This involves quickly responding to fires and taking effective measures to minimize the loss of lives, injuries and property damage. The Department also works to reduce losses through fire prevention programs. The staff of the Fire Prevention Bureau carries out these functions. They also marshal community resources to attack the ire problem, including other inspection and law enforcement agencies, schools, and civic and professional groups.
Firefighters are also major participants in the fire prevention effort.
They install smoke detectors in low-income homes, make public education presentations at schools, and teach fire safety classes during station tours. Fire suppression officers investigate most of the fires to which they respond and complete the computer-based reports that make the Fire in Columbia analysis possible. The following presents an overview of the CFD's fire prevention activities. It should be noted that the Fire Prevention Bureau is funded by the City and therefore provides services only within the City limits.