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1. What is the Insurance Services Office (ISO) Rating?

The City of Clermont is an ISO Public Protection Class 1. The Public Protection Classification number is derived from a relative scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing no recognized fire protection and 1 representing the best possible fire protection. ISO stands for Insurance Services Office. This organization uses a "Fire Suppression Rating Schedule" to review and evaluate the available public fire suppression capabilities in order to develop a "Public Protection Classification" for fire insurance rating purposes. The schedule is a fire insurance rating tool, and is not intended to analyze all aspects of a comprehensive public fire protection program. This classification is one of the factors utilized to determine fire insurance rates for individual properties. The schedule measures major elements of a city's fire suppression system. These elements include Fire Department (50%), Water Supply (40%), and Fire Communications (receiving and handling fire calls - 10%).

2. Can I burn a pile of lawn and tree clippings in my back yard?

Burning Authorization Required

Agricultural, silvicultural, land clearing, pile and acreage burning all require a burning authorization from the Florida Forest Service.

Burning Authorization Not Required

Authorization is not required to burn yard waste as long as you meet the required setbacks and there are no local, city or county ordinances in place that prohibit burning. Check with your local, city and county officials to find out if there are any restrictions in your area. You can contact the Division of Forestry at 352-797-4100.

For further detailed information check out an informational brochure from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (PDF).

3. How do I check my smoke detector to be sure it is working properly?

Smoke detector batteries should be changed twice a year. "Change your clock, change your batteries." To test the detector, simply press the "test" button. You should hear the alarm. If you do not get an alarm, try a new battery, if that does not solve the problem replace the detector.

4. How do I know if my child's car safety seat is installed properly?

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of children today. Just having a child safety seat is often not enough. Statistics show that 4 out of every 5 car seats are used improperly. It is very important to have your child's car safety seat properly installed. The City of Clermont Fire Department is currently offering child car safety seat checks by certified technicians. The child safety seat check takes approximately 45 minutes to perform. The City of Clermont Fire Department has implemented a schedule for car seat appointments. Technicians will be available twice a month for installations. Please call 352-394-7662 between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, for an appointment.

5. If I lock my keys inside my vehicle; will the Fire Department unlock it for me?

Our department will respond to an emergency situation, such as an infant or pet locked in the vehicle or a vehicle left with the motor running. However, because of the technological advances in vehicle locking mechanisms that are designed to prevent theft, damage to the vehicle is often sustained in trying to unlock the vehicle and some attempts to gain entry by our "lock-out kit" equipment are unsuccessful. If our attempts to gain entry without damage to the vehicle fail, we may use a punch tool to break one of the windows. Therefore, if there is no emergency involved, our department must regretfully decline a request to unlock a vehicle and will refer you to a locksmith.

6. My smoke detector chirps occasionally, what is wrong?

If this is a battery powered detector, a chirp approximately once a minute typically indicates a low battery. Try replacing the battery, if that does not solve the problem replace the detector. For assistance, please call Clermont Fire Department's non-emergency dispatch center at 352-383-1200.

7. My smoke detector goes off for no reason, but only for a few seconds, what could be wrong?

This may be caused by dust or a small insect in the sensing part of the detector. Try vacuuming the outside of the detector to remove dust or pests that may have accumulated on the inside of the detector. If this does not solve the problem replace the detector.

8. What does Advanced Life Support (ALS) mean?

The Term Advanced Life Support is used to describe advanced equipment and procedures such as cardiac monitoring (including 12 lead electrocardiogram [ECGs]), cardiac pacing, intravenous access (starting IVs), endotracheal intubation (the placement of a breathing tube into the airway), chest decompressions, and the delivery of life saving medications.

9. What is a Knox Box?

"Knox Box" is a brand name for a small, heavy-duty safe-like box that is bolted through the exterior wall of a commercial building in the area of the main entrance to the building. "FailSafe" is another manufacturer of similar equipment. Keys for access to all doors in the building as well as any fire sprinkler, fire alarm, and mechanical system controls are contained in the box for use by fire personnel when responding to an emergency at the building. The box is connected to the building's burglar alarm system to monitor when the building's keys have been accessed or if the box has been tampered with. The Fire Department has a single, high-security master key that will open every rapid entry system lock box in the city. Fire departments across the country use this system to prevent costly forced entry damage and to rapidly gain entry to buildings in response to an emergency. 

The City of Clermont requires the developer of all new commercial buildings in the city to install either a Knox or FailSafe rapid entry system key access box. Owners of existing buildings in the city that have a fire sprinkler and/or fire alarm system are also being required to install a rapid entry system lock box.

10. What is a Cadet?

The mission of the Fire Cadet Program is to provide a youth program that will develop future firefighters and emergency medical providers. The program, sponsored by the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association Fire Cadet Section, is dedicated to "Home Growing Our Own" by ensuring the leaders of each local program have the resources to provide purposeful training in fire, emergency medicine and leadership development. 

The goal for the Clermont Fire Department is to provide a program that will provide the youth in our community an opportunity to become mature young adults with good leadership and decision-making skills. 

Clermont Fire Department Cadet Post 600 is open to young adults between the ages of 14 and 21 and at least in the ninth grade. Members must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average in order to remain active in Cadet Post activities. 

Firefighters, Paramedics and other adult staff over age 21 oversee the Cadet Program in the capacity of Cadet Advisors. Cadets attend training sessions related to fire and EMS and may be eligible to compete in Firematics competitions across the state. Some Post 600 members have completed training for certification as Firefighter II and Emergency Medical Technician while still enrolled in their senior year of high school, making them immediately eligible for employment as a full-time firefighter upon receiving their high school diploma. Jennifer Pierce, Fire Marshal, supervises the Fire Cadet Post. For more information, please call 352-241-2201.

11. What is the difference between an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a Paramedic?

An EMT is trained in Basic Life Support (BLS) skills such as assessment, triage and treatment of medical and trauma patients, control of bleeding, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), the use of Automatic External Defibrillator's (AEDs), and the delivery of oxygen.

A Paramedic is trained beyond the BLS level to the ALS (Advanced Life Support) level to include advanced skills such as cardiac rhythm interpretation, the application of an external cardiac pacemaker, endotracheal intubation (the placement of a breathing tube), Intravenous (IV) and Intraosseous (IO - placement of needle into bone marrow) fluid therapy, as well as the ability to administer various cardiac, respiratory and pain medications.

12. Where can I get my blood pressure checked?

The personnel at all of our fire stations will be happy to take your blood pressure at any time they are not out of the station for emergencies, training, or other reasons. There is no charge for the service and service is available during reasonable daytime hours.

• Station Number 1: 439 W Highway 50
• Station Number 2: 2200 Hartwood Marsh Road
• Station Number 3: 2155 Legends Way
• Station Number 4: 13341 Hartle Road

13. Why does the fire truck respond when I call for an ambulance?

The Clermont Fire Department provides advanced life support (ALS) services, non-transport. Our Squad Companies and Battalion vehicle are equipped with the necessary life-saving equipment to have an "ALS" license. Because our service area is only within the city, our units have an average response time of less than 4 minutes. Fire Department units provide on-scene care, transfer the patient to the ambulance, and are then available to immediately respond to another call. The ambulance is not available to respond to another call until they transport the patient to the hospital and transfer care of that patient to the Emergency Room (ER) staff. Lake-Sumter Emergency Medical Services (EMS) currently provides the transport service.