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Fire Prevention

Fire Prevention Bureau

The City of Ottumwa Fire Prevention Bureau is located at Fire Station #1, 201 N. Wapello St., Ottumwa, Iowa, 52501. Telephone 641-683-0666 or Fax 641-683-0663.

The Fire Prevention Bureau consists of the Chief Fire Inspector and three fire personnel that assist in the fire investigations. All other fire personnel participate in fire prevention programs.

The Fire Prevention Bureau conducts fire inspections in/for child day cares, health care facilities, schools, and commercial buildings for city and state licenses, general fire safety inspections, acceptance testing of fire protection systems, installation and removal of underground and above ground storage tanks.

Other duties include the handling of both citizen and Fire Department officer complaints, plan review for compliance to the 2006 International Fire Code, coordination of Knox Box installations, in-service training for the business community, general fire safety presentations and public education. The Fire Prevention Bureau also conducts fire investigations to determine fire cause.

To arrange for an inspection, test of fire protection systems or fire safety presentation, please call us at 641-683-0666 to schedule, or you can fax us at 641-683-0663.

The Ottumwa Fire Prevention Bureau also delivers presentations on fire safety to civic groups, schools, churches and other organizations.

  • In-service training sessions are conducted for health care facilities
  • Fire extinguisher training sessions are conducted upon request
  • Holiday safety tip brochures are also available

Community Education

Smoke Detector, Fire Extinguisher, and House Number Programs
The Fire Prevention Bureau can answer your questions on smoke detectors including what kind you should purchase, where to place them and how often the battery needs to be replaced. The Fire Department also offers a program where you can purchase a smoke detector for $10, house numbers for $1 a number, and a fire extinguisher for our cost and the Fire Department will install them at no charge. Also, families meeting low-income qualifications can acquire a smoke detector free and have it installed at no charge. For further information contact the Ottumwa Fire Department at 641-683-0666.

Fire Prevention Programs
The Fire Prevention Bureau provides numerous public service Fire Prevention Programs to the public. These programs include:

  • Presentations on fire safety to civic groups, schools, churches and other organizations
  • Fire extinguisher training sessions are conducted at local businesses upon request.
  • Sparky the mascot dog visits local schools and day care centers to discuss fire safety.

You may contact the Fire prevention Bureau at 641-683-0666 or E-mail us for further information at jonesm@ci.ottumwa.ia.us.

School Education Programs
The Fire Prevention Bureau has fire safety education programs available for all local schools. For the elementary student, Sparky the mascot dog can visit, for the middle school and senior high student, the Fire Prevention Bureau can provide a Fire Prevention Inspector to present a fire safety education program.

Please call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 641-683-0666 or E-mail us at jonesm@ci.ottumwa.ia.us for further information or to set up an appointment.

Home Fire Safety Inspection
The Ottumwa Fire Prevention Bureau can assist you in identifying hidden home hazards upon request. If you would like a Fire Prevention Inspector to help with an inspection of your home, please phone the Fire Prevention Bureau at 641-683-0666.

Local Business Fire Prevention On-Site Training Services
The Fire Prevention Bureau conducts fire on-site training services for area businesses. They include but not limited to fire safety and evacuation in the work place.

Please contact the Fire Prevention Bureau at 641-683-0666 for an appointment.

Health Care Facility On-Site Training Services
The Fire Prevention Bureau conducts fire on-site training services for health care facilities as well as area businesses. They include but are not limited to fire safety and evacuation in the work place.

Please contact the Fire Prevention Bureau at 641-683-0666 for an appointment.

Fire/Life Safety

The Ottumwa Fire Department is committed to preserving life, property and the environment. One of the ways in which we try to accomplish this goal is through fire and life safety educational programs that are delivered a variety of ways to our citizens. The following are some tips which will help you prevent a fire from starting, or help save your life if you are caught in a fire situation.

  1. Install Smoke Detectors - "Working" smoke detectors can alert you to a fire in your home in time for you to escape, especially when you are sleeping. Smoke detectors should be installed on every level of your home and outside each sleeping area. Batteries should be tested once a month and replaced twice a year. Smoke detectors will greatly increase your chances of surviving a fire.
  2. Plan Your Escape - If a fire breaks out in your home, you have to get out quickly and safely. The time to plan for this is NOW! Sit down NOW with your family and agree on an escape plan. Draw it out so everyone understands it. Identify two ways out of each room and decide on an outside meeting place for everyone. If there are bedrooms on the second floor (or higher), those rooms should be provided with a home escape ladder. You can get one from the local department or hardware store. Your plan is not complete unless you practice it at least once a year.
  3. Smoking Materials - Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in North America. If you haven't decided to quit smoking yet, at least DON'T SMOKE IN BED. Check for smoldering cigarettes in furniture and the trash before going to bed at night. Be careful, don't become a fire statistic!
  4. Kitchen Safety - Never leave the stove unattended while cooking. Also, keep combustible materials away from the side of stoves (it might catch on fire). Be careful with kids playing around in the kitchen. If grease catches on fire on the stove, cover the pan with a lid and turn the burner off - never put water on a grease fire.
  5. Space Heaters and Fireplaces - Auxiliary heating equipment, such as space heaters and fireplaces cause a great many fires. Space heaters should be kept at least three feet away from all combustible material. Fireplace chimneys and flues need to be cleaned at the beginning of each heating season. Don't take the safety of this type of equipment for granted, use them carefully.
  6. Match and Lighter Safety - In a child's hand matches and lighters can be deadly. Children need to be taught that matches and lighters are TOOLS, not TOYS, and should only be used (if old enough) with adult supervision. Teach your children to tell an adult if they see matches or lighters lying around. Adults should keep matches and lighters locked up or up high in a cabinet where children can't reach them. Fires started by children playing with this type of equipment is the leading cause of fire deaths for kids under the age of six.
  7. Crawl Low Under Smoke - In a fire, smoke and poisonous gases rise to the ceiling with the heat. The air is much cleaner and safer near the floor. If you must escape through a smoky atmosphere, crawl low under the smoke.
  8. Stop, Drop, and Roll - If your clothes should ever catch on fire, don't run. Stop right where you are, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over to smother the flames. Seek medical attention for any burns you may have received.
  9. Fire Fighting - If you have a fire - the safest thing to do is GET OUT and STAY OUT. Call 911 from a neighbor's house. Don't try to extinguish the fire yourself before calling the Fire Department, it will get too big of a head start and may trap you inside a burning building. Firefighters are trained professionals, give them a chance to do their job - if you have a fire, call the Fire Department.
  10. Carbon Monoxide - Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, deadly gas that kills approximately 1,500 people per year in this country. Now, with new technology, you can equip your home with a carbon monoxide detector to alert you if there are dangerous levels of CO present. Be safe, buy and install a carbon monoxide detector today to protect your family from this poisonous gas.

Fire Departments provide a wide range of services to their communities. If you have any questions about fire safety, or any of the other services provided by them, give them a call. Together, we can make our communities safer from the devastating effects of fire.