For this week’s forum I have decided to research the fire department in Beaumont, Texas. On their website they clearly list every activity that is a part of their Community Risk Reduction program (CRR). Each activity within the CRR is simply and clearly described on the website.
I think the fire department of Beaumont, Texas has a good Community Risk Reduction program (CRR) that can reach a broad spectrum of their community. While most of their activities seem to target large groups and events by scheduled appointments, they also seem open to smaller tours of their station. This fire department covers many fire risks issues with fire education like fire extinguisher training and fire/evacuation and shelter-in-place drills. (“Community Risk Reduction – Fire & Life Safety Education”) These activities are geared toward an older audience. The activities geared toward the youth in the community are the school presentations and the Pre-k and early elementary reading program. The reading program stood out to me the most with how involved it is. This CRR activity incorporates fire safety into books, music, games, and even a special mascot named Pluggie the Fire Hydrant. (“Community Risk Reduction – Fire & Life Safety Education”)
When I think about how these activities were successful, I think about how much of the community is reached. The Beaumont, Texas Fire Department focuses on larger groups of the community through events to get fire safety across to as many people at one time as possible. They utilize real life materials like a fire safety house or a model of a house, to teach the different ways to do a fire drill. This presents the fire safety information in a fun yet informative way. This fire department seems to have a good Community Risk Reduction program.
#3
I am going to talk about the fire department that I was with 20 years ago, being that I am not currently in a fire department. Even in the military we are all about prevention, doing drills and doing inspections to make sure things work as they are supposed too. It is all about preventing the big one from happening, but when it does happen we are ready and can just react. Your training will take over and you will do what you are supposed to do.
The fire department that I was in at the time, I joined as a junior firefighter, the training was the same for us. They did not leave us out just because we were juniors. We got to get on the nozzles and help with everything else. Obviously because of certain laws that are on hand there were some things that we could not do, but for the most part they tried to involve us in everything with the community and fire department.
All the firefighters on the department had a positive attitude about fire prevention. No one wanted to see a house burn unless it was one that we were doing a training burn on it. They did a good job in the fire prevention area, but not just fire. There is a lot of prevention that goes on there, because it is a big tourist town. So not only do you have to worry about the fires, but you have to worry about accidents throughout the highway, which there are lots and the health safety aspect of people not drinking enough water and other health issues.
There are lots of times where we would fully man our ladder and go sit in town to give personnel extra information if they wanted it.