Community Risk Reduction Services

Orange County Fire Rescue’s (OCFRD) Community Risk Reduction Services (CRRS) aims to reduce preventable injury within Orange County through prevention programs. OCFRD’s CRRS program offers over 15 programs that aim to prevent injuries, teach the public how to appropriately react to emergencies, and prepare for emergencies that could happen in their daily lives.

At its core, Community Risk Reduction should be a data driven effort that follows the steps of conducting a community risk assessment for your community. For more information, please review NFPA 1300 (nfpa.org/1300). Additionally, at the end of this document there is a list of references that will help to guide your efforts in creating a strong CRR program at your department.

True community risk reduction (CRR) involves more than just performing safety activities—it requires a strategic approach that leads to measurable, lasting improvements in safety for both the community and our firefighters. To make a real impact, we must begin by identifying the specific risks within our community. This starts with collecting and analyzing data to gain a clear understanding of the unique needs and challenges we face. Once these risks are identified, we can prioritize the most critical ones and establish clear goals and outcomes to guide our efforts. With these priorities in place, we can develop and implement targeted strategies to address them. Finally, evaluating the effectiveness of our interventions—and making adjustments based on what we learn—is essential to achieving continuous improvement and long-term success.

OCFRD’s Community Risk Reduction Services section focuses on educating the public. Below you will find information on how our public educators reach the public with lifesaving safety information and prevention programs. 

CRRS’ three-person team is not able to accomplish reaching 90% of the population on their own. CRRS works closely with Operations to conduct Public Relations events. Operations regularly performs Fire Engine Visits with Safety Presentations, Display of the Unit at community events, fire station tours, parades, home safety visits, and pool door alarm installations without either of the public educators being present.