Inspections & Prevention

The Portage Fire Department's Fire Education and Prevention Division provides educational services and safety programs for the community, businesses, schools, and professional organizations, including:

• Age Appropriate and Topical Fire Safety
• CPR and First Aid Courses
• Juvenile Fire-Setter Counseling
• Presentations and Workshops
• "Safe Citizens" Prevention Trailer
• Times...they are a-changing!

In times past, fire fighting personnel did one thing, they put fires out. At vehicle accidents they used slow and sometimes dangerous tools, oftentimes injuring themselves and their patients.

Modern Firefighter

Today is the era of a different firefighter. He is confronted not only with fires that burn hotter and faster than in the past but also with hazardous materials, health and safety, emergency medical care, and specialized rescues (water, confined spaces, trenches, etc.)

Today's firefighter no longer puts himself and/or patients at risk at vehicular accidents either. He must know how to remove the car from the injured person without doing any further harm.

Today's firefighters know that when the tone sounds, someone's life will change forever.

Prevention

Fire departments all over the country have shifted their efforts from extinguishing fires to preventing them before they start. The Portage Fire Department's Fire Education and Prevention Division works hard to ensure that buildings are built and maintained in a safe condition with adequate exits and water supplies.

Looking Ahead

The Fire Education and Prevention Division is looking forward to adding additional manpower for inspections and the prevention of fires. We know that the more the city grows, the more important prevention becomes.

Lives are changed when the tone goes off. A citizen or a firefighter may not go home in the morning. That is why when we say, "I hope it's a slow day," we are not being lazy, just compassionate to someone's loss.

Remember, prevention saves lives.