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California Fire Prevention Organization Story

On a cold winter’s day in 2003, two of our founding officers were sitting in a fire station talking about the need for public/private fire prevention solutions. Those discussions have resulted in an organization that is now embraced by hundreds of thousands of people.

Featured Program

FireSmart:CA

People are dying in house fires in California. Nearly every death occurred in a home without a smoke alarm. The FireSmart:CA program teaches students, families, and older adults about fire and life safety, and provides smoke alarms to those in need.

Program List

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Fire Burns. Smoke Kills™
This program is aimed at teaching students and their families the dangers of fires in the home today. This program includes delivering FREE smoke alarms to families in need, anywhere in the State of California.

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QuakeSmart:CA
We teach families like yours how to survive the “Big One” and the steps you can take to be better prepared. It isn’t a matter of IF, but WHEN. The Big One may be just around the corner. Surviving shouldn’t be a matter of chance.

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FireSmart:CA
Our elementary school program teaches children how to make a family escape plan, how to talk to a 911 call taker, and much more. With less than 90 seconds to escape a home fire, knowing what to do is essential to saving lives.

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Ready, Set, Go
California is known for wild fires. We teach families in areas affected by wildfires how to protect their homes, how to prepare to evacuate, and when to leave – something many people are reluctant to do. Our course could help save a life.

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HELPING US SAVE LIVES IS EASY.

WE CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU.

California Fire Prevention Organization is funded soley through grants and gifts. Every dollar helps. We exist because of people like you – thoughtful, caring, and community-minded. California is a big state, and there are a number of significant risks that affect thousands of people every day. Your gift will give us the energy to reach out and help make people’s homes and communities better prepared for disaster. There’s always money after a disaster – we’re working to prevent the disaster in the first place. Every year there are more people to prepare, more kids to teach, and more older adults to keep safe. Help us continue our mission. Help us make California safer, more prepared and more resilient.

Recent News

New Public Safety PSAs for Santa Cruz

15 May 2022
Barrett

Santa Cruz, the original “Surf City,” is working with the California Fire Prevention Organization to produce a series of public service announcements related to water safety in the Santa Cruz area. “We’ve been partnered with Santa Cruz for a number of years, and the issue of drowning and water safety is a constant along the coast here,” reported Cal Fire Prevention’s Cameron Barrett. The PSAs will include not only the Santa Cruz Fire Department, but other agencies that may respond...
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Every 15 Minutes for Calistoga

19 Mar 2022
Barrett

The California Fire Prevention Organization, working in collaboration with The Safe Community Project and the City of Calistoga will develop an educational series and event for Calistoga teens that highlights the CHP’s Every 15 Minutes initiative. The Every 15 Minutes program is a two-day program focusing on high school juniors and seniors, which challenges them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, their community, and many others....
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Beware Flooding After Wildfires

15 Nov 2021
Barrett

Wildfires in California dramatically change landscape and ground conditions, which may lead to increased risk of debris flow (or flooding) during even moderate rains. Since scorched ground can no longer absorb water, residents living downstream of fire-affected areas and in nearby neighborhoods could experience flash flooding and mudflows for up to two years after a wildfire. Many areas in California are at an increased flood risk due to the remarkable growth of wildfires in recent years. Residents and businesses in...
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Smoke Alarm Support Resumes

10 Jun 2021
Barrett

After a number of months sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cal Fire Prevention is pleased to announce that its public safety teams are back in the field, inspecting homes, installing free 10-year sealed smoke alarms, and helping families to be better prepared in the event of a home fire. “We’re back, and it’s a great feeling to be able to help a family make their home just a bit safer,” said Cal Fire Prevention’s Luis Fierro. For families in...
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COVID-19 Pauses Canvassing Efforts

21 Jan 2021
Barrett

The ongoing pandemic related to COVID-19 is forcing Cal Fire Prevention to suspend our community canvassing for the time being. Typically, our public safety teams are inspecting homes, installing free smoke alarms where necessary, and teaching people about fire safety, evacuation, and related topics. “We’re not happy about suspending home inspections, but safety for our members and the public is our top priority,” stated Cal Fire Prevention’s Chris Nevil. “As conditions improve, we’ll do all we can to get back...
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California Burns Takes Off

10 Nov 2020
Barrett

The new book on California Wildfires, California Burns, has received a number of rewarding responses from early purchasers of the book. With a low price of just $12.99, the book covers a wide range of wildfires in Southern California. In addition to the remarkable photographs, the digital book includes downloadable files, and demonstrates the capabilities one can find in an interactive book. Overall, California Burns is designed to teach you about wildfire, from being ready, to preparing when a wildfire...
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Map the N CA wildfires

27 Aug 2020
Barrett

For residents looking to track the latest information related to the N CA wildfires, the San Francisco Chronicle has developed a terrific interactive map. This well produced interactive map will allow you to search by fire the latest information. To use the map, click here.
Wildfires, sparked by lightning, charge through N CA

20 Aug 2020
Barrett

For Californians, 2020 has not been much fun. Now, in just the course of a few days, hundreds of wildfires have been ignited in the northern part of the State, mostly as a result of lightning strikes. To help residents and others to know what to do during this crisis, please review the following list of references: Latest News and Updates More than 14,000 firefighters battling California wildfires Some LNU Complex evacuations could soon lift Lightning storms to start again...
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Riverside Safety Fair a Big Hit!

14 Aug 2020
Barrett

Hundreds of people living in Riverside are a bit safer today, following a CalFire Prevention Safety Fair event. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit California hard beginning in March of 2020, there were concerns that CalFire Prevention’s public safety fairs would be unable to continue. Although no activities took place for several months, the program is now in full swing again. Combining fire safety with public food distribution events has created an unexpected benefit – everyone who attends the event gets...
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New Book Released: California Burns, Vol 1

02 Aug 2020
Barrett

The California Fire Prevention Organization has released a new interactive digital book, “California Burns, Volume One.” This digital book is available via the Apple bookstore, and features never before seen photographs of wildfires throughout Southern California (Volume One). These remarkable fires are shown through the eyes of the fire photographers that cover wildfires in the State. These volunteers put their lives on the line to bring you amazing photographs. To learn more about the book, and to get your own...
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Public Safety Fairs Start Up Again – With a Twist

31 Jul 2020
Barrett

The California Fire Prevention Organization has recommenced its public safety fair efforts following months of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new events, scheduled in partnership with area fire departments, are being presented with a twist: combining our fire and life safety education efforts with food giveaways. As at-risk families are provided with food supplies, CalFire Prevention public safety officers are also providing them with fire safety information, and access to smoke alarm installations and training as well. The...
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New Podcast Supports Californians in Fire and Life Safety

06 Jul 2020
Barrett

The California Fire Prevention Organization is launching two new podcasts in support of fire and life safety in the State. The first is called “California Burns,” and is about wildfire that is always at the center of our fire safety concerns. Every year, wildfires continue to set records, and while 2020 has been relatively quiet with regard to wildfires, the summer is here, and we’re very concerned about what the late summer and fall might bring. The second podcast is...
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As COVID-19 spreads, Six Indicators to Watch For…

15 Apr 2020
Barrett

Currently, the California Fire Prevention Organization’s field operations have been suspended due to the rapidly spreading coronavirus. California Governor Gavin Newsom has published some guidelines that everyone should be aware of relative to overcoming the dramatic impact of this virus. Until we build immunity, our actions will be aligned to achieve the following: Ensure our ability to care for the sick within our hospitals; Prevent infection in people who are at high risk for severe disease; Build the capacity to...
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Fears For Coronavirus Dent Fire Safety Schedules

19 Mar 2020
Barrett

The recent spread of the Novel Coronavirus, first detected late in 2019 is having an impact on scheduled fire prevention and safety activities this spring. The disease, which is called COVID-19 once a person is infected, is considered to be extremely contagious, and has some potential to be life threatening. Although the caseload in the United States is not currently significant, after seeing how quickly it spread throughout Asia, California in general, and the CalFire Prevention Organization specifically are taking...
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Creating Community Resilience One Family at a Time

05 Feb 2020
Barrett

California Fire Prevention is focused on getting key fire and life safety messages to at-risk communities year round, but especially when the risk of house fires – and CO poisoning is highest. The cooler and (sometimes) rainy weather that affects Californians during the winter is when many house fires occur. Often the result of improper heating practices, these fires cause not only destruction to property, but kill dozens of people in the state every year. Supporting or leading public safety...
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School Visits Reinforce Fire Safety Education

22 Jan 2020
Barrett

California Fire Prevention Organization teams are visiting 4th and 5th grade classrooms in various cities throughout California, as this shot from a County of Santa Cruz campus highlights. Students watch a 45 minute presentation and learn about basic fire safety. They then take home an inspection form (as homework), and complete it, returning it for credit prior to a second visit. In the second hour, students are taught about evacuating from their home in the event of a fire, how...
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Teaching Students About Fire Safety

25 Oct 2019
Barrett

California Fire Prevention teams are teaching 4th and 5th grade students about fire safety as part of the 2019/2020 “MySafe:California” outreach program. Students, such as this group in Lake County, CA are taught about the risks of fire in the home, how to inspect their homes for working smoke alarms, how to safety escape a house fire, where to meet, and how to communicate with a 911 call taker. Students receive a free smoke alarm, and CalFire Prevention officers will...
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CalFire Prevention Earns FEMA Grant

20 Sep 2019
Barrett

The California Fire Prevention Organization has won a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant for delivering fire and life safety programming throughout the State of California. This grant, awarded to approximately 150 fire departments, universities, and non-profits is aimed at reducing risk in the community. CalFire Prevention will utilize the grant to reach at-risk homes and people in smaller communities, installing free smoke alarms, teaching in schools, and creating awareness via presentations and public safety fairs. The overall Assistance to...
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Fire Safety Canvassing in Santa Cruz

30 Jul 2019
Barrett

The California Fire Prevention Organization canvasses in neighborhoods throughout the State of California, providing fire safety education and installing FREE smoke alarms into at-risk homes. More than 40% of all lower income homes in the State have either non-functional smoke alarms or none at all. Working in partnership with the Santa Cruz Fire Department, CalFire Prevention teams canvassed a neighborhood installing smoke alarms and teaching families to escape a structure fire together, to bring their pets with them, and how...
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Santa Cruz Jr Guard Learn CPR with CalFire Prevention

15 Jul 2019
Barrett

In a continuing partnership with the Santa Cruz Fire Department, public safety officers from California Fire Prevention provided training in the delivery of CPR, use of an AED, and basic leadership to the city’s Junior Life Guard members. With water safety being such a concern to the city, being able to understand the minute by minute lifesaving techniques that can help keep a person alive pending arrival of advanced life support is essential. CalFire Prevention is thrilled to be engaged...
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