Health & Safety Division

The Health & Safety Division is involved in almost every aspect of what the fire department does. The division is responsible for investigating the serious injury or death of firefighters, inspecting and maintaining standards for Personal Protective Equipment, responding to safety inquiries, and promoting the overall health and wellness of personnel. Throughout the year, the division is also involved in: Analysis of Firefighter injury and vehicle accident reports to identify trends and to develop recommendations to reduce or eliminate injuries. Coordinating with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection for inspections of Personal Protective Equipment, and developing policies and procedures regarding equipment care and maintenance.
Conducting annual fire station inspections to ensure they meet current standards and codes, and to ensure that all fire department facilities are safe working environments. Responding to incidents that require a higher level of safety oversight on scene, including multiple-alarm structure fires and certain Hazardous Materials Incidents. Publishing the Departments Health and Safety newsletter to convey valuable health and safety information to the department’s employees. Managing the Fire Departments Volunteer Chaplaincy Program – A fire department Chaplain is available 24 hours a day, on-call to both internal and external customers.  The program provides guidance to SAFD employees for job-related and personal concerns and serves the general public during crisis situations. Conducting periodic wellness seminars to promote the overall wellness of employees.  Seminars cover such topics as general health, healthy cooking, nutrition, mental health, and financial planning and management. Managing the Departments uniformed Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which is designed to assist Firefighters and their families on both work and personal issues. Managing the Departments Peer Support Program (PSP) – The purpose of the Peer Support Program is to offer San Antonio Fire Department employees with the opportunity to talk to a fellow employee who can relate and empathize with personal or professional problems that negatively affect their work performance, family unit or self. As SAFD changes and expands, the Health & Safety Division works diligently to meet the challenge of ensuring the health and safety of over 1,500 firefighting and EMS personnel. Interested in a career with the San Antonio Fire Department? Find out what it takes to Join Our Team!