Public Education

Why is it important for children to learn fire safety?

Kids may be curious about fire or want to emulate their parents’ behaviors with matches or lighters. But as adults and firefighters know, a single match can start a devastating home fire. For parents, it’s essential to teach children fire safety basics at an early age to prevent tragedies and stay safe.

Bryan Fire Department offers different programs to meet the variety of age and group size associated with children as young as three years old.

Examples of subjects covered for our younger audiences are:

• Stop, Drop And Roll
• Crawl low in smoke
• Firefighters are your Friend
• Exit Drills In The Home (EDITH)
• Smoke Detectors
• Kitchen Safety
• Match and Lighter Safety
• Home Fire Hazards
• Careers in the Fire Department

Special Note: It is important to remember that almost all of our public education programs are provided by on duty crews and it is very likely that some or all crew members may be called to respond to emergencies. In the event crews are unable to complete or attend your event we will do our best to re-schedule.

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For more information about fire prevention visit our Downloadable Materials and Links section

Teaching Tools

If you’re a teacher or safety educator, you’ve come to the right place for high-quality, free resources: downloadable educational programs, lesson plans, tip sheets, videos, and more. Strategies are integrated throughout our programs to reach those at highest risk including young children, older adults, people in low-income communities, and people with disabilities.

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The Home Fire Safety program is designed for home owners. Subjects include:

• Exit Drills In The Home (EDITH)
• Smoke Alarms
• Kitchen Safety
• Electrical Safety
• Fire Extinguishers
• Home Fire Hazards
• Pool Safety
• Recreational and Cooking Fire Safety
• Wildfire Safety

This program can be offered to small or large groups. We can come to you or you can schedule a station visit and utilize one of our training rooms for the presentation (training rooms are limited to 20 visitors).

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For more information about fire prevention visit our Downloadable Materials and Links section.

Burn Permits, Recreational Fires & Cooking Fires

Outside Fire Guidelines per City of Bryan Ordinance Chapter 42 and IFC 2021 Chapter 3

• Recreational fires may not contain electrical insulation, treated lumber, plastics, construction or demolition materials not made of wood, heavy oils, asphaltic materials, potentially explosive materials, chemical wastes, or items containing natural or synthetic rubber
• All recreational and portable outdoor fireplaces shall be constantly attended until the fire is extinguished.
• A minimum of one 4-A portable fire extinguisher OR other approved on-site extinguishing equipment, such as dirt, sand, water barrel, garden hose or water truck shall be available for immediate use.

International Fire Code 2021 Section 308.1.4 Open-flame cooking devices

Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. Exceptions:

• One- and two-family dwellings.
• Where buildings, balconies and decks are protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
• LP-gas cooking devices having LP-gas container with a water capacity not greater than 2 1/2 pounds [nominal 1 pound (0.454 kg) LPgas capacity].

If you are not sure if your balcony is combustible or non-combustible materials please consult your property management.

Burn Permits

Any fire within the Bryan City Limit that does not qualify as a Recreational Fire, Portable Outdoor Fireplace, or Open-flame Cooking Device will require a burn permit.

• Apply for Burn Permit
• Check Burn Ban Status

Recreational Fires

Outdoor fires where the fuel being burned is not contained in an approved container AND has a total fuel area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes.

• Shall not be conducted within 25ft of a structure or combustible material.
• Conditions that could cause a fire to spread within 25ft of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition.
• Recreational Fires are prohibited when a “Burn Ban” is in effect

Portable Outdoor Fireplaces

Solid-fuel-burning fireplace that may be constructed of steel, concrete, clay or other noncombustible material. A portable outdoor fireplace may be open in design, or may be equipped with a small hearth opening and a short chimney opening in the top.

• Shall not operated within 15 ft. of a structure OR combustible material.
• Portable Outdoor Fireplaces are prohibited when a “Burn Ban” is in effect.

Open-Flame Cooking Devices

As of Jan. 1, 2022, the City of Bryan has adopted the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC). This change allows for some conditional use of open flame cooking devices as it relates to multi-family complexes. As a general rule we discourage the use of grills on balconies and advocate for community grills or locating grills at least 10 feet away from any combustible object. It is very important for property management and tenants to understand what is allowed under the new code and what is not. Violation of this code carries a fine up to $2,000.

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The Workplace Fire Safety program is designed for staff members. Subjects include:

• Hands on fire extinguisher training
• Emergency exit drills and procedures
• Electrical hazards
• Hazard recognition
• Understanding Fire Alarm/Fire Sprinkler Systems

This program can be offered to small or large groups. We typically come to your facility to deliver the program. IF you want the hands on fire extinguisher training you will need to provide the extinguishers to be used and have a safe location outside to do the training. Live fire training will not be done if there is a burn ban in effect.

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The Fire Safety for Senior Citizens program is designed to address the specific needs of our senior citizen community. Subjects include:

• Hands on fire extinguisher training
• Emergency exit drills and procedures
• Electrical hazards
• Hazard recognition
• Slip and Trip Safety
• Space heater safety
• Smoke alarms

This program can be offered to small or large groups. We typically come to your facility to deliver the program. IF you want the hands on fire extinguisher training you will need to provide the extinguishers to be used and have a safe location outside to do the training. Live fire training will not be done if there is a burn ban in effect.

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For more information, view the NFPA Steps to Safety™ Prevent Fire and Falls at Home program.

This program is designed to proactively engage with commercial property owners, managers and maintenance staff as it relates to fire and life safety. Subjects include:

• Understanding Fire Alarm and Fire Sprinkler Systems
• Identification of hazards
• Owner/Tenant Responsibilities
• Fire Extinguisher Training
• “Make Ready” procedures for new tenants
• Routine Safety Inspections

This program can be offered to small or large groups. Classes will be offered multiple times a year and we encourage property managers to send new staff members as well as existing staff to at least one class per year to ensure they are up to date on any changes in fire codes or city ordinances.

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The Citizen Fire Academy is a seven week program designed to open the lines of communication between the Bryan Fire Department and the community. The course provides a comprehensive overview of how the department operates and the types of services it offers. There will be hands-on activities as well as a live fire burn at the end of the program. In addition, the alumni of this program are invited and encouraged to continue to assist the Bryan Fire Department.

Driving while intoxicated destroys the lives of thousands of individuals every year. The Bryan Fire Department acknowledges this problem and has become a leader in the fight against drunk driving.

Through the development and implementation of education programs and the collection and distribution of various materials, BFD hopes to reduce the number of drinking related accidents and fatalities in the Brazos Valley. One program is “Every 15 minutes”.

Every 15 Minutes

“Every 15 Minutes” is a two-day DWI awareness education program that targets high school juniors and seniors. The program challenges young adults to think about drinking, personal safety and the responsibility of making mature decisions when lives are involved. The program’s name is derived from the fact that every fifteen minutes someone in the United States dies in an alcohol-related traffic collision.

On the first day of the program, a fire fighter dressed as the grim reaper enters various classrooms and removes pre-selected students one at a time. This continues every 15 minutes until all the students have been removed. Obituaries written by the student’s parents and containing photographs of the students are read aloud as the students are removed and placed in the classroom where they stay for the remainder of the school year.

The students who were removed from the classrooms are made up to resemble a “living dead” victim and are then returned to class. No interaction is allowed to take place between these students and anybody else for the rest of the day. Simultaneously, the parents of the removed children receive mock death notifications from police officers at their homes or places of employment. Though parents have already given their permission for their children to participate in the program, the affects of being notified by a real police officer in person are often emotionally devastating.

At lunchtime, a staged drunk driving traffic collision is held on campus. A series of emergency personnel appear on the scene: fire fighters, paramedics, police officers, the justice of the peace and individuals from the coroner’s office.

At the end of the school day, the “living dead” students are taken to a local establishment for overnight lodging in order to effectively simulate to family and friends that the student is “gone”. The students eat pizza and play games while interacting with guest speakers, various members of the community and fire and police personnel. Students are then asked to write letters to their parents detailing their thoughts and feelings about the program.

The next day a school assembly is held where speeches are made by local emergency response teams, law enforcement, school staff, students and parents. Various presentations are also made at this time. Students are reminded that alcohol does not just hurt those who drink it; too often the innocent are the victims.

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The Bryan Fire Department’s Community Paramedic is offering a STOP THE BLEED® training course.

Why Learn?

A bleeding injury can happen anywhere. We’ve all seen it happen too often – on the news or in everyday life. Life-threatening bleeding can happen in people injured in serious accidents or disasters. Instead of being a witness, you can become an immediate responder because you know how to STOP THE BLEED®.

What You’ll Gain From the Course

The person next to a bleeding victim may very well be the one who is most likely to save him or her from bleeding to death. By learning how to STOP THE BLEED®, you’ll gain the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and act quickly and effectively to control bleeding once you learn three quick techniques. Take the STOP THE BLEED® training course and become empowered to make a life or death difference when a bleeding emergency happens.

How We Teach

Our instructors teach you in person, using training materials specially developed to teach bleeding control techniques. They will not only instruct you, they will be available to check your movements as you practice three different bleeding control actions. They will keep working with you until you demonstrate the correct skills to STOP THE BLEED® and save a life.

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