CONCERNS – COMPLIMENTS
How do I file a concern or a compliment related to fire personnel?
EMERGENCY READINESS
During a major incident, how do I find out if there are any potential threats I should be aware of?
Where can I go to get training to be more prepared in the event of a disaster?
What is the evacuation plan for the elderly, disabled, etc.?
Where can I go to get sand bags?
Do you get cats out of trees, off telephone poles, or off of roof tops?
WORKFORCE AND SERVICE DELIVERY
Is the approval process for new development taken into account the need for increase in services; Is staffing adequate as population increases?
What are we doing to stay competitive as it relates to recruitment and retention?
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
How do you provide public education to schools and is it provided to both public AND private?
What is the Fire Department’s involvement with high schools.
How can I get fire safety information in other languages?
How do I get information about the Juvenile FireSetter Program?
EMERGENCY RESPONDERS
What do I do when I am driving in my vehicle and emergency vehicles are responding to a call?
Why does a Fire Engine respond to a medical emergency?
Why do so many fire apparatus respond to simple incidents?
Why do I see firefighters cutting holes in the roof of a building on fire?
How do I get a copy of a fire report?
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CONCERNS – COMPLIMENTS
How do I file a concern or a compliment related to fire personnel?
You may write, come in person, or call during regular business hours:
Sacramento Fire Department
Professional Standards & Accountability
5770 Freeport Blvd., Suite 46
Sacramento, California 95822
Phone: (916) 808-0777
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Professional Standards & Accountability Office will contact you within (7) working days from receiving your communication. Anonymous correspondence should be sent to the above address. The more information you give us, the more thorough our response will be to your communication.
You may also file a Citizen Communications Form (PDF 125k) via the Internet.
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EMERGENCY READINESS
During a major incident, how do I find out if there are any potential threats I should be aware of?
The Sacramento Fire Department has established close working relations with the local media. At a moments notice, several media sources can be fed current and accurate information about an incident as it unfolds.
The department also works under the guidelines of the Federal Communications Commission and other federal regulating agencies in regard to mass public notifications. An emergency public message could be delivered through the Emergency Alerting System sending specific information or direction through radio stations and televisions.
The Sacramento Fire Department’s web-site (www.sacfire.org) is also a great location to find specific and timely information on large incidents that the department has responded to, or is currently working on in the
Sacramento area.
Where can I go to get training to be more prepared in the event of a disaster?
The Sacramento Fire Department is a sponsor of the C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) program which is part of the Citizen Corps program. CERT training is provided to the public at no cost. SACRAMENTO CERT is a group of community members, residing in Sacramento who have spent many hours training with the Sacramento Fire Department to respond to an emergency in their neighborhood, workplace or wherever the need may arise. The funding for the training is through grants that the Fire Department receives from the Department of Homeland Security.
For more information on being prepared, please visit these websites:
http://www.sacramentocert.net/
http://www.srccc.org/
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.sacpd.org/10steps.pdf
http://www.cityofsacramento.org/utilities/flood/floodready.html
What is the evacuation plan for the elderly, disabled, etc.?
The city has recently completed a draft Evacuation plan which will serve as an annex to the city's Emergency Operations Plan. Currently the plan is still in draft form and is undergoing review prior to adoption.
The planning process included multiple segments of the community including the disabled, the transportation disadvantaged, the elderly, residents of skilled nursing facilities, and other populations needing extra attention. Community summits were held to provide fact finding for the planning process. Participants included disabled rights advocates, disabled advisory committee members, members of aging commissions, agencies providing service to the disabled and seniors, various care facilities, transportation providers, and members of the community.
The plan has provided for a foundation for coordinating the various government, community-based, and private organizations prior to and during an evacuation. It is imperative to note that this plan can only serve as a tool considering the events demanding an evacuation will very greatly from one to another and will be highly situational based. We utilized many lessons learned from recent disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and recommendations from numerous studies and reports during the evacuation planning process. While this plan addresses many needs during an evacuation, future planning will be ongoing to address those not focused within this draft. Additionally, working in concert with the county during their current evacuation plan development, the city will likely realize benefits in many existing plan gaps.
Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as making an emergency supply kit and developing a family communications plan, are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency.
However, there are important differences among potential emergencies that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you take. You can learn more about the potential emergencies that could happen where you live and the appropriate way to respond to them by visiting the following websites:
www.ready.gov
www.aginginstride.org/emergencyprep/default.htm
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.sacpd.org/10steps.pdf
Where can I go to get sand bags?
Sand is supplied only when there is an imminent threat of a flood. To find out the locations that will temporarily have sand available during the threat of a flood, please go to:
http://www.sacflood.org/
http://www.sacfire.org
Do you get cats out of trees, off telephone poles, or off of roof tops?
No, not usually. Try opening a can of tuna and waiting for the cat to get down on its own.
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WORKFORCE AND SERVICE DELIVERY
Is the approval process for new development taken into account the need for increase in services; is staffing adequate as population increases?
The City of
Sacramento is expected to grow by approximately 200,000 residents in the next 25 years. At the same time, the City is expected to add about 150,000 more jobs during this period of growth. These growth figures will have a significant effect on the operation of the City’s Fire Department.
To plan for this growth, the City is in the process of updating its General Plan and the Fire Department has retained the services of Matrix Consulting Group to create a Master Plan document to guide the future operations and planning for the Department. The developing Master Plan will be organized into five core focus areas Operational Strategy, Organizational Structure, Core Infrastructure, Technology, and Workforce Development. The Master Plan will evaluate the performance of the Fire Department against best practices, evaluate opportunities to improve the quality, and provide recommendations to accommodate future growth.
The next steps in this process will include producing a final draft document, public outreach, developing financing options and establishing an implementation plan.
What are we doing to stay competitive as it relates to recruitment and retention?
The fire department is fully aware that to recruit and retain excellent people we must be competitive in the market. At this current time we are not as competitive as we would like to be. However, we are actively seeking candidates who are willing to work hard and enjoy working for a fire department which is cutting edge. We currently recruit in our local area and we focus on our educational institutions. We enjoy a good relationship with our area high schools and local colleges. A good deal of time is also spent attending local and community events.
As for retention we do not believe that money is the sole factor which makes an employee satisfied. As such we offer a large number of opportunities for continuing education and challenging job assignments. There are opportunities to upgrade your medical skills as well as chances to become involved with our Urban Search and Rescue team. These are just two avenues which provide job enrichment.
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SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
How do you provide public education to schools and is it provided to both public AND private?
The Public Education Officer conducts fire safety presentations to all schools, public and private throughout the City of
Sacramento, as requests are made. Presentation topics vary based on the age of the students. Topics include: Smoke Detectors; Arson Awareness; Preventable Injuries (bicycle/helmet safety, pedestrian safety, poison safety, seat belts, etc.), Calling 911; Stop, Drop, & Roll; Exit Drills In The Home (EDITH); and general fire safety.
To arrange for a public education presentation at a school within the city limits, please call: 808-1673.
What is the Fire Department’s involvement with high schools?
The Sacramento Fire Department has a commitment to recruit locally. As such we have always felt that our high schools are a fertile ground for recruitment. Presently, we are planning on teaching EMT classes at three local area schools. We also visit all of our high school campuses on a regular basis. We attend most special events that are happening at our local high schools.
How can I get fire safety information in other languages?
The Sacramento Fire Department has a number of fire safety brochures in languages other than English. If you would like a copy of a brochure that is listed below, please call: 808-1357. In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides information flyers, brochures, tri-folds, press releases and public service announcements related to disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in many other languages. Click here for more information. http://www.fema.gov/media/resources/languages.shtm
“Working Smoke Detectors Save Lives” (English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mien, Hmong, Russian)
“Please Abide-Move Aside” (English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Lao, Hmong, Cambodian, Russian)
“Are You Prepared? A Guide to Emergency Preparedness for
Sacramento
County” (English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mien, Hmong, Russian)
“Smoke Alarms-First Defense Against Fire” (English, Spanish)
“Fire Extinguishers-Choosing them and Using Them” (English, Spanish)
“Kitchen Fire Prevention-Cook Up Something Safe” (English, Spanish)
“Home Fire Drills-Practice For Survival” (English, Spanish)
How do I get information about the Juvenile FireSetter Program?
Go to http://www.firesetter.com/ or call (916) 808-1673.
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EMERGENCY RESPONDERS
What do I do when I am driving in my vehicle and emergency vehicles are responding to a call?
Here is what you need to do when you are driving and you hear the sirens and see the lights flashing on an emergency vehicle:
If you are at an intersection:
Don’t Panic.
Don’t pull into the intersection on a red light.
Don’t stop in the middle of an intersection.
Stop at the limit line or the crosswalk on a red light at the intersection.
Yield the right-of-way when able to safely do so. That may mean moving through the intersection first on a green light and then pulling over to the right as soon as possible after the intersection.
Wait for ALL emergency vehicles to pass before getting back on the road. Remember there may be more than one emergency vehicle on the way.
If you are on a one way street:
Don’t Panic.
Don’t stop in the middle of the road.
Pull over to the right when safely able to do so.
Slow down and stop to make a safe lane of passage for the emergency vehicle.
If you are on the freeway:
Don’t Panic.
Don’t stop on the freeway.
Don’t pull over to the left shoulder unless instructed to do.
Pull over to the right when safely able to do so.
Continue to move forward at a safe speed.
Why does a Fire Engine respond to a medical emergency?
Why does a big, red engine arrive when I wanted an ambulance? Because firefighters and the engine can usually get there first, and time is critical in a medical emergency.
In the early days, fire stations were strategically located so the crews could quickly get to burning buildings. Obviously, time is an important aspect of firefighting, because flames can rapidly spread through a building. The ability to quickly respond to a fire provides more time to rescue people inside, and save property by suppressing the blaze in the early stages. It soon became apparent that the firefighter’s ability to “get there fast” could be used for other types of emergency response, such as heart attacks, strokes and trauma.
Four minutes is a critical time frame for someone who has experienced a heart attack, injury, or other illness that makes them stop breathing. The heart and brain have a better chance of full recovery if they receive oxygen in four minutes or less. After that, a person can suffer brain damage or worse. Firefighters and paramedics can use life saving techniques and medications to help prevent death or permanent injury much more effectively if they can get to a patient within the first four minutes.
Each fire station is part of a much larger, intricate dispatch system. The system is designed to provide adequate fire and emergency medical coverage for the citizens who live here, by carefully managing response resources. Fire stations are not isolated or randomly located. They are strategically positioned to provide the best coverage with the least expenditure of resources.
Why do so many fire apparatus respond to simple incidents?
Fire Department units are dispatched according to information received by the 9-1-1 operator. The Sacramento Fire Department wants to always be on “the safe side” when they respond to citizens in need of help. In other words, the firefighters are prepared to deal with the worst that could happen. They are fast, well-trained and pleasant in their response.
A computer selects the closest unit to respond to an incident. The fire department's philosophy is to get our firefighters there as soon as possible. This will be either an engine company or a ladder truck company. In preparation for the worse case scenario, an ambulance often is dispatched as well. The first unit on the scene may not be an advanced life support unit (a unit with paramedics). Therefore, such a unit also will be responding.
There may be three fire department vehicles on the scene for what appears to be a "simple" incident. However, in emergency services we have learned that if we assume something is "simple," we can be horribly mistaken. Plus, we respond as fast as we can, prepared to encounter the worst. The winner in these situations will always be the citizen who needs help.
Why do I see firefighters cutting holes in the roof of a building on fire?
This is called "venting the roof." There are two basic reasons for this practice. Dangerous gases and dark smoke accumulate in a burning building. Unlike the movie versions of fires, it is impossible for firefighters to see in such an environment. When a hole is made in the roof because the building is "vented," the smoke and gases escape because heat and smoke rise. It makes it much easier for the firefighters in the building to see. It also reduces the possibilities of backdraft and flashover. Another reason for venting the roof is to see how far the fire has progressed. One of the fastest avenues through which fires spread is the attic. Heat and smoke rise into the attic where the fire can move quickly. Firefighters may go ahead of the fire on a roof, cut holes to access the attic and stop the fire from spreading through the attic.
How do I get a copy of a fire report?
You may obtain a copy of a fire report by calling 916-808-1300.
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