Public Education

The people least able to care for themselves are those most susceptible to the consequences of fire. Therefore, the Fire Department has made itself available to all the schools in the City to teach the very young how to be careful with anything that will cause a fire.

Department representatives also educate the children on what to do and not to do in the case of a fire.

For more information about public education, contact us at (314) 524-3313 x 2046.

Buying a Used Child Safety Seat is Not Such a Safe Idea!!!!

Safety advocates do NOT recommend buying used child safety seats. There is no guarantee for safety, when purchasing a used car seat at a garage sale, flea market or a thrift store. There is no way of knowing if these seats have been in a crash and if they had received damage that can't be seen with the naked eye.

Your child's safety seat may NOT be safe if:

  •  it has been in a crash
  •  it has missing parts
  • it has no labels or stickers (that shows the expiration date) 
  • it is over 6 years old
  • it is not used properly
  • it is on a recall list

Members of the City of Berkeley Fire Department have attended 40-hours of training to become certified Child Safety Car Seat installers. This department, in conjunction with St. Louis County Health Department, who furnishes the car seats, has free car seats available for installation. For more information, to have your current child safety seat checked or to make an appointment to have a new child safety car set install, contact the Fire Department at 314-264-2046.

Mentoring Program

The City of Berkeley Fire Department recently completed our sixth (6th) year of participation in an eight (8) week course in conjunction with St. Louis County Family Courts (formerly the Juvenile Court) known as the Mentoring program.

The program’s goal is to instill “Trust”, “Team Work” and “Self Confidence. During the eight (8) week program, one day a week the boys and girls were taught various respects of the Fire Fighters job, such as, Search & Rescue and Vehicle Extrication, Basic First Aid and CPR. The eight (8) week program was set up as a mini fire academy; teaching some basic firefighting and safety skills, while providing a positive role models.

The Mentoring Program was created in January of 1993 with a grant from the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. Initially, the Program focused on male, African-American youth in need of Mentors. In July of 1994, the Program was placed under the auspices of the Human Resources Department and evolved to include youth male and female (age 13-16 years) referred to the Court.

This program is geared to facilitate positive new behaviors and attitudes within our youth. Provides delinquent youth with guidance and support. Gives fire department personnel the opportunity to positively impact the juvenile in the justice system.

Initially, the Program was funded by a grant from the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. In 1995, the Family Court of St. Louis County began to analyze other funding opportunities including foundation grants and individual donations.

Fire Extinguisher Training Program

Comprehensive fire extinguisher training programs create a safer workplace. As many are well aware, OSHA requires that employees be educated in the use of fire extinguishers. Specifically, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(g) states: "Where the employer has provided portable fire extinguishers for employee use in the workplace, the employer shall also provide an educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting."

While offering fire extinguisher education to your employees ensures regulatory compliance, there are also a number of important reasons why a comprehensive fire extinguisher training program should be a central element of any complete work safety regimen. Fires have a nearly unmatched potential for loss of property and loss of life. Nationwide, fires account for more than $10 billion in property loss each year and result in more deaths than all natural disasters combined.

The City of Berkeley Fire Department currently offers Fire Extinguisher Training to all local business and organizations. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact us at 314-524-3313, ext. 2046.