Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SFFD volunteers report growth and strong learning outcomes for school fire‑safety program
Summary
San Francisco Firefighters and Safety Education (FICE) volunteers told the Fire Commission the program now reaches hundreds of schools through firefighter‑led 30‑minute lessons, prop boxes and pre/post tests; presenters said the program reached 2,755 students last semester and routinely produces high post‑test scores.
Lieutenant Dwayne Eckert and FICE volunteers briefed the San Francisco Fire Commission on Feb. 26 about the department’s firefighter‑led school safety program, describing delivery methods, participation and evaluation results. Eckert said local firefighters provide 30‑minute presentations for elementary grades that use a 12‑item prop box, demonstrations and a scripted curriculum to teach key points such as stop, drop and roll; how to cool a burn; how to dial 911; and escape planning.
Eckert and volunteer presenters said the program relies on 49 volunteer presenters deployed across all neighborhoods and that the curriculum includes a short pretest and a post‑test given within 24 hours to measure knowledge gain. Lead intern Elliot Reynolds reported reaching 2,755 students last semester and scheduling dozens of additional visits; Eckert said some years the program reaches between 7,000 and 15,000 students. Presenters said the post‑test correct‑response rate on challenging items (for example, what to use to cool a burn) typically rises to about 90 percent after instruction, which they cited as evidence of the program’s effectiveness.
Presenters said materials and videos for trainers and firefighters are available online and that printed materials exist in multiple languages; Scott Wirtz of the Alisa Ann Roche Burn Foundation said materials have been updated in seven languages and the foundation hopes to expand further. Commissioners pressed for broader distribution (SF.gov and YouTube were suggested), language access, and the exact contents of the prop box; presenters described tactile teaching tools such as a toy phone for dialing 911 and a smoke‑alarm prop.
Commissioners praised the program’s community reach and asked staff to share training videos and the “3 points of contact” safety video with the commission. Presenters said the program is free to schools and depends on foundation support and volunteers; the commission encouraged promotion through district parent‑teacher organizations to expand reach.
The commission did not take formal action on the presentation; discussion concluded with commissioners thanking presenters and noting the value of firefighter engagement in prevention and school outreach.
