FIRE DEPARTMENT

Brookings Fire Department
Darrell Hartmann, Fire Chief
607 20th Avenue
Brookings, SD 57006
605-692-6323 Phone
605-697-8353 Fax
dhartmann@cityofbrookings.org
General Questions
brookingsfd@cityofbrookings.org

Mission Statement
The Brookings Fire Department will continue to be a proactive, emergency response organization providing safe and efficient service to the citizens and visitors of Brookings through prevention, education, and cooperation.

Vision Statement
To reduce and control fire losses through a comprehensive program of prevention, public education, fire suppression and training.

To maintain adequate emergency preparedness to handle a variety of potential life or property threatening situations in order to provide adequate levels of safety for the community.

To engage in fire prevention efforts to ensure the most cost effective system of community fire protection, both now and in the future.

To establish and maintain a relationship with other departments and outside agencies, enabling us to provide and receive reciprocal support to accomplish an assigned mission.

The Brookings Fire Department
The Brookings Fire Department was officially formed in 1880. The City of Brookings is still served by 45 dedicated volunteer firefighters. A full-time Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, and Office Manager fulfill day to day activities such as inspections, code reviews, fire prevention, preplans, maintenance, and reporting.

Programs and Services
To assist the Brookings Fire Department in their proactive approach to fire prevention, fire inspections are conducted to limit the risk of life and property losses from fire. These inspections limit losses by identifying and causing the correction of conditions, which contribute to the occurrence, and spread of fire.

The Brookings Fire Department provides plan review and inspection in coordination with the Engineering Department for all commercial, industrial, and multi-family property within the city limits. Code enforcement inspections, based on the 1997 Uniform Fire Code and city ordinance, are conducted to ensure that the premises, equipment, processes, operations, and fire protection of a property comply with applicable requirements. Enforcement activities include plan review and inspections during construction as well as periodic inspections to monitor conditions within the premises. A large majority of the enforcement inspection is conducted in residential occupancies containing eight or more dwelling units to ensure compliance with the City of Brookings rental dwelling licensing requirements.

Prefire planning inspections are conducted to acquaint firefighters with building features, exposures, processes, hazardous materials, and firefighting provisions that are characteristic to a certain property. Even though the primary purpose of prefire planning is to aid firefighters in developing a plan of attack in the event a fire does occur. Prefire planning activities are conducted with an emphasis on the preservation of life and property through the practice of prudent, though not necessarily legally required, fire protection measures. This type of inspection not only protects the firefighter, but also assists the business owner in compliance with other requirements not enforced by the City of Brookings, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

The department provides proactive prevention programs and educational opportunities to all citizens of Brookings and the Brookings area. Programs such as school visits, department tours, group lectures, and use of the safety house supported by printed media and handout items help to promote fire awareness and safety.

Fire suppression, and all forms of rescue services are provided to the citizens of Brookings proper and 160 square miles of Brookings County and 27 square miles of Moody County in South Dakota. The department provides extrication and water rescue/recovery for Brookings County.