS: The focus of the programs is to enable Senior and Disabled citizens to:

Recognize and eliminate safety hazards.
Know what to do in emergency situations, including evacuation and/or shelter in place plans for tenants in a facility.
Know how to protect life and property from fire and other natural disasters.
Participate in the 911 Disaster Registry.

Program goals are met by providing education and training in conjunction with the Alameda County Adult and Aging Department, Oakland Housing Authority, HUD Senior Buildings, and the Oakland Senior Companion. It includes group presentations, building safety training, that include shelter in place, evacuations, and emergency preparedness. Trainings and presentations are conducted in English, Spanish, Chinese and other languages as requested using translators and material.

PUBLIC EDUCATION TRAINING – Youth and Children

PURPOSE: To educate Youth and Children on the importance of fire safety and prevention, and the proper response to emergencies, through the development and delivery of Fire Safety Public Education programs, thereby eliminating and/or significantly reducing loss of life and property both at home and at school.

Program Components:

We currently provide various components to an overall Fire Safety Education program for children that include:

Fire Station Tours

Children and Youth groups (schools, day care centers, scouting troops, etc.) scheduled to visit the Fire Station nearest to them and actively participate in various activities with the suppression crews, that includes but limited to Stop, Drop and Roll as well as tour the station. This interaction allows not only for Fire Safety education, but also provides and excellent opportunity for the minors to get to know the Firefighters that live in their own neighborhoods.

Schools/Childcare Visits

This component functions similarly as the Fire Station Tours; however, in this case the fire fighters visit the schools and/or day care centers, and present various activities to minors. Again, this interaction allows not only for Fire Safety education, but also provides and excellent opportunity for the minors to get to know the fire fighters up close and in other than emergencies.

Community Fairs and Public Events

This component functions similarly as the above two in that the Fire fighters present various activities to minors. However, in this case it is done as part of a larger effort involving other agencies that serve the community. While minors in this case do interact with Fire fighters, it is limited given the vast numbers of individuals attending such events.

Annual Fire Prevention Day

Each year the National Fire Protection Association designates a week in October as Fire Prevention Week. Fire Prevention Bureau host a Fire Safety Day to teach 500 Kindergarten – 5th grade students the importance preventing home fires through various activities.

The activities conducted and educational information given during the scheduled events includes: Stop, Drop & Roll, Crawl Low, E.D.I.T.H, Smoke Detector, Call 911, and other fire safety information for children, using the Ready for Risk Watch and other fire safety curricula. We use the Fire Safety Doll House, and other audio and visual aids, when conducting training.

PUBLIC EDUCATION TRAINING – High Rise Buildings

PURPOSE: To eliminate and/or significantly reduce loss of life and property to High Rise tenants through the development and delivery of Fire Safety Public Education programs.

PROGRAM GOALS: The focus of the programs is to enable tenants of High-Rise buildings to:

Recognize and eliminate safety hazards.
Know what to do in emergency situations, including evacuation and/or shelter in place plans for tenants in a high-rise building.
Know how to protect life and property from fire and other natural disasters.

Program Components:

Program goals are met by providing the following Fire Safety Public Education components in conjunction with owners, facility managers and tenants of High-Rise buildings, and will include:

Fire Plan and Emergency Evacuation Procedures

The main focus of this component is to assist the High-Rise building community in the development and implementation of a fire plan and emergency evacuation procedures appropriate to their individual requirements.

Floor Warden/Monitor Training

This component is designed to train identified Floor Wardens and Floor Monitors in the proper response to fires and or other emergency and/or natural disasters. This is accomplished through the direct training and the distribution of informational brochures and making audio/video aides available on loan.

General Fire Safety Training

This component encompasses providing general Fire Safety Education in a group setting with oral presentations, and audio/visual aides.

PUBLIC EDUCATION TRAINING – Smoke Alarm Program

Partnership with American Red Cross, Oakland Black Firefighters, and Bay EMT Program. The program aim is to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25% over the next 5 years. Working with partners to install 10-year Smoke Alarms and provide fire and disaster preparedness education to communities at risk for home fires

PROGRAM GOALS:

- To reduce fire fatalities in high risk communities
- Educate residents on fire and emergency preparedness
- Know what to do in emergency situations, including evacuations, meeting location, and important contact information

Program Components:

Identify at risk communities with high fire fatalities and most vulnerable populations (seniors, children and disabled)
Pre-canvass area to meet residents, schedule appointment for following week and leave door hangers for residents that are unavailable.
Install 10-year smoke alarms and provide fire and disaster preparedness education to residents in their home.
Contact residents that are unavailable for follow up visit.

The Program includes checking existing smoke alarms for functionality; and/or installing new smoke alarms when needed; and discussing fire safety tips with residents. There is no charge to the resident/property owner for this service. Residents will be notified prior to the event about participating in this program.

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