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Fire Prevention Bureau - Fire Education - Station Tours

Contact: Scott Bishop - Fire Marshal

6856 West Broad Street (Bankhead Highway) - Blake Gammill Memorial Building
Douglasville, GA 30134
Phone: 770.920.7484
Fax: 770.920.7513

sbishop@co.douglas.ga.us


The Fire Prevention Bureau is staffed by State of Georgia Certified Fire Safety Inspectors and Educators who are also State of Georgia Certified Firefighters.

The Fire Prevention Bureau staff has completed training and received certification in the National Fire Protection Association's Life Safety Code, and continues to attend regular training sessions in order to stay up to date on changes in fire prevention codes and standards. All Fire Prevention Bureau Inspectors are members of the Georgia Fire Inspectors Association. The Fire Prevention Bureau staff provides comprehensive inspection and code enforcement of the National Fire Protection Association Codes, International Fire Code, and the Georgia Accessibility Code, as well as the Douglas County Code of Ordinances.

The Fire Prevention Bureau provides a number of inspection and code enforcement services to the citizens of unincorporated Douglas County, the City of Douglasville, and the portion of the City of Villa Rica which lies within the topographical boundaries of Douglas County, including, but not limited to:

• Annual inspection for code compliance of all commercial and public buildings, including schools, churches, restaurants, retail establishments, nursing homes, daycare centers, hotels, multi-family dwelling units, etc.
• Plan review and construction inspections of all new commercial and public buildings
• Plan review and inspection of all new residential developments for compliance with rate of flow requirements and placement of fire hydrants to provide adequate fire protection to residents
• Consultation with new business owners and new occupants of commercial structures to insure that all fire and life safety requirements are addressed and maintained
• Inspection of new installation of fuel tanks
• Issuance of blasting permits
• Issuance of permits for and inspections of commercial burn pits
• Fire Drills and evacuation planning for public and commercial occupancies
• Fire Extinguisher training for public and commercial occupancies
• Special event emergency action planning
• Coordination of efforts with State Fire Marshal's office for plan review, new construction inspections and annual inspection of facilities which fall under the jurisdiction of the State Fire Marshal's office.

The Fire Prevention Bureau is also responsible for Fire and Life Safety Education in Douglas County. It is the goal of the Fire Prevention Bureau to deliver fire and life safety education to the citizens of Douglas County on a regular and ongoing basis.

Services and programs are available to all citizens of Douglas County through regularly scheduled community-wide events, including County Government Week; September Saturdays Festival; and Fire Prevention Week; as well as special programs to schools, childcare facilities, senior adult facilities and civic organizations; fire station tours, Fire Safety House training, and other programs.

Programs available include the following:

• Friendly Firefighter
• Stop, Drop & Roll
• Crawl Low Under Smoke
• EDITH (Exit Drills In The Home)
• Senior Adult Safety
• Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Program
• Fire Station Tours
• Fire Safety House Demonstrations.

The Fire Prevention Bureau, in conjunction with dctv23, will provide monthly fire and life safety education spots on dctv23 and the county website.

Organizations interested in obtaining a speaker for a meeting or special event, or who wish to schedule a station tour, may contact us at 770-920-7484. Please contact us a minimum of 10 days prior to your event, so that we may schedule any necessary station apparatus and equipment to be available. Please bear in mind that we are a working, emergency response agency, and as such, equipment scheduled to be available for an education program is subject to call out on emergency calls at any time prior to or during the event.

Fire Station Tours
Trips to a fire station can be an exciting and educational experience for children of all ages. Douglas County Fire Department routinely schedules "station tours" for civic organizations and school field trips.

During station tours, educational components are geared towards general fire safety, fire drill preparedness and "a day in the life of a firefighter" for younger age groups. Lesson plans have been developed that are age appropriate and are timed specifically to the attention span of the audience. (Lessons can however, be individualized to meet the needs of a specific organization.) Our fire station tours and education are instructed by the Fire Prevention Bureau and/or the station company officer. Typical station tour allotted times are as follows:

• Ages 4-6: Approximately 15 minutes
• Ages 7-12 Approximately 20-30 minutes
• Ages 13 and up: Approximately 30 minutes

Younger age groups are also provided with education resources such as coloring books, sticker badges, and even "fire helmets" to help reinforce the lessons they learn while taking a station tour.

Station tours are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis and are available:

• Tuesday - Thursday from 9 am to 7 pm
• Friday - 9 am to 4 pm

Schedule Your Tour
All classes and demonstrations are scheduled through the Fire Prevention Bureau, which can be contacted at 770-920-7484. This number is a voicemail box that is specifically for scheduling fire safety education events. When leaving a message on this voicemail box, please include the following information:

• Your name and organization you are representing
• A point of contact and telephone number
• The age group and number of children attending
• The date and time you would like to request.

The Fire Prevention Bureau requires a minimum of a 10-day notice to schedule any fire education event. Please allow a one business day turn around for all call backs.

Fire Safety House
The fire safety house is an educational tool used to teach fire prevention and fire survival in an interactive environment. The fire safety house is equipped with a living room, kitchen and bedroom and allows children to practice exiting techniques in a simulated smoke filled environment. The fire safety house is best suited for smaller aged children and does require more time than the traditional fire station tours provided. If your organization is looking to work on exit drills in the home, the fire safety house is for you! Procedures for booking the fire safety house are the same as scheduling a fire department station tour. Contact the Fire Prevention Bureau at 770-920-7484. There is no cost involved in utilizing this valuable resource, and the fire safety house will come to your location.