When the first career firefighters were hired in 1975 a decision was made by the Chief of the Department and the organization that, due to the limited resources and staffing available, a strong Fire Prevention Program would be in the best interest of safety and protection to local businesses, residents, and firefighters. Not only did this allow the Fire Department to check for hazards and code compliance but served several other purposes. It allowed the firefighters to become familiar with the layout and contents of building in our community, in essence every inspection allowed us to do pre-fire planning. It also allowed and hopefully promoted the basis for a long-term relationship between the public and private sector where we could promote fire safety while addressing questions and concern of our customers. As the city grew so did the Fire Department but we have never abandoned this philosophy.
Every business is inspected twice a year, if they serve food or alcohol it is three times a year.
All members of the Fire Department participate in the inspections and understand we are very strong and active in fire prevention, which is not true in many fire departments. It is also the Fire Prevention Division's responsibility to work closely with the Community Development Department to review new construction and remodel plans to optimize building and life safety. Public education is another responsibility we believe in, we try to use every situation as an educational opportunity but we also have formal programs to reach out to the community. We teach First Aid, CPR, and Fire Extinguisher classes. We conduct School Tours, Fire Drills, Health Fairs, High-Rise Floor Warden Programs, testing of fire hydrants and building standpipe systems, exit checks, Fire Prevention and EMS Week activities.