Kern County Fire Department
Office of Public Information
5642 Victor Street
Bakersfield, CA 93308

To:  All Media, Fire Personnel

Contact: Engineer Andrew Freeborn, Public Information Officer, (661) 330-0133

Subject: Coronavirus COVID-19 Update

The Kern County Fire Department’s Chief David Witt has announced that until further notice all KCFD administrative buildings are closed to the public. This is a precautionary action aimed at limiting or slowing the spread of COVID-19. While facilities such as the Fire Department Headquarters and Fire Prevention Division are closed to the public, fire personnel are continuing to work and fulfill their administrative duties. As a reminder all nonemergency community event support, ride alongs, and station tours are still suspended. These decisions, related to Coronavirus COVID-19, were made out of an abundance of caution and with our community and fire personnel’s safety and health as our highest priority. Please be assured that all fire department activity related to 911 emergencies is ongoing.

We are asking that the community assist us in the following ways:

1) When calling 911, notify call takers if you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19
2) Monitor the latest updates from credible sources such as https://kernpublichealth.com/ and cdc.gov/gov/Coronavirus/
3) Protect yourself through everyday preventative actions like- washing your hands,  coughing into your elbow, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces touched often, avoid contact with sick people, avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

The Kern County Fire Department is monitoring the situation closely while working in partnership with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure the safety of our community and employees. 

Today the Kern County Fire Department announces the use of Smart911, which enables its users to create a free, private, and secure Safety Profile. When someone creates a Safety Profile they are planning ahead for potential emergencies. This proactive planning provides Emergency Dispatchers and Firefighters with information that helps them locate and help individuals requiring assistance during an emergency

When creating a Safety Profile users choose how much and what information to provide. Some examples include:

- Address
- Medical History
- Medications
- Allergies
- Pets
- Emergency Contacts

Smart911 is a national service meaning the Safety Profile travels with the user and is accessible by any participating 9-1-1 emergency dispatch center nationwide. 

Register today at smart911.com or download the Mobile App from the App Store or Google Play.

 Bakersfield, Calif.- The Kern County Fire Department has been awarded a $40,200.00 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for the purchase of new extrication equipment that will be used to rescue crash victims. Known as the “jaws of life,” first responders use these rescue tools to break apart a wrecked vehicle with the victims trapped inside. The tools help reduce the time it takes to rescue and treat victims.

So far this year, the Kern County Fire Department has responded to 3,419 vehicle accidents, of those 1,317 would be considered major impact rescues. To date 100 separate accidents in 2019 have required extrication.

“These new ‘eDRAULIC’ tools are lighter and easier to maneuver, allowing us to remove a trapped person more quickly, this directly improves the patient’s chances of survival,” said Kern County Fire Chief, David Witt. “When every second counts, having reliable equipment becomes a crucial element for our firefighters to provide life saving care.”

Delays in extrication can negatively impact the patient’s critical “golden hour” of trauma survivability. The “golden hour” for Emergency Medical Services is the core principle of rapid intervention in trauma cases: 1) get to the patient quickly, 2) treat what can be treated on scene, and 3) quickly get the patient to the right hospital. Anything that can be done to reduce each of these time periods aids in patient survival and recovery.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

If you have received a hazard reduction citation and/or need more information click here to request a review.

Cal Fire has provided a data viewer to assist landowners in determining if their property may fall within State Responsibility Area (SRA).  SRA boundaries are those adopted by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection in January, 2011, updated to reflect changes as of July 1, 2016. They are the official boundaries recognized by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to define the areas where CAL FIRE has financial responsibility for fire suppression and prevention. 

Click Here to Access the Cal Fire SRA Viewer.

Click here for APN/ATN Lookups.

Click here for the latest information on the the Isabella Dam from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Tree Mortality rates throughout California have skyrocketed.   Click here for information.