For the fourth consecutive year the Columbia-Richland Fire Department is being recognized as a ‘Fire Safe South Carolina Community’ for its year-round work promoting fire safety and education.
CRFD was one of 132 fire departments across the Palmetto State selected by ‘Fire Safe South Carolina’ for the honor for the year 2022. The department officially received its award for the designation at the annual state Fire-Rescue conference in Myrtle Beach on Saturday June 17.
“Our department has grown to take a great deal of pride in earning this recognition over the past four years,” said Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins, “Each day it is the mission of our members to not only respond to fires and other emergencies in our communities but also pursue projects to prevent them all together. I applaud our team for their constant work in community risk reduction to help keep our citizens safe.”
To earn the ‘Fire Safe South Carolina’ designation, fire departments had to complete courses focused on improving the quality of their department data. They also had to train their community partners on how to deliver in-home safety visits as well as take online courses in community risk reduction through the National Fire Academy. Over the course of 2022, 536 community partners were identified by fire departments statewide in South Carolina and more than 2,500 fire service members were educated on community risk reduction topics. Also nearly one million citizens in the state were educated on fire and life safety topics.
“Nearly one million citizens were educated last year on ways to stay fire safe thanks to the commitment and dedication of our 132 ‘Fire Safe South Carolina departments and our community partners,” said Community Risk Reduction Chief Josh Fulbright. “The efforts will not stop there as we continue to work together to educate more people and make South Carolina safe.”
In 2022 fire prevention staff members at CRFD completed 357 public fire education demonstrations. This included giving 21 virtual fire station tours. They also completed 258 home fire safety surveys for citizens in the City of Columbia and Richland County and installed 449 free smoke alarms and 118 carbon monoxide alarms for citizens in need of those devices.
Launched in 2017, Fire Safe SC’s partners include the S.C. State Firefighters’ Association, the S.C. State Association of Fire Chiefs, the S.C. Fire Marshal Association and the S.C Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators.
