Firefighters take an oath to protect lives and property, and that involves much more than what many see as the role of firefighters, responding to calls for help.
Battalion Chief Brian Gebo is the Community Outreach and Public Education Officer for the Ridge Road Fire District (RRFD). Chief Gebo coordinates the many Public Safety Educations programs offered through the RRFD. In developing the programs, Gebo said the data on community needs is what pushes the education programs selected. “We look for the trends to find our education focus. The number one threat to kids is car accidents and number one with seniors is falls. With education comes prevention, our goal is to avert the calls for help by educating the community on how to keep safe.”
According to the RRFD’s website, “The goal of the fire district’s Community Outreach and Public Education program is to engage the public in meaningful, professionally delivered, and useful programs and educational sessions throughout the community that contribute to the overall wellness of families and businesses of the district.”
Five ways to accomplish these goals are defined as:
- Visit 100% of all Kindergarten through fifth grade (K-5) classes in the Ridge Road Fire District twice per school year.
- Increase fire safety programs for senior citizens by ten percent (10%) annually.
- Increase interactive programs with businesses within the district by ten percent (10%) annually.
- Record a ten percent (10%) increase in the installation of residential smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and/or batteries every year.
- Provide a minimum of twelve (12) child safety seat-fitting stations annually.
The RRFD has been recognized with accreditation by the Commission of Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). They are the only municipal department in New York State to be accredited by the CFAI, and one of only 259 accredited across the globe. Evaluations for accreditation are based on Community Risk Reduction, Public Education and Community Outreach, Fire Investigation, Domestic Preparedness, Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Services, Technical Rescue and Hazardous Materials Response. “We haven’t achieved this alone. We work closely with Monroe County Agencies, the Sheriff’s Department, Greece Police and other Greece fire stations,” Gebo said.
Some of the main community outreach programs offered by RRFD include:
- Blood Pressure Screenings – Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead many health complications. The public is invited to stop in to any of the fire stations for a blood pressure check.
- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms- Every year about 2,500 people die in home fires, most deaths occur in homes with no working smoke alarms. RRFD offers assistance to any homeowner experiencing difficulties with their alarms, or have questions about them.
- CPR Training – Monthly classes, on the second Wednesday of the month, are offered to the community. Individual and group classes are available. As part of the in-school program, students are taught the hands only CPR method.
- Child Passenger Safety Seat Checks – Seven out of ten children in child safety seats are not properly secured, either the seat is not properly installed, or the restraint system is adjusted improperly. RRFD firefighters are certified to assist with proper installation of child safety seats. Community Child Car Seat Safety Educational events are held throughout the year in partnership with Monroe County STOP DWI & Traffic Safety Department and Mark’s Pizzeria, 3670 Mt. Read Blvd., who provides free pizza for the first 30 participants in car seat checks.
A main focus of the RRFD outreach programs is within the schools. “Going into the schools, and working face to face with the kids, is a great way to get in touch with the community,” Gebo said.
The Responding To Emergencies (RTE) program gives students the opportunity to learn about 911 calls. “Kids get exposure to the 911 center for police, fire and ambulance. We bring in nurses, Dr. Jeremy Cushman, an Emergency Medicine Specialist from URMC, and EMT’s to talk about their roles in response to emergencies,” Gebo said. The program is for 11th and 12th graders, and presents the many opportunities in emergency response, both as a career or as a volunteer.
Another in-school program is the Heroin Education Reduction Opioid (HERO) program. “With the increase of heroin and fentanyl related deaths within all communities, we felt a real need to stop the spiral, and teach students about the realities of this drug use. We bring in patients in recovery, Monroe County Sheriffs, and parents who have lost children, all to talk to the students about how lives are being changed by these drugs. We also demonstrate a mock drug overdose re-enactment. We show a video and in this one hour presentation, strive to show the true cause and effect of these dangerous drugs. We recently presented to 400 students at Greece Athena High School,” Gebo said.
For more information on all the Community Outreach Programs offered by RRFD visit rrfd.org
Photos by Karen Fien
