The Public Education Unit of Contra Costa County Fire Protection District consists of one part-time Fire Prevention Specialist who conducts public education programs when not assigned to the Exterior Hazard Control Division during the months of May through October.
Despite a long-term downward trend, the United States continues to have one of the highest fire death rates per capita in the world. Part of the reason for this is the lack of adequate public fire education resources nationwide. It is a proven fact that educating the public in matters of fire and life safety reduces casualties.
Simply stated, the goal of our Public Education Unit is that all of our citizens, from preschoolers to senior citizens, will learn the proper action to take in a sudden fire or life emergency. We have a number of programs and tools to accomplish this goal. Our vision is a fire district where no one suffers a fire injury or death due to a lack of knowledge or preparation.
To contact the Public Education Unit, please call 925.941.3327. Brochures and printed information are available year-round. Public Education presentations may be scheduled from October through April.
List below are the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District fire and life safety programs. Public education presentations are conducted October through April. If you'd like to request a Public Education Presentation, click here. If you'd like to request Public Education materials to pass out to your group, please click here.
What is a "Hug-A-Bear" and are they effective? Several years ago, the fire service and various law enforcement agencies discovered that providing teddy bears to injured and traumatized children at an incident scene had a profound calming effect on the child. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District implemented the "Hug-A-Bear" program and it continues to this day. The teddy bears are provided solely by donations to our fire district. Two teddy bears are carried on each engine and the firefighter gives a bear to the child on scene. This is done on accident scenes, child medical calls, and even calls where the child may not be the focus, but grandma is ill or a family member is injured. The teddy bears are a cuddly focal point for a child that may be upset during a traumatic event.
The fire district is not accepting donations of teddy bears at this time due to a surplus of donated bears.
Nationally, over 50% of all arson arrests are youth under the age of eighteen. Addressing this behavior in juveniles can help prevent injuries and property loss and is believed to reduce the number of adult arsonists in our community.
It is normal for a child to be curious about fire. Children want to learn about the world around them. Because your child is curious about fire does not mean there is something wrong with him/her. However, when the interest becomes a dangerous behavior such as unsupervised experimentation with fire, intervention is essential. If you suspect that your child is lighting fires, playing with matches, lighters, fireworks or has had even one fire experimentation incident, you need to take action. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away. By addressing your child's fire play early, you can take a positive step in insuring that your child will not be included as a statistic.
Call the Public Education Unit at 925.941.3327 or click here to request juvenile firesetter educational materials.
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