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Home My WebLink About113.001 - Public Education and Firefighter Community Outreach (FCO) ProgramsEffective Date: October 2007 Theodore Semonious, Deputy Fire Chief Current Revision Date: 6/17/2025 Section 113.001 Next Revision (1) Date: 6/17/2025 Page 1 of 6 Fresno City Fire Department 100 Administrative Manual SECTION 113.001 PUBLIC EDUCATION AND FIREFIGHTER COMMUNITY OUTREACH (FCO) PROGRAMS PURPOSE This policy will be utilized to familiarize members with the Fresno Fire Department’s commitment to engage the community by purposefully building positive relationships through (FFD or Department) Public Education (Pub-Ed), Firefighter Community Outreach (FCO) Programs, and to establish a standardized procedure for scheduling the events which require the Fresno Fire Department participation. APPLICATION This policy is applicable to Pub-Ed and FCO events. OPERATIONAL POLICY Civilians at Fire Stations: As City-owned facilities, all Department fire stations shall be available for appropriate public use and educational purposes, pursuant to guidelines specified below. The most common public utilization of fire stations is station tours or use by civic or community groups as a convenient meeting facility. Civilian safety is a primary concern when occupying Department facilities. When the general public enters a fire station, company officers shall be notified and at least one (1) member will be assigned to escort civilian(s). Fire Station Tours: Fire station tours by organized groups will be allowed any day of the week, depending on the availability of the requested fire company. Groups desiring a tour will be referred to the appropriate fire station and the tour scheduled by the company officer. • Children must be closely supervised by an adult at all times during a tour and while on Department property. Effective Date: October 2007 Theodore Semonious, Deputy Fire Chief Current Revision Date: 6/17/2025 Section 113.001 Next Revision (1) Date: 6/17/2027 Page 2 of 6 Public Use of Fire Stations: The use of fire stations by the public for a meeting place will be permitted pursuant to the following guidelines: 1. Between the hours of 0830-2000 hours, unless otherwise approved. 2. Facilities are primarily for Department use; therefore, outside requests will not be approved more than 30 days prior to the requested dates. 3. The outside group or agency should be non-profit or other organizations with a mission complimentary to public safety or the City of Fresno. 4. Approval may be rescinded in cases of emergency or other unforeseen circumstances at the discretion of the Fire Chief or his/her designee. 5. A contact person must be identified for a group. The contact person must provide a contact number and be responsible for station security in the absence of station members. 6. The ratio of adult to children is 1:5. When children are present, one (1) civilian adult is required to be present for every five (5) children in order to assist in their supervision. A company officer or his/her designee will make every reasonable effort to assure the group is admitted to the station at the appointed time and provide assistance as necessary to accommodate the group's needs. This may include but is not limited to, setting up chairs and/or tables, participating in a meeting or activity, and assisting in clean-up after an event. OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE The Department recognizes that effective Pub-Ed and FCO Programs are important components of routine operations and actively promotes the education of the public in matters regarding life safety, fire prevention and suppression, as well as fire-safety issues. This is accomplished by involving fire companies and the FCO Program with the community through interactions at scheduled or unscheduled Pub-Ed events. These events may take place at off-site locations, as well as at fire stations. These interactions include, but are not limited to: • Home safety inspections. If needed, after an emergency call, firefighters may approach a home and offer home inspections, including testing and/or replacing alarms. Effective Date: October 2007 Theodore Semonious, Deputy Fire Chief Current Revision Date: 6/17/2025 Section 113.001 Next Revision (1) Date: 6/17/2027 Page 3 of 6 • Pre-fire plans in businesses or senior care facilities. • Fire station “Open House” Fire Stations may function as a district focal point. • Apartment/house fire viewing. Citizens may be invited to walk through (tour) a “week-old” house fire with staff and crews may take the opportunity to educate on fire prevention and safety. Media may be in attendance. • Block parties, school carnivals, and/or special events. • Station tours. • Parks and skate parks. • Sporting events. Nothing in this document should discourage or limit on-duty fire companies from taking the initiative to positively interact with the community during their day-to-day operations. PROCESS Scheduling Public Requests for an Event: All scheduling coordination is to go through the Community Outreach Specialist (COS) and an online application. Request Submission The Public may request a Pub-Ed and/or FCO event by completing the Fresno Fire Department Community Event Request Form available on the City of Fresno website: https://www.fresno.gov/fire/community-events-requests/ All requests submitted through this form will be routed to the Community Outreach Specialist (COS), who will facilitate coordination with the appropriate company officer and station. Effective Date: October 2007 Theodore Semonious, Deputy Fire Chief Current Revision Date: 6/17/2025 Section 113.001 Next Revision (1) Date: 6/17/2027 Page 4 of 6 The following guidelines are to be referenced when scheduling Pub-Ed and FCO events: • Fire station use by the public is available seven (7) days a week between the hours of 0830-2000 hours. When possible, events are not to be scheduled between 1100-1300 hours or 1700-1900 hours. • School events are to be scheduled for students in third grade and above. However, at the discretion of a company officer, an event for a younger age group may be scheduled. • Companies are not to respond out-of-district to participate in an event. o EXCEPTION: Upon prior approval from their respective battalion chief, companies may respond to an out of district event. • Companies may be placed out-of-service for a short period of time (no more than one (1) hour) with approval of their respective battalion chief. • In most cases, companies should not be scheduled for more than one (1) hour for a single event. Event Approval and Scheduling • Prior to confirming any Pub-Ed or FCO event, the COS must verify the suitability and appropriateness of the event for Department participation. Any additional direction on proposed events is to be ran past the Operations Chief. • Requests should be submitted at least two weeks in advance of the proposed event date. • For requests received with less than two weeks’ notice, approval will be at the discretion of the COS, Operations Chief, and the corresponding Captain. • This scheduling process applies to all related events, including but not limited to station tours, school fire drills, Pub-Ed/FCO events, and use of fire station facilities. Scheduling Procedure All event scheduling shall be managed exclusively through the COS, following these steps: Effective Date: October 2007 Theodore Semonious, Deputy Fire Chief Current Revision Date: 6/17/2025 Section 113.001 Next Revision (1) Date: 6/17/2027 Page 5 of 6 1. Review: The COS reviews the request submitted online to ensure appropriateness. 2. Station Coordination: The COS contacts the relevant station(s) to record detailed event information including date, time, location, description, and expectations. 3. Information Distribution: All event details will be shared with the involved station(s). Any updates or additions to station calendars will be managed by the COS or Public Information Officer (PIO). 4. Confirmation: A confirmation email will be sent to the captain on duty, the relevant battalion chief, and the event requester. 5. Post-Event Documentation: Following the event, the on-duty captain will document pertinent event information within the designated Department app/system to ensure accurate tracking of time and resources. Event Documentation Requirements During and after each event, the following information must be recorded: • Number of attendees • Estimated quantity of resources distributed (e.g., helmets, stickers) • Duration of the event • Qualitative assessment/opinion of the event Safety and Conduct Safety is paramount during all public interactions. Department members are expected to uphold the Department’s mission, core values, and vision at all times. These events provide valuable opportunities to educate the public about the Department’s duties and emergency services. Safety is paramount during interaction with the public. In addition, members are responsible for upholding the Department’s mission, core values, and vision. Members may use these opportunities with the public to familiarize them with the duties of, and emergency services provided by the Department. Effective Date: October 2007 Theodore Semonious, Deputy Fire Chief Current Revision Date: 6/17/2025 Section 113.001 Next Revision (1) Date: 6/17/2027 Page 6 of 6 INFORMATION This section intentionally left blank. DEFINITIONS This section intentionally left blank. CROSS-REFERENCES Administrative Manual Section 113.002, Ride-Along Program